Graustark

/ˈɡraʊstɑːrk/ noun

Definition

A fictional European country created by American novelist George Barr McCutcheon, used as a setting for romantic adventure stories.

Etymology

A proper noun created in 1901 for McCutcheon's novel 'Graustark,' possibly combining 'gray' with 'stark' to suggest an old, imposing European kingdom.

Kelly Says

Graustark became so famous in early 20th-century literature that 'Graustark' became slang for any fictional European principality in stories—it's like how 'Shangri-La' now means any idealized hidden place.

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