The Rice University Neologisms Database
Browsing 4395 entries:
n.
A gift given through White Elephant Gift Exchange, a tradition where one brings only one gift and receives only one as well, which is determined by a game or just randomly. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[reanalysis of white elephant as a knicknack]
"Bring a white elephant gift." -My debate coach, pertaining to our Christmas party, on Sun Dec 4, 2005
The name "white elephant" loosely refers to an old tradition of the game in which guests bring gift items consisting of old trinkets, knicknacks, or unwanted gifts from previous years, like white elephant figurines.
n.
A person who either invited them to gmail or a person who is infatuated with good products. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[google + dude: g(oogle) + dude]
""Hey gdude, what are you up to?"" -Dad: Mark Pessa, on Mon Dec 5, 2005
Clipping of google and compounding with dude.
n.
. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
"" -, on an unattributed day.
n.
. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
"" -, on an unattributed day.
n.
A term used by software pirates for pirated or illegally downloaded software, such as PC games or other software programs that are found on the internet. Formed by derivation.
[[Warez. Derived in English from wares, or softwares. ]]
"I pirated some over $500 of warez last night." -Weblog, on Sun Oct 23, 2005
This is another word used by gamers and the internet-savvy. It also appears in weblogs. Hackers and internet pirates prefer to download their software instead or paying for it, and software acquired in such was is called ‘warez’. Although rarely used outside of pirate/hacker circles, the word is becoming more common.
"garden Tool" Mama n.
Slang. a prostitute. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
["Garden tool" is a euphemism of the vulgar slang ho, which is a derivative (euphemistic respelling) of 'whore'.]
"She is nothing but a "garden tool" mama." -Conversation, on an unattributed day.
'cruits n.
A group of people that are being sought out to join a team or organization. Formed by clipping.
[Derived from the plural noun 'recruits', meaning people that are being scouted to serve or perform specific actions. The 're' was simply dropped from the word.]
"They're bringing the 'cruits in." -Sports website, on Tue Sep 23, 2003
A group of people, usually newcomers. A shorter version of the plural noun 'recruits', possibly used to emphasize a novice skill level.
'fess v.
To reveal the truth or admit to having done something, usually not respectable. Formed by clipping.
['fess. From Latin confessus 'to acknowledge']
"I didn’t want to ‘fess up to my parents." -Seventeen Magazine, on Fri Oct 28, 2005
The word 'fess has been clipped from the originally word confess. While it still retains the same meaning, 'fess is much more prevalent in the younger generations. The word was probably coined because it sounds less harsh as confess; to 'fess up to something is much less intimidating than to have to confess to the truth. Perhaps because of this, it has become common in teenagers and with some college students. Other than for saving the embarrasment of confessing something, the word is shorter and may be due to time-saving as well although it is minimal. The term comes from the old Latin word confessus which came from acknowledging something, particularly religious issues. The fact that it originally dealt with such serious issues made it less favorable to certain generations and has thus been modified to fit them.
'flier'ed adj.
The state of being subject to excessive advertising by paper fliers. Known word flier and known word fired. Formed by blending.
['FLIER'ED. Blending of flier and fired]
"YOU'RE 'FLIER'ED" -Http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/34677.htm, on Sun Nov 28, 2004
It was used to be a cute intro to an article.
'lax adj.
Being very relaxed, informal, and laid-back in nature; an event which is informal or casual. Formed by clipping.
[[re/lax]]
"It’s a very ‘lax situation." -Email from a Rice organization, on Sat Nov 20, 2004
The clipping of the word relax to ‘lax was used to be short and to the point. The term was discovered in an email. Emails are full of concise terms and phrases since they are electronically sent to get a message out quickly. Because of the speed and urgency in which emails are sent, short phrases are employed to get the message across. The clipping ‘lax lets the audience know that it is a relaxed situation and is therefore easily understood.
'nuff adj.
Enough. Formed by clipping.
[From Old English. clipping (e)nough]
"'nuff said." -Friend, on Tue Oct 25, 2005
In addition to being clipped, the word 'nuff undergoes a spelling change, taking on a phonetic appearance. The change likens it more to a native word. The diction of the word also sounds more succinct than the word enough, physically indicating that the there is a sufficient amount of an object. More syllables seem to symbolize an excess that would turn enough into more than enough.
'shwhack n.
A hard-to-get-through thick mass branches that requires a lot of striking and hitting to be able to pass. Formed by blending and clipping.
