Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­karabo­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon: Difference between revisions

Lopadotemakhoselakhogameokranioleipsanodrimypotrimmatosilphiokarabomelitokatakekhymenokikhlepikossyphophattoperisterphobiaticleri- alektryonoptokephalliokigklopeleiolagōiosiraiobaphētraganopterýgōn is a fictional dish mentioned in Aristophanes' comedy Assemblywomen.

it is of 561 letters originally-

Lopado­temacho­selacho­gameo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypotrimmato­silphio­-

karaomelito­katakechymeno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­-

opte­kephallio­kinklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon

λοπαδοτεμαχοσελαχογαλεοκρανιολειψανοδριμυποτριμματοσιλφιοκαραβομελιτοκατακεχυμενοκιχλεπικοσσυφο- φαττοπεριστεραλεκτρυονοπτοκεφαλλιοκιγκλοπελειολαγῳοσιραιοβαφητραγανοπτερύγων in the Greek alphabet (1169-74). Liddell and Scott translate this as "name of a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, flesh, fowl, and sauces."

The original Greek spelling had 171 characters (something which is not obvious in the Roman transcription, depending on the variant) and for centuries it was the longest word known.

The dish was a fricassee, with 17 sweet and sour ingredients, including brains, honey, vinegar, fish, pickles, and the following:

• Fish slices
• Fish of the Elasmobranchii subclass (a shark or ray)
• Rotted dogfish or small shark's head
• Generally sharp-tasting dish of several ingredients grated and pounded together
• Silphion "laserwort," apparently a kind of giant fennel
• A kind of crab, beetle, or crayfish
• Eagle
• Cheese
• Honey poured down
• Wrasse (or thrush)
• Was topped with a kind of sea fish or Blackbird
• Wood pigeon
• Domestic pigeon
• Chicken
• Roasted head of dabchick
• Hare, which could be a kind of bird or a kind of sea hare
• New wine boiled down
• Dessert, fruit, or other raw food
• Wing and/or fin

The word-by-word translation is in the wiktionary entry.

Role in the play

The gynecocracy depicted in Assemblywomen attempts to treat everyone equally. They create this dish so that they can serve one food that fits everyone's needs. The dish's name is mentioned only twice, in one of the last speeches of the play.

See also

• Big Mac (see "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" [71 letters] under Two all beef patties Slogan)
• Turducken (see "bustergophechiduckneaealcockidgeoverwingailusharkolanbler" [17 birds; 57 letters] under Variations)