Crinkum-crankum
[KRING-kəm-KRANG-kəm]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: English, mid-18th century
1.
Elaborate decoration or detail.
2.
Something full of twists and turns.
Examples of Crinkum-crankum in a sentence
"I love Victorian architecture with the woodwork overflowing with crinkum-crankum."
"The reviews of the latest book in the mystery series promised a tale filled with crinkum-crankum."
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About Crinkum-crankum
They all sound quite silly, but only tilly-willy is a made-up word. Crinkum-crankum describes something elaborately detailed. Hodgepodge is a confused mixture, and a bumbershoot is an umbrella.
Did you Know?
It might sound like a nonsense word, but it has roots in very real terms. It’s an alteration of crinkle, meaning a wrinkle or crease on the surface of something, and crankle, which comes from the Latin word “crincum.” It means a bend or twist. Crinkum-crankum is just a fun way to describe something delightfully elaborate.
