Word of the Week

a·poc·ry·phal

I’ve come across this word in the past but never bothered to look it up. I thought maybe it was related to the word apocalypse and had a negative connotation. However, when I finally bothered to look up the definition, I found out that it’s something else entirely! According to the wikipedia entry for apocrypha, originally apocrypha were biblical or related writings that were not part of the accepted canon of scripture. Often there might be doubt about its authorship or authenticity. Later on, as recorded in the late 16th century, the adjective apocryphal began to take on the meaning of doubtful authenticity, mythical or fictional. Since then, apocryphal has come to mean false, spurious (another great word!), bad or heretical.

So how do I work this word into casual conversation in order to appear smart and erudite (also another great word!)? Examples of apocryphal stories include urban legends and historical anecdotes (of dubious origin). Some fun apocryphal urban legends include the Jersey Devil, poisoned Halloween candy, the killer with a hook for a hand who terrorizes teenagers making out in their car, the woman driver who is harassed by someone tailing her car and flashing their high beams only to discover once she arrives home that there was a killer in her backseat (who subsequently murders her) and Walt Disney’s body (or in some cases, his head) being preserved in cryo chamber somewhere under Epcot.

Well, you get the idea.

Some apocryphal historical anecdotes include the story of George Washington, as a child, chopping down a cherry tree, subsequently fessing up to his father and saying “I cannot tell a lie,” Marie Antoinette saying “Let them eat cake,” and Napoleon’s purported — also a great word — short stature. (Apparently he was actually of average height for his time and the confusion arose from differences in measurement systems.)

So next time someone tells you a story that doesn’t quite ring true to you as actual fact, tell them “Hmm, that sounds apocryphal.” DJR