[(bu)sh + whack ‘to strike’]
"Do y’all want to go up the 2,000-foot mountain or through the thick ‘shwhack?" -National Outdoor Leadership School instructor, on Wed Jun 8, 2005
I first heard this word at the beginning of this past summer when I went to Alaska for a backpacking trip. We used it to describe the plants and bushes that we had to plunge ourselves through in order to get to our camping spot. It was not a fun task and required a lot of energy to push ourselves through. At the other end, people came out with scratches and sometimes the branches drew a little blood. I am positive that we were not the first group in the NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) that used this slang terminology, as it has been around for 40 years. However, my backpacking expedition was the first time that I had come into contact with it. I learned that although it does not necessarily describe the easiest route, it does describe an obstacle that we would encounter if we took the shortest, most direct route.
'zine n.
An unprofessional periodical publication; a non-formal, home-made magazine. Formed by clipping.
[[clipping of magazine]]
"Until two years ago, I had no idea what a 'zine was." -Loose Lips Sink Ships ,a 'zine, on an unattributed day.
-ipoo (suffix) other.
A suffix added to the end of words for no apparent reason but to make the word sound more childish. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[slang ending added on to words to make them sound more childish. (suffix)]
"Hey lets go get a drinkipoo." -I think it started with my friend names tony, on an unattributed day.
While I have heard this used many times throughout the semester. I think it started with my friend names tony. He always adds the suffix –poo onto his words, and now I have started to hear other people in his residential college use it. I hear it the most as, “hey lets go get a drinkipoo.”(way too many times throughout the semester).
-izzle (suffix) other.
Comes from the slang work shizzle but can be added on to any word to make it a slang word. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Coming from the word shizzle coined by rapper snoop dog, -izzle is a suffix added to any word with no apparent meaning.]
"I told my friend Tony, hey do you want to go get a drinkipoo? And he replied “fo shizzle.”" -My friend Tony, on an unattributed day.
It probably originated because it makes everything easier to rhyme when you add the same ending on it.
I don’t think its hard to imagine that the same person that adds –ipoo to the end of words also uses –izzle. However, this one is not his creation. The rapper “Snoop Dog” uses the word shizzle meaning “sure” as in fo shizzle, or “for sure”.
-xor other.
A suffix that is jokingly attached to a word in order to strengthen its meaning. Formed by clipping.
[-xor. Clipping from computer speak 'h4x0|2' (or variation) pronounced 'haxor.']
"Hey, don't touch gimpxor. He's healing." -Sign on Sid Richardson College's 7th floor foosball table, on Tue Sep 27, 2005
The rise of computer and internet slang has come and gone, and it leaves behind remnants that are understood yet not taken seriously by many. Young peoples’ language picked up a few words from the ‘hacker’ subset, and uses a few terms for their humorous value. ‘-xor’ is among these terms; it is simply the second syllable in the word ‘haxor,’ a word that implied good computer skills. This clipping can be affixed to any word to jokingly increase its status, similar to ‘uber-.’ An example would be ‘gimpxor,’ pronounced gimp-zor, which is how a few of my friends referred to another temporarily disabled friend when he rode his electric scooter, ironically giving him a mobility edge over the rest of us.
.5 other.
An intensifier, very. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[This suffix developed from mathmatical processes.]
"I'm hungry.5" -College student, on Fri Jul 15, 2005
To those two people who use it (so far) adding .5 to the end of the word means that that word now means 150& of what it used to. So fast.5, for example, is 50% faster than normal fast. This slang developed between two friends, so it may spread very slowly, or only the two friends will continue to use it. I think the development of the suffix was influenced by computers, because .5 is very easy to type. .5 is said as well as typed, however.
2004-11-03 n.
Synonym for money, or slang terms such as “dough” or “bling-bling”. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[undefined]
"If this sale goes through though, it will be some serious cheddar." -Friend who works in sales, on an unattributed day.
Undefined.
2005 Money N. From Old French Monee, Literally 'co adj.
Extremely large. Formed by blending.
[Blend of gigantic and enormous.]]
"Of course you can, ho ho, I've got the most ginormous horns in the world - official!" -Letter to Mondo Bizzaro about Lurch, the world record holding cow for largest horns (@ 37.5 in around and 7 ft long), on an unattributed day.
It sounds strange and exotic, making it not just enormous or gigantic, but beyond either one.
411 n.
Information. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Derived from the directory assistance phone service]
"Give me the 411." -Conversation with mother, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Derived from the directory assistance phone service. Mother uses it frequently when trying pry into my personal life.
411 n.
