![]() The word was popularised in the 1964 film Mary Poppins, in which it is used as the title of a song and defined as "something to say when you have nothing to say". In the column, Herman states that the word "implies all that is grand, great, glorious, splendid, superb, wonderful". The Oxford English Dictionary first records the word (with a spelling of "supercaliflawjalisticexpialadoshus") in the column titled "A-muse-ings" by Helen Herman in the Syracuse University Daily Orange, dated March 10, 1931. The word is a compound word, and said by Richard Lederer in his book Crazy English to be made up of these words: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and -docious "educable", with all of these parts combined meaning "Atoning for being educable through delicate beauty." Mary disagrees, suggesting that at least one word is appropriate for the situation, and begins the song. Flush with her victory, she is immediately surrounded by reporters who pepper her with leading questions and comment that she probably is at a loss for words. The song occurs in the chalk-drawing outing animated sequence, just after Mary Poppins wins a horse race.
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