# What's the word for something that only appears to be meaningful? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028 "2008-12-06T19:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/21 "2008-12-07T10:31:56Z")
The statements to which you refer are known as Barnum statements. ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/22 "2008-12-07T10:36:22Z")
facade ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/23 "2008-12-07T12:01:07Z")
Meretricious? Probably not quite what you mean, but a tremendous word all the same. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/24 "2008-12-07T13:43:55Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > The statements to which you refer are known as Barnum statements. Bingo. I learned the term from reading [this Straight Dope Staff Report](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2132/how-come-tv-psychics-seem-so-convincing) which also covers similar stratagems. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/25 "2008-12-07T14:22:38Z")
Short and sweet. BS. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/26 "2008-12-07T18:58:17Z")
nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/27 "2008-12-07T20:00:41Z")
Quoth **kferr** : > [@](#): > > Bollocks. I can’t speak for anyone else, but my bollocks definitely aren’t on the tip of anyone’s tongue. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/28 "2008-12-07T20:02:36Z")
pot-headed ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/29 "2008-12-07T21:32:06Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > It’s on the tip of my tongue, but not getting any further. It’s a great word for describing horoscopes–you read them, you’re impressed with how well they describe you, but on closer inspection you realize that they were written so as to be accurate for almost everyone. Are you talking about the kind of thing like a correlation that turns out to be statistically insignificant? I wonder if there’s a term in statistics for such a case. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/30 "2008-12-07T21:37:42Z")
“Semblance” or “platitudes”. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/31 "2008-12-07T21:37:43Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Are you talking about the kind of thing like a correlation that turns out to be statistically insignificant? I wonder if there’s a term in statistics for such a case. No, no, he is not. He’s talking about making statements that appear to be impressive descriptions of something specific, but are really only empty generalities; tautologies that, on further reflection, don’t really _say_ anything. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/32 "2008-12-07T21:46:04Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Are you talking about the kind of thing like a correlation that turns out to be statistically insignificant? I wonder if there’s a term in statistics for such a case. I’d just call that not statistically significant. What’s more interesting is the notion of a [spurious relationship](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spurious_relationship). On reflection, I think that either vacuous or platitudinous was the word I was looking for. Thanks to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/33 "2008-12-07T23:02:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **kferr** :I can’t speak for anyone else, but my bollocks definitely aren’t on the tip of anyone’s tongue. Not since my wedding day, anyways. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/34 "2008-12-08T03:26:54Z")
Spurious? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/35 "2008-12-08T03:47:09Z")
Delusory? ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028/36 "2008-12-08T15:09:18Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > No, no, he is not. He’s talking about making statements that appear to be impressive descriptions of something specific, but are really only empty generalities; tautologies that, on further reflection, don’t really _say_ anything. Political rhetoric? Bombast and foofaraw are in the same territory but not quite it. How about “otiose” or “pretentious?” RR [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-word-for-something-that-only-appears-to-be-meaningful/476028.md?page=1)