Information or informative details, usually about a planned event or activity. Also 4-1-1. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[One usually dials 4-1-1 on the telephone to reach an operator in order to inquire about some piece of information one is searching for.]
"Here's the 411 on the crabbing trip" -Heard in conversation, on an unattributed day.
419 n.
A scam, cheating or deception, advance free fraud. Formed by analogy.
[Statute 419 in the Nigerian Criminal code refers to false pretences or fraud as a crime punishable by law.]
"“Can you imagine the faxes we received in the office were all 419 documents!”" -My mom, on an unattributed day.
419 is an extremely popular term, used in Nigeria and many other countries in Africa to refer to scams and frauds. It is derived from Statute 419 in the Nigerian Criminal code which states that false pretences or fraud is a crime punishable by law. As a result, many Nigerians use this in referring to crimes committed by fraudsters. For example, one can say, “I don’t want any 419 person to be involved in this deal, because I don’t want any problems.” The fraudsters or people involved with cheating or deception are sometimes called “419ers.”.
4shadowing n.
Foreshadowing. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
"A flash animation that is a joke review of To Kill a Mocking Bird." -Http://www.stanford.edu/~scodary/tkam.htm, on Sun Nov 28, 2004
It was used to be childlike and funny.
5 By 5 adv.
To be in a content state of being; to be fine or doing well; a way of saying everything is alright. Formed by derivation.
"Now that my Math test is over, I am 5 by 5." -Buffy the Vampire Slayer, on Wed Sep 22, 2004
Slang phrase derived from radio terminology, specifically signal strength and clarity of a transmission.
9/11 other.
An event such as a terrorist bombing in which many innocent people are injured or killed. Formed by .
"An article about the train bombing in Spain and said it was their 9/11" -A friend, on an unattributed day.
Much shorter than saying “a catastrophic terrorist attack” and since September 11th is widely known the meaning can readily be deduced.
9/11 n.
An event such as a terrorist bombing in which many innocent people are injured or killed. Formed by zero derivation.
[Zero derivation of a modern day coined term]
"Wow they had a 9/11 yesterday morning." -A friend was reading an article about the train bombing in Spain and said it was their 9/11, on an unattributed day.
Much shorter than saying “a catastrophic terrorist attack” and since September 11th is widely known the meaning can readily be deduced.
A Barbie n.
It is used as a term by teenagers when referring to a pretty animate girl who is small body, pretty, blonde blue eyes much like a Barbie Doll. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
"She is such a Barbie." -A friend, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Originated from a pretty looking doll made by Mattel Inc. which has become an icon in terms of toys for young girls growing up. It signifies attractiveness and beauty for young girls growing up.
A.s.s. Graduate n.
A long-winded person (who's attended the "American Sidebartending School"). Formed by an unknown word formation process.
"Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial." -Newsweek, on an unattributed day.
Abagaba n.
Helicopter. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[deletion]
"That red abagaba flew by like a desert jet." -Brother, on Tue Nov 2, 2004
Funny way of saying helicopter.
Abeg v.
"I beg" or please. Formed by blending.
[Blending of "I" and "beg" in standard English. It becomes "abeg"]
"Abeg commot the book for there!" -My father, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
“Abeg” can be classified under the word formation type blending because two words in Standard English, “I” and “beg”, are blended to form one word “abeg”. The “I” is replaced with an “a” but it still maintains the same meaning. The “a” sound in place of "I" is a result of dialect and accent. Numerous words in Nigerian Pidgin English undergo similar changes in pronunciation, some words more than others, to the point that they are unrecognizable. Though it can still be translated as “I beg” it is not used exactly the same way that “I beg” is used in Standard English. It is used more like “please” as “I beg” in Standard English indicates more urgency in the situation, almost like pleading for something.
Abeg v.
Please. Formed by blending.
[Originates from the English language. Abeg means I beg.]
"“Abeg make we just go home, me I don’t want trouble.”" -My cousin, on an unattributed day.
Abeg is derived from the term “I beg” in the English language. As a result of blending the “I” due to dialect and an accent has been replaced by an “a” sound blended with the “beg.” It does not exactly translate to the meaning of “I beg” in English, as “I beg” is formal and signifies an urgent plea. In Nigerian English “abeg” is used very informally and frequently just as “please” is used in English. For example, one can say, “Abeg leave the girl alone so she doesn’t end up crying.” or “Abeg stop it before I slap you!”.
Aberzombie n.
