conundrum en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
A word of unknown origin with several variants, gaining popularity for its burlesque imitation of scholastic Latin, as hocus-pocus or panjandrum. If there is more to its origin than a nonce coinage, Anatoly Liberman suggests the best theory is that connecting it with the Conimbricenses, 16th c. scholastic commentaries on Aristotle by the Jesuits of Coimbra which indulge heavily in arguments relying on multiple significations of words.
Meanings
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A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.
Besides assisting in unravelling these two etymological conundrums, the present research also made an effort to approach a greater accuracy in presenting the original sources of borrowed words.
2018, James Lambert, “Anglo-Indian slang in dictionaries on historical principles”, in World Englishes, volume 37, page 255:“Why should I understand that, or anything else?” asked the girl. “Don’t bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you. Just let me discover myself in my own way.”
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], chapter 2, in Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:
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A difficult choice or decision that must be made.
2004, Martha Stewart, statement read before being sentenced to five months in prison And while I am more concerned about the well-being of others than for myself, more hurt for them and for their losses than for my own, more worried for their futures than for the future of Martha Stewart the person, you are faced with a conundrum, a problem of monumental, to me, proportions.
Herb was initially overcome by Jakarta ('The impressions of noise, chaos, tremendous crowdedness and I suppose whitelessness were perhaps the strongest, and I felt something of a stranger') and faced with the familiar conundrum ('again the sensation of the thousands of hungry people all around – happy looking often, pluckily cheerful but in fact hungry – is strange and upsetting'), but he quickly slipped into the volunteer lifestyle with relish, borrowing a bike from Soewarto, a friend from Kempen, and spending a lot of his time with volunteers, including Lance Castles and John Gare.
2011, Jemma Purdey, From Vienna to Yogyakarta:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| conundrums | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| conundra | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Hobson's choice · Catch-22 · crux · puzzle · no-win situation · dilemma · Sophie's choice · enigma · dilemma · riddle · Morton's fork · quandary · brain-teaser
Translations (93)
de schwierige Frage (difficult question or riddle) · sk problém (difficult question or riddle) · hy հանելուկ (difficult question or riddle) · pt dilema (difficult choice or decision) · az dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · scn nimma (difficult choice or decision) · mk недоу́мица (difficult choice or decision) · da ordgåde (difficult question or riddle) · tr muamma (difficult question or riddle) · ro dilemă (difficult choice or decision) · gl deviñanza (difficult question or riddle) · hu dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · es adivinanza (difficult question or riddle) · de Rätselfrage (difficult question or riddle) · de Scherzfrage (difficult question or riddle) · ba башватҡыс (difficult question or riddle) · pl zagadka (difficult question or riddle) · es dilema (difficult choice or decision) · fr casse-tête (difficult question or riddle) · sk hádanka (difficult question or riddle) · gl adiviña (difficult question or riddle) · es interrogante (difficult choice or decision) · cs hádanka (difficult question or riddle) · el δίλημμα (difficult choice or decision) · nl hersenbreker (difficult question or riddle) · ca envitricollament (difficult question or riddle) · hu találós kérdés (difficult question or riddle) · ru зага́дка (difficult question or riddle) · hu rejtvény (difficult question or riddle) · gl dilema (difficult choice or decision) · fi arvoitus (difficult question or riddle) · de Qual der Wahl (difficult choice or decision) · mk га́танка (difficult question or riddle) · it dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · de Dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · el αίνιγμα (difficult question or riddle) · da gåde (difficult question or riddle) · fi pulma (difficult choice or decision) · ca dilema (difficult choice or decision) · sh zavrzlama (difficult question or riddle) · nl dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · pt adivinha (difficult question or riddle) · bg загадка (difficult question or riddle) · sk hlavolam (difficult question or riddle) · cs hlavolam (difficult question or riddle) · bg гатанка (difficult question or riddle) · no gåte (difficult question or riddle) · fi kompa (difficult question or riddle) · fi kompakysymys (difficult question or riddle) · scn dilimma (difficult choice or decision) · it indovinello (difficult question or riddle) · it enigma (difficult choice or decision) · tl paisip (difficult question or riddle) · hy գլուխկոտրուկ (difficult question or riddle) · scn dubbiu (difficult choice or decision) · mk за́гатка (difficult question or riddle) · nl raadsel (difficult question or riddle) · ru диле́мма (difficult choice or decision) · enm probleme (difficult question or riddle) · mk диле́ма (difficult choice or decision) · ka თავსატეხი (difficult choice or decision) · hy առեղծված (difficult question or riddle) · scn nimma (difficult question or riddle) · it enigma (difficult question or riddle) · tr bilmece (difficult question or riddle) · da hovedbrud (difficult choice or decision) · es enigma (difficult choice or decision) · ru головоло́мка (difficult question or riddle) · de Rätsel (difficult question or riddle) · de Kopfzerbrecher (difficult question or riddle) · cs rébus (difficult question or riddle) · de Entscheidungsfrage (difficult choice or decision) · scn nnivinagghia (difficult question or riddle) · cs dilema (difficult choice or decision) · sv dilemma (difficult choice or decision) · az başsındıran (difficult question or riddle) · cmn 字谜 (difficult question or riddle) · it rompicapo (difficult question or riddle) · ba йомаҡ (difficult question or riddle) · el σπαζοκεφαλιά (difficult question or riddle) · fr énigme (difficult question or riddle) · de Vexierfrage (difficult question or riddle) · it rebus (difficult question or riddle) · eo enigmo (difficult question or riddle) · fr dilemme (difficult choice or decision) · de Zwickmühle (difficult choice or decision) · ca endevinalla (difficult question or riddle) · pl dylemat (difficult choice or decision) · vi nan đề (difficult question or riddle) · fr problème (difficult question or riddle) · es acertijo (difficult question or riddle) · bg дилема (difficult choice or decision) · el γρίφος (difficult question or riddle)