The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel & Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a utterly wonderful meme hosted by Kathy at Bermuda Onions Weblog. The purpose is to share words that are new to us. This week I only have one word because the book I'm reading is pretty breezy; most of the words I didn't know were Indian like last week's punkahwallah (the person who operates the fan) or chowkidar (gate keeper) and they're not really words you'll be including in conversation.

My word of the week again comes from Deborah Moggach's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which you may have read under its original title, These Foolish Things.

The book has been rereleased to tie in with the film which has already been released in the UK and Ireland and gets relased here in the states in April. It stars Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson Bill Nighy and Dev  Patel and should be a lot of fun!

My word is footling. 

The character uses it in response to a song about love coming once in a life time. Moggach writes "When she was young she had thought this song the height of romance, but now she realized the words were footling. In fact, she could have fallen in love with any number of people."

From the context I can figure out that "footling" is an adjective that must mean her thought was untrue in some way but I've never heard of this word before. The real meaning of the word is shaded with nuance and I can't wait to use it! According to Merriam-Webster footling: 1) lacking judgment or ability; INEPT <footling amatueurs who understand nothing - E.R. Bentley.> 2) lacking use or value; TRIVIAL<footling matters>

Updated: 1/16/2018