cockamamie

We have a huge fascination for antiquated terms and figures of speech here at Burnlab HQ, much like we adore antiquated cocktails like the Old Fashioned.

(I first became obsessed with Old Fashioneds because of Jim Backus' charmingly alcoholic character in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, but I digress.)

Whenever I come across a colorful but out of fashion term, I try to work it into everyday speech as much as possible. There's a notion that "the good old days" sounded more sophisticated and wittier than the present. (And really, who can argue?) As contemporary gutter language filters up through daytime talk shows, MTV, and eventually finds its way into the bloody dictionary, It's fun to counter it with some classic American slang from the past. (I find wearing a monocle, smoking a pipe and speaking in a heavy mid-Atlantic dialect makes me feel better about it, but also usually results in getting my ass kicked.)

Today's antiquated word of the day is: cockamamie

It's a word everyone knows, but how often do you hear it used?
Next time you hear someone says "That's wack!" say to them, "no son, that's cockamamie!"

It can be used to describe simple things, but is best used to describe schemes and plans. Perhaps it's fallen out of favor because people don't seem to craft elaborate schemes so much anymore - which may perhaps be the bigger travesty.