Christgau Fancy Word(s) of the Day: Sturm und Drang

One of several features I plan to include in this blog is the Christgau Word of the Day. (No, I don't plan on having a Christgau Word of the Day every day.)

The point of this feature is to find words, usually those classified by the less-literate (like myself) as "S.A.T. words" (regardless of whether they would actually appear on an S.A.T. exam), that Christgau uses and which might be one reason his reviews infuriate so many people.

Today's word, which is actually a group of words, is Sturm und Drang.

Sturm und Drang loosely if not accurately translated as "storm and stress," is one of those foreign-language phrases, like "je ne c'est pas," that can put you within a range of pretentiousness based on how "foreign" you pronounce the words:

• sterm: not very pretentious (and you'll receive snoots from upturned noses, depending on your audience)
• schterm: mildly pretentious
• schhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhterm: very pretentious

The phrase, which is title-capped in most reference books but is often written in all lowercase, is attributed to the German romantic literary movement of the late 18th century. What's that, you say? You're not very familiar with the works of German romantic literary movement of the late 18th century? One way to describe Sturm und Drang, to paraphrase a BBC program on the subject, is "a heart with balls."

In other words (English words), a protagonist who's male, headstrong and impulsive, often at his own expense. The kind of guy who ladies would swoon over and guys would maybe enjoy a beer with but whose schemes — "I'm going to write I LOVE YOU SUSAN on top of the water tower in my own blood. Can you hold the ladder?" — you'd want to steer clear of.