A.Word.A.Day --corroboree

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Sep 15, 2025

This week’s theme
Words that aren’t what they appear to be

This week’s words
corroboree

A South Australian Corroboree, 1864

Art: WR Thomas

Previous week’s theme
Words relating to religion

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

If a nominee is someone nominated and an invitee is someone invited, then surely a committee must be someone committed?

Not so fast! Patterns are useful, but sometimes they throw us off. A committee was originally a person entrusted with a task. Now it’s usually a group formed for some specific purpose. Although you could still form a committee of one. Attendance would always be perfect, a quorum always met, and every vote unanimous.

English loves to lure us in with something familiar-looking and then trip us up. This week we’ve put together a set of words that seem to say, “Gotcha!” A little prank, a little jump scare, but harmless fun.

What are your favorite misleading words? Share below or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state).

corroboree

PRONUNCIATION:

(kuh-ROB-uh-ree)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A meeting.
2. A large or noisy gathering or celebration.
3. A tumult.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Dharug garabara (a style of dancing). Dharug is an Australian Aboriginal language. Earliest documented use: 1811.

NOTES:

A corroboree is not someone who corroborates your story or whose story is corroborated. It’s an assembly or ceremonial meeting of Aboriginal Australians, often involving music, dance, and storytelling. The northern corroboree frog and southern corroboree frog are named so from their black and yellow stripes that resemble a dancer’s body paint in a corroboree. Figuratively, the term is sometimes used to describe chaos or political uproar, such as when the parliament itself turns into a corroboree.

USAGE:

“‘That’s it for me boys, I’m going to mingle with the oldies for a while,’ said Lee Chong Wei ... As they approached the little corroboree, Raj and Chong Wei could hear the booming voice of Sam Jones.”
Making the Smart Move; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Nov 3, 2007.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

There is no disguise that can for long conceal love where it exists or simulate it where it does not. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, aphorist (15 Sep 1613-1680)

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