Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Encyclopedia
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (icon) is an English
word, with 34 letters, that was in the song with the same title in the 1964 Disney musical film Mary Poppins
. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers
, and sung by Julie Andrews
and Dick Van Dyke
. It also appears in the stage show version of Mary Poppins
.
Since Mary Poppins was a period piece set in 1910, period sounding songs were wanted. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sounds like contemporary music hall songs "Boiled Beef and Carrots
" and "Any Old Iron"
.
.
The roots of the word have been defined as follows: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and docious- "educable", with the sum of these parts signifying roughly "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty." Although the word contains recognizable English morphemes
, it does not follow the rules of English morphology
as a whole. The morpheme -istic is a suffix in English, whereas the morpheme ex- is typically a prefix; so following normal English morphological rules, it would represent two words: supercalifragilistic and expialidocious. The pronunciation also leans towards it being two words since, the letter c doesn't normally sound like a k when followed by an e, an i or a y.
According to the film, it is defined as "something to say when you have nothing to say".
. Flush with her victory, she is immediately surrounded by reporters who pepper her with leading questions and they comment that she probably is at a loss for words. Mary disagrees, suggesting that at least one word is appropriate for the situation and begins the song.
Some have pointed out that when the word is spelled backwards, it becomes "suoicodilaipxecitsiligarfilacrepus", which is not at all similar to Poppins' claim. However, her claim was not about spelling it backwards, but saying it backwards; if one breaks the word into several sections or prosodic feet
("super-cali-fragi-listic-expi-ali-docious") and recites them in reverse sequence, and also reverses the spelling of "super" to "repus", one does come close to what Poppins said in the film.
In the stage musical
, the word's proper reversal is used.
by songwriters Gloria Parker
and Barney Young against Wonderland Music, who published the version of the song from the Walt Disney
film. The plaintiffs alleged that it was a copyright infringement
of a 1951 song of their own called "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus". Also known as "The Super Song", "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus" was recorded by Alan Holmes
and his New Tones on Columbia Records
, vocal by Hal Marquess and the Holmes Men, music and lyrics by Patricia Smith (a Gloria Parker
pen name). In addition, "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus" was recorded on Gloro Records(45) by The Arabian Knights. The Disney publishers won the lawsuit partially because affidavits were produced showing that "variants of the word were known ... many years prior to 1949".
, Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael Banks to visit Mrs Corry's shop to buy "an ounce of conversation", only to find that Mrs Corry has run out of conversation. She does, however have some letters, and Jane and Michael each pick out seven, with Mary choosing one also. As Bert, Mary and the rest of the ensemble struggle to create words out of the fifteen letters, Mary reminds them that they can always use the same letter more than once, and creates the word (and song) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. In addition, the cast spells it out in a kind of sign language that was suggested by choreographer Stephen Mear, whose partner is deaf.
(Gold), 1972
(Gold) and 1976
(Silver) in a Flying Dutchman
called Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious written in large colorful waves on the hull.
which goes as follows:
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is a very long word. Spell it (the joke being that the receiving person tries to spell "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", when they are really being asked to spell "it").
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
word, with 34 letters, that was in the song with the same title in the 1964 Disney musical film Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers
Sherman Brothers
The Sherman Brothers are an American songwriting duo that specialize in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman ....
, and sung by Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
and Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
. It also appears in the stage show version of Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (musical)
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre...
.
Since Mary Poppins was a period piece set in 1910, period sounding songs were wanted. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sounds like contemporary music hall songs "Boiled Beef and Carrots
Boiled Beef and Carrots
"Boiled Beef and Carrots" is a comedic musical hall song published in 1909, and composed by Charles Collins and Fred Murray.The song was made famous by Harry Champion who sang it as part of his act and recorded it...
" and "Any Old Iron"
Any Old Iron (song)
"Any Old Iron" is an old British Music hall song written by Charles Collins, Fred Terry and E.A. Sheppard. The song was made famous by Harry Champion, who sang it as part of his act and recorded it....
.
Origin
According to Richard M. Sherman, co-writer of the song with his brother, Robert, the word was created by them in two weeks, mostly out of double-talkDoublespeak
Doublespeak is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms , making the truth less unpleasant, without denying its nature. It may also be deployed as intentional ambiguity, or reversal of meaning...
.
The roots of the word have been defined as follows: super- "above", cali- "beauty", fragilistic- "delicate", expiali- "to atone", and docious- "educable", with the sum of these parts signifying roughly "Atoning for educability through delicate beauty." Although the word contains recognizable English morphemes
Morpheme
In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. The field of study dedicated to morphemes is called morphology. A morpheme is not identical to a word, and the principal difference between the two is that a morpheme may or may not stand alone, whereas a word,...
