Word of the Day

: September 10, 2007

longueur

noun lawn-GUR (<em>approximation -- this word comes from French and h

What It Means

: a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) -- usually used in plural

longueur in Context

"This production has its occasional longueurs, but glorious singing and energetic choreography quickly rope us back in." (Rick Rogers, The Oklahoman, June 28, 2007)

Did You Know?

You've probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays, or musical works before, but perhaps you didn't know there was a word for them. English speakers began using the French borrowing "longueurs" in the late 18th century. In French, "longueurs" are tedious passages, and "longueur" literally means "length." The first recorded use of "longueur" in English comes from the writer Horace Walpole, who wrote in a letter, "Boswell's book is gossiping;. . . but there are woful longueurs, both about his hero and himself."