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by Darkbob on September 4th, 2007
Discombobulate" is an American invention, first appearing around 1834, but its origins are a bit cloudy. It may be, as the Oxford English Dictionary suggests, simply a humorous alteration of "discompose" or "discomfit." The Dictionary of American Regional English, however, suggests that the "bob" in "discombobulate" may have come from "bobbery," a somewhat antiquated word meaning "uproar or confusion."
"Bobbery" is an interesting word in its own right. It is thought to be a relic of the British colonial regime in India, where the Hindi phrase "Bap re!" ("Oh Father!") is a common exclamation of surprise, dismay or grief.
by James_T6103 on December 16th, 2010
The Bob part of the word may come from bobbin, a reel of ribbon or thread in many machines, including type writers and sewing machines. The discombobulation may have refered to the frustrating situation when one loses control of the ribbon or thread, an entanglement ensues.
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