Lollapalooza: Wacky Word Wednesday

Are you ready for some summer fun festivities? In today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, we will take you to the best events, extravaganza and fiestas this summer!

Lollapalooza [lol-uh-puh-loo-zuh] –noun An extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example of instance

Originating around the 1850s and spelled “lallapalootza” or “lollapalooza”, today’s wacky word is one of the few words born in the United States. Reminiscent of a giant lollipop, lollapalooza became famous overnight when Perry Farrell, an American musician and the front-man for alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction, adopted the name for his band’s farewell tour in 1991. Though he can’t recall how he stumbled upon the name, Farrell had no idea what a “-palooza” frenzy he started. Not only did his music tour evolve into an annual festival, but the word “-palooza”—meaning “an all-out crazy party” or “a crazy bunch of things or people”—also became widely used.

Today, after its successful revival in 2005, Lollapalooza is most well-known as an annual three-day music festival featuring heavy metal, alternative rock, hip hop and punk rock bands as well as dance and comedy performances and craft booths. An estimated 270,000 people attend the festival every year. The music festival this year ended in Grant Park, Chicago on August 1^st with one of the best performances of the whole festival given by Chance the Rapper. Lollapalooza 2014 featured headliners like Eminem, Lorde, Foster the People, Iggy Azalea and Skrillex. A true “artistpalooza”, it is many music lovers favorite festival of the summer.

Here are two examples of how to use lollapalooza in a sentence.

• She is going to have a huge birthday bash that promises to be a lollapalooza of a party. (Merriam-Webster)

• It’s a lollapalooza, just like your other books. (Oxford Dictionaries)

While not everyone had the chance to participate in this year’s musicpalooza, you can always find some summer festivities around your area. Whether it’s happy hour after work, an outdoor pool party, a karaoke session with old friends, or a family BBQ, as long as you are with people you care about and doing something you love, it can always be a lollapalooza!

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