jawbreaking

English

Etymology

jaw +‎ breaking

Adjective

jawbreaking (comparative more jawbreaking, superlative most jawbreaking)

1. Very difficult to pronounce.
   • 1867, Hugh Barclay, I. S. H. Laidlaw, The Journal of Jurisprudence, volume 11, page 131:

     Lord Cockburn, whose forte was not the civil law, affected to listen attentively and take ample notes, when, at last, on Mr Brodie citing some German civilian with a jawbreaking name, his lordship interrupting him asked, […]

   • 1934, Kansas Teacher and Western School Journal:

     If he had, he would probably write and talk in a jawbreaking technical language that we ordinary mortals could not more understand readily than we can work a cross-word puzzle without resorting to the dictionary.

Translations

Translations

• Finnish: hankala lausua
• French: à coucher dehors (fr), imprononçable (fr)

See also

• unpronounceable