persiflage
/ˈpəːsɪflɑːʒ
/noun [mass noun] formal
Light and slightly contemptuous mockery or banter: an air of persiflage...
- Its all ephemera and persiflage, as we sit mocking in the plumes as political gadflies who tell the truth.
- When they look at academic discourse they see only persiflage: fancy words, convoluted syntax, and the pretentious invocation of authority.
- He was not one to mince matters, nor did he wrap up inconvenient topics in persiflage.
Origin
Mid 18th century: from French persifler 'to banter', based on siffler 'to whistle'.
- intermediate host
- intermediately
- intermediateness
- intermediate technology
- intermediation
- intermediator
- intermedin
- intermedium
- interment
- intermesh
- intermezzo
- interminable
- interminableness
- interminably
- intermingle
- intermission
- intermit
- intermittence
- intermittency
- intermittent
- intermittent claudication
- intermittently
- intermix
- intermixable
- intermixture