Last week’s post was the first part of this two-part article. Among other things, we talked about repurposing words with new “tech” meanings and new parts of speech.
With a new word added to the language every two hours (want a new word? wait 120 minutes!), there is always something new for word lovers to learn. Now there is actually a new word that means “word lover”: wordie, which is of course patterned after such words as foodie (food lover) and groupie (lovers of some musical group).
We all remember the coining of the term Amber Alert some years ago, an alert given out when a child is missing. Now there is the Silver Alert, which informs the public when an elderly person is missing.
It seems very current to combine two words to make a new word. We have mansplaining and hangry, but there are others:
- Antifa is a combination of anti and Fascist.
- If going to the Holiday Inn is your idea of camping, you are glamping, a combination of camping and glamorous. Actually, the term probably refers more to a fancy RV than to a motel!
- Then, of course, there are the myriad hybrid dog breeds: schnoodle, Yorkie poo, chiweenie, labradoodle—you name it— they used to be called “mutts,” but now fetch (excuse the pun) high prices with their new, fancy names.
Remember when apple was lowercase and was just a fruit? When you type apple into your phone now, you may be autocorrected to use an uppercase A.
Punctuation is not immune to changing connotations. In 2016 grammarian David Crystal noticed a change in the period, or full stop. At a British writer’s festival, he announced that no longer was the period a simple sentence ender. Particularly in text messages, the period has become rather passive-aggressive:
Your friend texts: Let’s meet at the cafe at 3
You text back: Fine.
Would you be friendlier if you texted back simply Fine
?????
Don’t miss next week’s post: “Tainted Words”. . .
There is already a word for a word lover: logophile. But I guess this has gone the way of so many better words as the language is being dumbed down.
I don’t understand the trend for dogs like Ccokerpoos, etc. We always had a special word for such animals; mongrels. But I guess people are too posh to owning those … the same as they no longer want ‘secondhand’ but ‘pre-owned’ is all right.
You are correct. There is another word for word lover, but then there are lots of words for lots of things. I guess wordie is more hip. Mongrels is even before they were called mutts! I guess the difference is that the hybrid dogs are bred on purpose.
My understanding of glamping is a high-end resort in the woods, where guests pay dearly to stay in a tent that is appointed with luxury beds, temperature control, a full bar and other amenities that include gourmet meals. They can fish, hike, and ride horses without fear of getting dirty or uncomfortable.
We have glamping resorts in the Rocky Mountains with rates I will never afford.
Thank you for that information. I don’t camp or glamp!
I remember an old college boyfriend (that was a long time ago) has a Cockapoo, a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle mix. That has to be one of the first cross-breeds.
Thanks for another fun blog, Arlene.
You are most welcome! Yes, cockapoos have been around a long time. They may have been the first “hybrid” dogs.
Gotta keep abreast of the current trends. I didn’t know many of these. Sigh.
Neither did I…certainly not Silver Alert!