One who wears only clothing from the Abercrombie clothing store and is viewed as lacking in unique personality or independent taste in style. ("I thought he wore Abercrombie all the time because he worked at the store, but it turns out that he’s just an a. Formed by blending and clipping.
[clipping: ABERCROMBIE clothing company name clipped to ABER; blending: ABER blended with zombie to produce ABERZOMBIE; ZOMBIE from Caribbean French, English Creole from Kimbundu ‘zumbi’, ghost, departed spirit]
"That guy is a total aberzombie. I bet his whole closet is full of Abercrombie." -Rice student commenting on classmate’s clothing, on Sun Oct 16, 2005
Apparent Meaning: One who only wears clothing from Abercrombie clothing store. The term describes individuals who are always seen wearing only brand name clothing from the clothing store Abercrombie. ABERCROMBIE is clipped to ABER and blended with the noun ZOMBIE, which refers to a dead body that has been brought back to life or a character whose actions seem completely automated and not well thought out. The resulting ABERZOMBIE describes one who wears exclusively Abercrombie clothing with no specific reason or motive.
Possible Reason Used: The Abercrombie clothing line is becoming more and more popular, and more young people look to Abercrombie to make the latest fashion statement or to just follow the current trend. However, Abercrombie clothing is also viewed by many young people as severely overpriced, overrated, and the clothing of people with no unique personality. Thus, individuals who buy only Abercrombie clothes are viewed as being controlled by popular trends and lacking in unique social life characteristics in terms of clothing style. In this respect, such individuals are viewed as zombies, and the fact that they only wear Abercrombie clothes appropriately names them ABERZOMBIES.
Abroadness n.
The state of being abroad; state of being outside of one's country of residence for the purpose of higher education. Formed by derivation.
[Formed from abroad (overseas, usually for the purpose of studying) and -ness ( a noun-forming suffix).]
"I'm going to be really burned out after four years of Rice, so I'm looking forward to a little abroadness." -A senior applying for a fellowship, on Wed Oct 1, 2003
This word is simply shorter than that phrase "being overseas for the purpose of studying." I understood exactly what he meant without him using superfluous words.
Absoludicrous adj.
An embarrassing situation. Formed by blending.
[Blending of 'absolutely' and 'ludicrous']
"So the next you find yourself in an absoludicrous situation, don't go hide your head in the sand" -Mr.T, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Blending two words in that manner always creates something out of the ordinary which is sure to catch the listener’s attention. The unusual pronunciation of the word adds to its intrigue.
Absoludicrous adj.
Something that is so bizarre or outrageous it is simply ludicrous. Formed by blending and clipping.
[absoludicrous. Clipping/Blend of absolutely (definitely) and ludicrous (absurd)]
"Recently used by a friend to express her shock at the perceived absurdity of something." -A friend, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
It was used as a cute, clever expression for something considered bizarre or absurd.
Absoludicrous adj.
Used to characterize a notion that is preposterous and outrageous. Formed by blending.
[Blending of the words “absolutely” and “ludicrous]
"The transportation strike in Bombay was ABSOLUDICROUS!" -Conversation with family member, on Sat Oct 8, 2005
This term could be used when someone is particularly annoyed to describe something that they think is completely ridiculous.
Abyssality n.
The state of being unfathomable or inscrutable. Formed by derivation.
[Medieval Latin abyssalis, from Late Latin abyssus from Greek abyssos, from English a- “not”+ Greek byssos “depth” + Latin –al “A + -English -ity N [quality of]]
"If we take the open-ended double-value or abyssality of father under advisement here, a decision is not easy to take." -Gayatri Spivak, "Theory in the Margin: Coetzee's Foe Reading Defoe's Crusoe/Roxana." In Jonathan Arac and Barbara Johnson, eds., Consequences of Theory, pp. 154-180. Selected Papers from English Institute, 1987-88. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Pres, on Thu Dec 1, 2005
I am not sure why Spivak coined this word. She writes somewhat pretentiously so perhaps she wished to sound affected and intelligent. Perhaps she believed that abyssality was an established word. Spivak writes quite poorly (in my opinion) and her use of the term “double value” is not clear, so it is hard from the context of her writing to even assume from she means by “abyssality.”.
Acabowl n.
The lovely grassy space in the courtyard at Wiess. Formed by blending and clipping.
[Acabowl is a blending and clipping of Academic Bowl]
"Let's go out and play in the acabowl." -O-week advisor, on Fri Aug 20, 2004
Acabowl is a blending and clipping of "Academic Bowl," a football game played annually in the courtyard at Wiess College during the 1960's, in which reportedly only "academs" had time to take part (from the old Team Wiess Website’s glossary at http://www.rice.edu/projects/colleges/wiess/college/gloss.html).
