We’ve got a few hours before Wednesday ends on the Western Hemisphere, and that’s just enough time for this week’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of some of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world.

Today’s wacky word is: Callipygian.

The definition from Dictionary.com:

cal·li·pyg·i·an [kal-uh–pij-ee-uhn] -adjective having well-shaped buttocks

It comes from a combination of the Greek neoclassical element calli- (meaning beautiful in loanwords from Greek, like calligraphy) and pyge (for buttocks or rump). Callipygian was originally used to refer to a series of statues of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and fertility. These statues (one of which is shown below) feature Aphrodite checking out her own booty, and are therefore known as the “Aphrodite Kallipygos” or Aphrodite of the beautiful buttocks. (And no, her gesture is not the antiquated equivalent of “Do I look fat in this peplos?”—so don’t even go there.)

Why did we choose this word today? Well, for one, it’s awesome. Everyone appreciates a nicely formed behind, right? Beyond that, however, it’s interesting that there is actually a word for this and, well, it’s certainly more civilized than saying “booty-licious.”

For the sake of keeping our jobs, we’re going to refrain from making sentence examples this time around. Just keep in mind: Callipygian is an adjective, which means that it can be used to modify a noun or pronoun. Other than that, you’re on your own, folks.

In the meantime, feel free to leave a comment and crack a few jokes. Just don’t get too cheeky, okay? This is a corporate blog, after all, and we take ourselves very seriously.

If you’re interested in learning more wacky words, make sure to subscribe to our RSS feed for automatic updates!