Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
16 comments on this post.
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Dayton:
September 2nd, 2010 at 7:22 pm
I have no means to substantiate my theory, but I always thought it was a corruption of “saluting”. A “high-saluting” military man might be overly crisp and formal in his bearing, and condescending to subordinates. I figured the transformation of S to F might have derived from the era when the “long s” “aka “medial s” or “descending s” was widespread.
David F:
December 9th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
I wonder if falutin’ might have come from flaunt or flaunting?
David.
Greg:
February 16th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
In the dseries/documentry “The adveture of English” it was suggested that highfalutin referred to the high flutes on the river boats. As opposed to the riff raff who sailed in small rafts using paddles called riffs.
matt:
March 28th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
I thought it was something you apply a gradation to. Maybe there’s a situation is which we are lowfalutin of just middlefalutin. Can we be extremefalutin? Usually I’m just falutin if I’m lucky.
Emmaean:
June 24th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
As one from old Southern US stock, I have believed for a long time that high falutin gained its origin in that the best statesrooms on the old paddlewheelers plying the Mississippi River were high up, and flanking the twin smokestacks. These smokestacks were often fluted to resemble the Greek Revival columns popular in the architecture of the day. Those of us (my ancestors, that is) down in the steerage called the inhabitants of those cabins “high falutin” speaking with our Southern drawl.
Lisa B:
October 11th, 2011 at 8:55 pm
I was just in New Glarus, Wisconsin at a Museum of artifacts and tools used back in the 1800s, 1900s and oe thing that was pointed out was a little iron that woman would use to make flute like crinkles into the colors of there blouses and thought that maybe it had to do with that. Different ranks of socialites and different wealthy groups maybe it came from that??
Harmon:
November 27th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
Always heard it as “highfaluting.”
Seems most reasonable to think it is a corruption of “high flaunting,” which is a little bit of a tongue twister.
Jaime LeBlond:
June 20th, 2012 at 12:37 am
I love this answer about the columns. My sister just developed a theory that the word highfalutin came from the latin word valute, which described a fluted or fancy trim around the top of a greek column. I thought it was brilliant and went searching and was thrilled to see your comment!
Angela Watershoo:
June 25th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
The word faluting comes from the French falut, which means salvation. A high faluting person is a person who is a religous zealot. The meaning became generalized to refer to all forms of arrogance.
Tom W:
July 28th, 2012 at 1:00 am
I was born and raised near Charlotte, NC, and I’ve never – not once in my life – heard highfalutin with a “g” at the end. I’m pretty sure that if I had, I would’ve been quick to point out that the person using that form of pronunciation was highfalutin themselves.
Adam B:
August 2nd, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I’ve always wondered where this phrase came from. In the absence of actual knowledge, I came up with this origin. The term comes from the Greek architectural detail of “fluted” columns. Modern examples can be seen here. http://www.columns.us.com/fluted-columns/fluted-architectural-columns
Since larger more expensive homes would have tall pillars out front with higher fluting, one could say “that is some high fluting” or Highfalutin.
Yoav:
January 17th, 2013 at 4:36 am
While looking up on wikipedia some info about thomas mores famous book Utopia, we discovered that the narrators greek name was. “Hythlodaeus means “dispenser
of nonsense” ;
Maybe there is a link…
Mr. Rick:
February 11th, 2013 at 1:48 pm
I have heard this explanation before, or something similar. The better place to be was where the embers and ash from the “high fluted smokestacks” would pass over your head, rather than rain down upon you – as in the steerage seats. Paddle wheelers with high “fluted” stacks were more upscale.
Cheryl Fischman:
April 28th, 2013 at 1:12 am
The smokestack comment is indeed the correct answer as is the riff raff in same comment
Robert:
May 9th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
The explanations that make the most sense in this discussion to me are the riverboat because of the pronunciation of “falutin” for fluting. For example, “Then thar peeples is tha highfalutin ones sitting up thar on the top, you see Jeb. Theys is the ones with all da money….My humble opinion…
John Lane:
May 12th, 2013 at 10:49 pm
Thats a clever solution.I like it.