A mock
title given to a person who thinks himself important.
The term was first used in the play
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme by
Moliere. A man trying to gain approval for
marriage from his girlfriend's father disguises himself as a
Turk, and offers to bestow this invented Turkish title on the father of the girl as a mark of
honor. The father, being a
vain and shallow man, is fooled by this
flattery.
The word was used through the
18th century to ridicule a person who pretends to have merit, but it has since fallen into relative
obscurity.
Recently, the title was given to a 128', superfast luxury sailing
yacht. This boat can be
chartered for around $45,000 per week. Its something of a
mystery to me why a
marketer would name a quality, high performance yacht a
title that is intended to
mock a person for being
pompous,
vain,
empty and
shallow.