Origin: from Serendip (a former name for Sri Lanka): coined by the English politician and writer Horace Walpole (1717-97), after The Three Princes of Serendip, a fairy tale in which the heroes were always making fortunate discoveries.
Due to his weak ankles, Bob's landing was actually quite serendipitous.
This word is both jovial and happy in both sound and meaning. In a serendipitous turn of events I stumbled upon a page of good words which I had saved as a draft ages ago and there it was at the top, almost smiling at me in all its bouncy splendour. And what an excellent origin: there aren't many words than can boast that they came from a fairy tale and the former name of a country.
Perhaps I am just strange but it is a word which can cheer me up and make me happy just by being present in the same room. I have to remember to not say it when I am already smiling as the resultant beam can cause serious cheek muscle strain.
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