, it does not follow the rules of English morphology
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
as a whole. The morpheme -istic is a suffix in English, whereas the morpheme ex- is typically a prefix; so following normal English morphological rules, it would represent two words: supercalifragilistic and expialidocious. The pronunciation also leans towards it being two words since, the letter c doesn't normally sound like a k when followed by an e, an i or a y.
According to the film, it is defined as "something to say when you have nothing to say".
Story context
The song occurs in the chalk drawing outing animated sequence, just after Mary Poppins wins a horse raceHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. Flush with her victory, she is immediately surrounded by reporters who pepper her with leading questions and they comment that she probably is at a loss for words. Mary disagrees, suggesting that at least one word is appropriate for the situation and begins the song.
Backwards version
During the song, Poppins says, "You know, you can say it backwards, which is 'dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus', but that's going a bit too far, don't you think?"Some have pointed out that when the word is spelled backwards, it becomes "suoicodilaipxecitsiligarfilacrepus", which is not at all similar to Poppins' claim. However, her claim was not about spelling it backwards, but saying it backwards; if one breaks the word into several sections or prosodic feet
Foot (prosody)
The foot is the basic metrical unit that generates a line of verse in most Western traditions of poetry, including English accentual-syllabic verse and the quantitative meter of classical ancient Greek and Latin poetry. The unit is composed of syllables, the number of which is limited, with a few...
("super-cali-fragi-listic-expi-ali-docious") and recites them in reverse sequence, and also reverses the spelling of "super" to "repus", one does come close to what Poppins said in the film.
In the stage musical
Mary Poppins (musical)
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre...
, the word's proper reversal is used.
Legal action
In 1965, the song was the subject of an unsuccessful lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
by songwriters Gloria Parker
Gloria Parker
Glorious Gloria Parker is an American entertainer and female icon during the big band or swing era, as an all girl bandleader. The Gloria Parker Show aired nightly from 1950 to 1957, coast to coast on WABC Radio and Parker entertained her audience playing the marimba, organ and the singing glasses...
and Barney Young against Wonderland Music, who published the version of the song from the Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
film. The plaintiffs alleged that it was a copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
of a 1951 song of their own called "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus". Also known as "The Super Song", "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus" was recorded by Alan Holmes
Alan Holmes
Alan Holmes is a musician, artist and record producer, based in north Wales.Although he began his musical career in the late 1960s in childhood beat group The Insects, he first came to prominence in The Zuggs , followed by A Silly Tree, the latter including Gary Stubbs, later of Cut Tunes with whom...
and his New Tones on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, vocal by Hal Marquess and the Holmes Men, music and lyrics by Patricia Smith (a Gloria Parker
Gloria Parker
Glorious Gloria Parker is an American entertainer and female icon during the big band or swing era, as an all girl bandleader. The Gloria Parker Show aired nightly from 1950 to 1957, coast to coast on WABC Radio and Parker entertained her audience playing the marimba, organ and the singing glasses...
pen name). In addition, "Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus" was recorded on Gloro Records(45) by The Arabian Knights. The Disney publishers won the lawsuit partially because affidavits were produced showing that "variants of the word were known ... many years prior to 1949".
Stage musical
In the stage musicalMary Poppins (musical)
Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly titled series of children's books by P. L. Travers and the Disney 1964 film. The West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards, one for Best Actress in a Musical and the other for Best Theatre...
, Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael Banks to visit Mrs Corry's shop to buy "an ounce of conversation", only to find that Mrs Corry has run out of conversation. She does, however have some letters, and Jane and Michael each pick out seven, with Mary choosing one also. As Bert, Mary and the rest of the ensemble struggle to create words out of the fifteen letters, Mary reminds them that they can always use the same letter more than once, and creates the word (and song) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. In addition, the cast spells it out in a kind of sign language that was suggested by choreographer Stephen Mear, whose partner is deaf.
Olympic history
Rodney Pattison won three Olympic medals in sailing during the games of 1968Sailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens Greece. With the exception of 1904...
(Gold), 1972
Sailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....
(Gold) and 1976
Sailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program....
(Silver) in a Flying Dutchman
Flying Dutchman (dinghy)
thumbthumbThe Flying Dutchman is a 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person monohull racing dinghy. Developed in the early 1950s, its large sail area per unit weight allow it to plane easily when sailing upwind. The boat utilizes a trapeze harness for the crew and hiking straps for the...
called Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious written in large colorful waves on the hull.
Joke
There is a common joke in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which goes as follows:
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" is a very long word. Spell it (the joke being that the receiving person tries to spell "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", when they are really being asked to spell "it").
External links
- "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious" at the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of HealthThe National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
, Department of Health & Human Services (NIEHS). (Lyrics and Quicktime audio clip). - Mary Poppins (1964) at Reel Classics; features "Multimedia Clips": incl. Mary Poppins Highlights: "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!".