granfalloon

English

Etymology

Coined by American writer Kurt Vonnegut in 1963, in the novel Cat's Cradle, in which Vonnegut described the term as referencing a false karass, or "a proud and meaningless association of human beings"; later adopted by market researchers and social scientists.

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: 'grăn.fəʹlo͞on, IPA^(key): /ˌɡɹæn.fəˈluːn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːn

Noun

granfalloon (plural granfalloons)

1. A group of two or more people who imagine or are manipulated to believe they share a connection based on some circumstance of little or no real significance.
   • 2012, Ryan Rigney, “Celebrity Nintendo Ads Offend the Gamer Granfalloon”, in Wired:

     Gamers are nothing but members of an enormous granfalloon. The word [gamers] totally fails to accurately describe anything about a person when it comes to capturing their interests in interactive entertainment, and yet many gaming enthusiasts cling to the term and make it a facet of their identity.

   • 2017, Vivian Ewing, “Like it Was Yesterday, West Tisbury Celebrates 125 Years”, in Vineyard Gazette:

     While he called West Tisbury pride a “granfalloon” he also admitted to being unable to live in any other town.