Academ n.
Student who majors in the Humanities or Social Sciences at Rice University. Formed by clipping.
[Clipping of academ(ic)]
"Also, as an Academ you have the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes." -Martel O-week Book, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Another college subject area that is clipped; many college subjects and areas of study are clipped as part of student slang. The majors of the Humanities and Social Studies divisions of Rice are part of a special group; they major in the traditional academic subjects, unlike those who major in the Hard Sciences, Engineering, Music, or Architecture.
Academ n.
A student who focuses his/her studies on the non-science/engineering areas, such as English, History, Sociology, etc. Formed by clipping.
[academ. From Latin akademeia 'location where Plato taught school']
"Academs have it so much easier." -Marcos, on Wed Nov 9, 2005
The term "academ" which describes a non-engineering/science student is the result of the clipping from Akademeia or academics. Although it seems as if it would be a compliment to be describes as an academ, the term has undergone a type of pejoration at least from the Science/Engineering students. To them, it has become a type of joke if an academ so much as complains about homework because to them the academic work does not compare with science and engineering problem sets. Although those people who fall under the academ category do not see the term as inherently offensive, the way in which others say it "Oh, silly academs..." has made it somewhat nifty in terms of its intentions. I believe the term was coined because someone wanted a word that encompassed all of the majors that were not science related in order to classify their type of work as being similar. Other than the word "academ" there is no other word that does this job as concisely in description.
Academ n.
A student of the humanities. Formed by clipping.
[Clipping of academic.]
"That’s the true sign of an ACADEM." -A friend, on Sat Nov 13, 2004
This term is common slang on the Rice campus. It serves to distinguish humanities students from engineering or science students. Its use is so frequent that it conveys it intended meaning to any person affiliated with Rice.
Accessory n.
A derogatory term for a usually female date, in which she possesses no redeeming qualities except for her appearance; example – “Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends are accessories.”. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[new context for a standard word meaning something nonessential but desirable that contributes to an effect or result]
"" -, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
Acha other.
[Slang] Contraction of “at you,” used in fast speech or as a shorthand form in writing. Formed by compounding.
[Formed by compounding AT < Middle English < Old English aet, akin to Latin ad ‘at, in, to’, + YOU < Middle English < Old English eow, ‘you’. Spelled phonetically, ACHA represents a whole prepositional phrase]
"Talk acha later." -An e-mail from a relative, on Sun Oct 9, 2005
Literally means “at you,” and taken from “at you,” which in fast spoken English gets contracted so that it sounds like one word, “ach-ya.” Acha represents the written version of this word. It is not so much a part of speech as it is a whole prepositional phrase. The writer probably wanted a clever way of ending the e-mail, so she used acha rather than simply spelling out at you. It was also a more informal closing than the standard “sincerely” or “regards,” etc, and well suited to the overall tone of the message. Additionally, acha, because it is spelled phonetically and thus represents spoken English, makes the conversation seem more like it is taking place in real time, because this is how you would hear it in fast English were you actually talking to the other person.
Acquisition v.
To use the file-sharing program Acquisition to download music or other media files. Formed by zero derivation.
[from noun acquisition, from Fr. Latinate meaning to obtain or to get for oneself]
"Ricky, my internet's not working. Acquisition that stuff for me so I can get it off your computer." -Me, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Zero derivation: as with Google, the proper noun Acquisition is made into a verb, which in this case differs in meaning from the original form, acquire, by referencing a specific context (digital, the internet) and action (downloading). It also makes the activity suggested more precise, and in this case indicated why the friend, and not I (who didn't that particular software, which only runs on Macs), should download these files.
Ad-skipper n.
People who avoid ads by installing pop-up blockers in the browser or switching channels on TV. Formed by compounding.
[from French avertissement + Middle English skippen + -er 'one who performs an action']
"The online marketing research firm Intelliseek released data last week suggesting that so-called ad-skippers [...] behave differently in other ways as well." -The New York Times, on Mon Oct 3, 2005
A lot of advertisements are of no interest to their audience. Public media generally allow the skipping of ads. On the Internet, people install pop-up window blockers to block annoying pop-up ads. On TV, people switch to other channels during commercials. People also ignore irrelevant ads on newspaper and magazines. The term was coined to describe people with this practice.
Addy n.
Address; written geographic location. Formed by clipping.
