Gigmania

/ɡɪɡˈmeɪniə/ noun

Definition

An excessive or obsessive enthusiasm for gigs or for maintaining the appearance of respectable gigman status.

Etymology

From gig + -mania (from Greek mania, meaning madness or excessive enthusiasm). Formed to satirize the social climbing and status obsession of the aspiring middle class.

Kelly Says

Victorian satirists loved coining '-mania' words to mock their contemporaries; gigmania perfectly captures how ridiculous the status-anxiety of owning a two-wheeled carriage must have seemed to critics.

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