| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| discombobulate (v.) |
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| is an Americanism, a humorous word meaning “to upset, to disconcert, to confuse thoroughly.” It is used mainly at Conversational levels or in Semiformal or Informal writing, and it contains its own hyperbole, suggesting that the disarrangement so caused is complete: Our trick so discombobulated our opponents that they forgot to retaliate. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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