[addy. Clipping of 'address' + y (English noun ending). Latin ad-, ad- + Vulgar Latin *drctire, to straighten (from Latin drctus)]
"Give me your e-mail addy." -Me, on Sun Apr 4, 2004
Adhocracy n.
Apparent meaning: describing an rather disorganized organization. Formed by blending and clipping.
[Analysis: ‘disorganized’ (adhoc) + ‘organization, government form’ (-cracy).]
"Context and source: Our club has not structure on accomplishing its tasks, it’s an adhocracy." -Heard from in a coffee shop, on Fri Sep 17, 2004
Reason used: described the lack of structure in a organization. “ad hoc” means for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application, “-cracy” is the suffix used to describe a type of organization or government.
Administaff n.
The staff who deals with the administration (in this case, of the golfcourse). Formed by blending and clipping.
[Latin administration + Old English staff]
"Hey dad, why does that building have administaff logoed onto the building?" -Me (Kurt Pessa) at pine oaks golf course, on an unattributed day.
It was kind of weird where I saw the context of this word. It was printed in huge letters over a building when I went to golf at this place called pine oaks. I guess the golf course must be really proud of their staff that deals with administering the golf course.
Administrivia n.
Boring, often insignificant administrative duties that have to be carried out on the first day of class, in every class. These include discussing the class syllabus, grading policy, and other issues that don’t have to do with the actual material of the cl. Formed by blending.
[administrivia. blend of ‘administration’ and ‘trivia']
"A title on the slide for the first day’s lecture in Comp202, for the part of the class with information about labs, general class information, and the honor code." -Comp202 website, on Sun Aug 21, 2005
Dr. Wong and Dr. Nguyen have senses of humor, and know that the part of the first day dealing with exam dates and grading policies is essential, but often boring and repetitive for students and teachers alike.
Administrivia n.
A list of upcoming events along with other little things. Formed by compounding.
[Latin administration + Latin trivia]
"To start off class, I thought we would go over some administrivia." -Comedy and Its Cultural Context Professor: Chris Pound, on Mon Oct 17, 2005
Administrivia is a result of both clipping and compounding. Adminis- is clipped from administration, and trivia is just compounded onto the clipping. Since Comedy and Its Cultural Context is by title supposed to stay a light and humorous class, Professor Pound probably did not want to say the word administrative things because it's usually connected with punishment, but the compounding of the root trivia gives the word a lighter feel. Trivia refers things of little consequence.
Administrivia n.
Tedious and mundane organizational and administrative tasks; mundane, repetitive busy work required for general record-keeping. Formed by blending and clipping.
[administration 'management' + trivia 'insignificant trifles']
""I don't have your homeworks graded yet because I got stuck taking care of administrivia this morning."" -One of my professors, on Sat Nov 1, 2003
Clever way to describe the menial tasks required for bookkeeping and organization.
Adorkable adj.
Someone who is considered adorable because of an awkward, clumsy, or otherwise dorky characteristic. Formed by blending.
[Blending. [adorable + dork]]
"You don't know how to skip? How adorkable!" -Conversation with friend, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
This word was created to combine the two concepts of dorky and adorable together to describe a new idea. It was created because no other word exists to describe the concept of something being dorky, yet adorable at the same time. It is unusual because the blending occurs in the middle of the word by inserting a 'k', instead of at the beginning or the end of the word as is conventional.
Adorkable adj.
Descriptive word for something that is both dorky and adorable. Oftentimes the adjective is used to describe something that is adorable because of its dorkiness. Formed by blending.
[adorable + dork blended into “dor” portion of word]
"That couple is so adorkable!" -My roommate, on Tue Nov 1, 2005
This word is on first sight a pretty simple formation. However, at a closer look, this word is quite creative in its construction. My roommate actually figured out that by simply adding a ‘k’ to the word adorable, she could give it so much more depth and meaning. So many neologisms I have encountered are merely compounds of two existing words. This not only combines two words, but it does so in a creative way. This is an example of the formation of neologisms as a truly creative process.
Adorkable adj.
An endearing term for having the characteristics of both adorable and dorky. Formed by blending and clipping.
[Clipping/blend of adorable and dork. a + dork + able]
"Aw, she’s so adorkable!" -Friend, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
The word is used to emphasize just how cute, adorable, yet dorky something is. It is used by people who tend to value education and use the word dork in a positive way.
Adultified adj.
To be treated as an adult at an early age, or to pressure a child to act like and have the maturity of an adult. Formed by derivation.
