Rube Goldberg machine en · NOUN
Etymology
Named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, who drew many such machines in his comics.
Meanings
- (Canada, US) A comical, overcomplicated machine which performs a simple task.
-
(broadly) Anything that is overly complicated.
To be overly cynical myself, that is still the macro view. Littlefinger’s execution and the white walkers passing through the rubble of the Wall are just two observations that this enormous Rube Goldberg machine is running on time.
2017 August 27, Brandon Nowalk, “Game Of Thrones slows down for the longest, and best, episode of the season (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rube Goldberg machines | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (12)
ja ピタゴラスイッチ (comically overcomplicated machine) · de Rube-Goldberg-Maschine (comically overcomplicated machine) · ja ピタゴラ装置 (comically overcomplicated machine) · fr usine à gaz (comically overcomplicated machine) · es Máquina de Rube Goldberg (comically overcomplicated machine) · cmn 魯布·戈德堡機械 /鲁布·戈德堡机械 (comically overcomplicated machine) · tr Rube Goldberg makinesi (comically overcomplicated machine) · ja ルーブ・ゴールドバーグ・マシン (comically overcomplicated machine) · tr Zihni Sinir Proceleri (comically overcomplicated machine) · sv Rube Goldberg-maskin (comically overcomplicated machine) · hu Rube Goldberg-gép (comically overcomplicated machine) · nl Rube Goldbergmachine (comically overcomplicated machine)