interfrastically

English

Alternative forms

• interphrastically

Etymology

Apparently formed from interphrastic +‎ -ally. From a 1987 episode of the British television comedy Blackadder, in which Dr. Samuel Johnson boasts about his newly completed dictionary containing every word in the English language. Blackadder subsequently uses a number of newly-invented words to perplex him: "I shall return interfrastically".

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɪn.tɚ.ˈfɹæs.tɪ.kʌ.li/

Adverb

interfrastically (comparative more interfrastically, superlative most interfrastically)

1. (informal, humorous) In the very next phrase; in a prompt manner.
   • 1987 September 24, “Ink and Incapability”, in Blackadder The Third, episode 2, spoken by Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson):

     Certainly, sir. I shall return interfrastically.

   • 1992 April, “Budokan”, in Zzap!64, Yeovil, Somerset: EuroPress Impact, →ISSN, page 14:

     The dojo screen's well-drawn, bright and colourful — a delight to the peepers. And as for the animation on the big chunky characters, interfrastically funkadacious are the words that spring to mind.

   • 1994 January 5, Jeremy Reimer, “Thought for the Day#3”, in alt.religion.kibology‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Yours interfrastically, / Jeremy Reimer

   • 2000 February 16, Steven Megson, “Book Review”, in alt.fan.pratchett‎^[2] (Usenet):

     Oh come now, I for one am quite phrasmotic for the pericombobulation Paul has suffered, and can only wish that in future he will have the sense to complete his assignments more interphrastically.

   • 2002 April 8, Zixia, “Needless to say, I got the job.”, in alt.startrek‎^[3] (Usenet):

     Thanks for replying so interfrastically, although I am rather compunctuous to learn that fact of the first dictionary.

   • 2016 September 8, Jeremy Laird, “Hardware Hotness: AMD's Zen CPU, Gaming Monitors, More VR And The Silliest Laptop Ever”, in Rock Paper Shotgun‎^[4], archived from the original on 2023-02-06:

     They're all a bit slimmer than their progenitors and the 17 incher gets both G-Sync with 120Hz refresh and Tobii eye tracking tech. More on the latter interfrastically. They will, of course, be very expensive.

Related terms

• interphrasally