[Latin adultus, past participle of adolescere, to grow up]
"The precocious child - to become adultified early and yet to remain hovered over for longer - is echoed in the situation of the privileged child, ushered along a highly scheduled path of credentialed performance from cradle onward." -New York Times Magazine, on Sun Nov 20, 2005
That there is now a word for this phenomenon that is universally understood is a sad reflection of our culture at large: children, at least in the upper classes of society, are now pressured not only to win acceptance into the best universities, but to the best preschools. Children today rarely have unstructured playtime outdoors; instead, they are shuttled by their parents to lessons, practices, tutors, and extra classes which will make them smarter, or at least make them look more attractive to whichever selective elementary or middle school they wish to attend. Although there is a growing backlash against this sort of pressure on children, it will undoubtedly continue until a major change occurs in the educational system, especially in the private sector.
Adultolescence n.
Moving back in with your parents after graduating from college. Formed by blending.
['adult' (fully-developed and mature person) + 'adolescence' (the process of growing up)]
"'the job market was weak so he opted for adultolescence" -The Rice Graduate, on Wed Sep 24, 2003
The author was trying to accurately name the state of moving back in with one's parents as an adult, especially after college graduation. Adolescence and the years immediately following was the last time many people lived with their parents full-time. By blending 'adult' and 'adolescence,' you get the idea that the person is stuck between the adult world and adolescence.
Adverteasement n.
(Possibly) personal advertisement. Formed by blending.
[a blend of English advertisement and tease.]
"Gamespot has posted an article related to the adver-teasement Microsoft has set up at Origenxbox360.com." -Slashdot, on Tue Sep 27, 2005
It is not completely clear to me what this word actually means. From a lot of usage it seems that it's a kind of advertisement that is publicized in an informal way, e.g. personal websites, or personal stations. I speculate that the root tease may suggest that the advertisement may involve some creative elements.
Advertorial n.
What is written when a company pays to have a good story written about them in a publication. Formed by blending.
[new blend, formed from 'advertisement' + 'editorial']
"Her experience working at a low-scale magazine in town was not a good one, particularly because they made her write many advertorials" -A friend, on Tue Nov 18, 2003
By adding a hint of advertising to the word about a story, the piece acquires a negative connotation, thus insinuating how journalists often feel about such pieces.
Adware n.
Computer software that makes advertisements open on computers that the computer operator cannot control. Formed by blending.
[[blend of ‘advertisement’ and ‘software’].]
"Aaaah, I hate all this ADWARE on my computer! How do I get it off?" -College student conversation, on Sun Aug 1, 2004
Apparent meaning: Computer software that causes advertising windows to open on the computer without the consent of the user.
Type of word formation: Blend of ‘advertisement ’ and ‘software’.
Possible reason used: Used to describe computer software that is added to a computer unbeknownst to the owner that opens windows on the computer that have advertisements for various different products/services/websites. There was no word prior that precisely described this type of software.
Adwonderize v.
To make something seem wonderful using effective advertising. Formed by blending.
[Blend of the words advertise and wonder with the affix –ize meaning to make.]
"It’s just a rock now but once we adwonderize it everyone will want one." -Came up in conversation where a friend described how a simple object becomes almost wonderful because of advertising, on an unattributed day.
To describe a situation quickly without needing a long explanation.
Afernial adj.
Having to do with or resembling the shape of a fern. Formed by derivation.
"" -Used by my girlfriend’s mother as she was trying to describe a piece of artwork to me, on Fri Oct 15, 2004
Type of word formation: Derivation: appending the common suffix –ial in order to adjectivize (or, convert into an adjective) the word.
Reason used: Just a quicker way of saying, “Every item had the shape of a fern.”
Example sentence: You should only hire that woman as your decorator if you’re a fan of botanical themes; she is a big advocate of afernial decorations.
Affinitize v.
In Chemistry, the action of attaching an electron to an atom that requires a certain amount of energy called the electron affinity. Formed by derivation.
[From Fr. affinite, from L affinitatem 'related or a relation by marriage' L ad + fin]
"The next step in the cycle is to affinitize the chlorine atom." -Chemistry professor, on Mon Oct 24, 2005
This word is a neologism derived from electron affinity, the name of the measurement it relates to. My chemistry professor coined the word in lecture when she needed a way to describe the step in a Born-Haber cycle example where it is necessary to apply the numerical value of electron affinity to solve the problem. The word was formed by starting with electron affinity, clipping electron, then derived by adding the verb forming suffix –ize.
Affinitying v.
