or hi·fa·lu·tin (hīˌfə-lo͞otˈn) also high·fa·lu·ting (-lo͞otˈn, -lo͞oˈtĭng)
adjective Informal Pompous or pretentious: “highfalutin reasons for denying direct federal assistance to the unemployed” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.)
Regional Note: H.L. Mencken, in his famous book
The American Language, mentions
highfalutin as an example of the many native U.S. words coined during the 19th-century period of vigorous growth. Although
highfalutin is characteristic of American folk speech, it is not a true regionalism because it has always occurred in all regions of the country, with its use and popularity spurred by its appearance in print. The origin of
highfalutin, like that of many folk expressions, is obscure. It has been suggested that the second element,
-falutin, comes from the verb
flute—hence
high-fluting, a comical indictment of people who think too highly of themselves.
