Word of the Day: Discombobulate reminds readers that English vocabulary is not only rich and precise but also capable of humour and creativity. Few words illustrate confusion quite as memorably, or as ...

Subscribe in iTunes ∙ RSS feed ∙ Download ∙ Play in another tab Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield discuss the history of the word discombobulate with Wall Street Journal language columnist Ben Zimmer. For ...

The term first appeared as lighthearted slang in early 19th-century American English. Its exaggerated, nearly humorous rhythm reflects the emotion it conveys.