Recombobulating

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Recovering one's sense of calm, order, or mental clarity after being confused or disorganized
2. Restoring oneself to a state of composure and coherent thought after experiencing bewilderment or chaos
3. Bringing oneself back into a composed and well-organized frame of mind after feeling rattled or scrambled

Etymology: "Recombobulating" is a playful piece of American slang built by sticking the prefix "re-" onto "discombobulate," a word that already sounded like a jumble of nonsense. The joke is that "discombobulate" itself is an improvised, jocular coinage meaning to confuse or throw into disorder, so adding "re-" to it produces a word for putting that confusion back in order. Its appeal lies in the way it turns a silly-sounding base into a serious-sounding tool. Rather than meaning anything new, it borrows the bounce of "discombobulate" and reverses it, so the speaker can announce that they are getting themselves back together with an air of mock gravity.