moronoia, n. a state of dull-mindedness. moronoid, adj.
From the Greek moros, dull, and noos, mind.
Psychologists around the mid-1800s were fond of referring to the mental state of both depressed and intellectually disabled patients as moronoiac. The public swiftly adopted the term to deride those who seemed silly or stupid.
Evidence is given in Scene Four of the stage play Bertie's Battle, by Englishwoman Winifred George. George's main character, Bertie, is described as suffering moronoia after being bowled out at the village cricket match:
[Bowler bowls; Bertie misses and Wicket Keeper catches the ball.]
Fielders: Cor!
Bertie: Egads!
Miss Finch: [aside to Miss Gibbons] Oh, Valerie. Do you think Bertie's got the flu? He's not playing nearly as well as he can!
Miss Gibbons: [rifling through purse in search of opera glasses; she finds them and peers across at the pitch] It looks more like moronoia to me, my dear.
Miss Finch: Oh! Do stop. He is smart, I tell you. And terribly clever.
Miss Gibbons: [regarding Miss Finch over the tops of her glasses with gravity and a raised eyebrow] Yes, dear. I'm quite sure he is.
Historians comment that the audience would have laughed heartily at this little scene, it being typical of the teatime humour of the era.
Today, of course, audiences would likely have died of moronoia induced by Miss George's tedious writing long before this point in the play was achieved.
No comments:
Post a Comment