Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious facts for kids
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a very long English word. It has 34 letters! This word became famous from a song in the Disney musical movie Mary Poppins.
The song was written by the Sherman Brothers. It was sung by the actors Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in the movie. You can also find this word in the stage show version of Mary Poppins.
What Does Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mean?
The writers of the Oxford English Dictionary believe this word was first used in the 1940s. It's a compound word, which means it's made up of several smaller words.
A writer named Richard Lederer explained the word in his book Crazy English. He said it's made from these parts:
- super-: means "above"
- cali-: means "beauty"
- fragilistic-: means "delicate"
- expiali-: means "to atone" (which means to make up for something)
- -docious: means "educable" (which means able to be taught)
When you put all these parts together, it could mean "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty." That's a bit complicated!
What the Movie Says
In the Mary Poppins movie, where the word became very popular, it's described as "something to say when you have nothing to say." It's like a fun, silly word to fill silence.
However, many people think the word simply means "extraordinarily good" or "wonderful." This is because every time the word is used in the movie, it's in a positive way. It makes people feel happy and amazed.
See also
In Spanish: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious para niños