In Chemistry, the action of attaching an electron to an atom that requires a certain amount of energy called the electron affinity. Formed by derivation.
[Derivation of affinity, from Fr. affinite, from L affinitatem, 'related or a relation by marraige', L ad + fin, + -ing 'the process of']
"Is that the step where you are electron affinitying the chlorine?" -Chemistry student, on Fri Oct 28, 2005
The student used this word in trying to understand the concept involved. There is no established verb to describe this process. The student added the derivational ending ‘–ing’ to the known term, affinity, trying to describe the process of adding an electron to an atom. This word is synonymous with affinitize, another neologism formed for the same purpose. The only difference is in the choice of derivational ending.
Afk adv.
It means "away from keyboard". Formed by acronym.
[Modern English, acronym for "away from keyboard"]
"Afk" -My friend on AOL instant messenger, on Sat Sep 28, 2002
In modern times, people are in such a hurry that they'll come up with acronyms for pretty much anything. People do it just to save time from typing out the entire phrase.
Afk P.
Away from the keyboard. Formed by acronym.
[acronym for “away from the keyboard"]
"I’m AFK for a few minutes." -A friend online, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
Unlike LOL, which has branched out into verbal speech, this acronym has stayed primarily in internet conversations. The nature of this word indicates that it is not suitable to be used other than in an Internet environment, generally.
Afk n.
Acronym meaning Away From Keyboard. Formed by acronym.
[Acromyn using first letters of ' Away From Keyboard']
"I was AFK for two hours!!" -Online Friend, on Wed Oct 19, 2005
This is a word used mainly between people chatting online and one has left for a second. It uses are primarily in messengers and on online games (i.e. Warcraft). It is now used outside to describe peoples addiction to computers. They often state how long they have been'AFK' to show their addiction.
Afk adj.
Away From Keyboard; usually used to described an idle player within an online game. Formed by acronym.
"“Hey, there’s just one more guy left. Dude, I think he’s AFK, so just knife him.”" -Chat message from Counter Strike, on Wed Jun 1, 2005
I asked some of my friends who have been veterans of online gaming what the acronym (I knew it had to be an acronym) stood for. It was a way to express that a certain player was Away From Keyboard. Basically, afk is a shorter method of saying that the person is idle.
Aftsoac v.
Assume for the sake of a contradiction. Formed by acronym.
[acronym: assume for the sake of a contradiction]
"Aftsoac that 'x' is not prime??.." -A friend over IM, on Mon Sep 15, 2003
In math proofs, it is common to start a proof by saying "Assume for the sake of a contradiction that?.." and set about proving a proposition. However, my friend truncated this phrase because he got tired of typing the whole thing. We have been using 'aftsoac' quite frequently ever since, even over telephone conversations (we end up making the 't' silent).
Ageisms n.
Prejudices or general characteristics associated with older people. Formed by analogy.
[Formed as an analogy to “sexism”]
"People treat older people differently. The blatant ageism really bothers me." -My family, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
Apparent Meaning: prejudices toward older people.
Reason Used: it is much easier to refer to “ageisms” than to say “the prejudices or social ideas that people have toward older people”, especially when the term (or phrase) needs to be repeated as in a conversation about ageisms.
Agged adj.
Annoyed or aggravated. Formed by clipping.
[Clipping of ‘aggravated’]
"I was so agged!" -Young mother describing her day, on Sat Oct 16, 2004
Reason used: It’s a new alternative to the over-used “pissed” or “pissed off.” It’s shorter and simpler than saying “aggravated,” and it also sounds less brainy but still conveys the same meaning as “aggravated.”.
Agreeance n.
Accord, agreement. Formed by folk etymology.
[English agree (Latin ad, ‘to’ + gratus, ‘pleasing’) + Lat -ance, ‘the quality or the state of being’]
"I just want to be sure that we’re all in agreeance." -Spoken by someone facilitating a lunch meeting, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
The word takes on the connotation of being spoken by a redneck, for the speaker was a Mississippi native who used this phrase to imitate the Blue-Collar Comedy tour (a popular show of Southern comedians). The implication is that this word would be used by an uneducated person from the rural South. In this way, the word is a sort of shibboleth; someone who uses this word demonstrates they do not know the proper form, "agreement." The noun forming suffix –ANCE was chosen instead of the correct noun forming suffix –MENT.
The word seemed to be spoken as accidental misspeaking. The speaker initially coined the word while trying to think of the noun form of the verb "AGREE." After that point, the word was perpetuated as a joke.
Agreeance n.
Agreement. Formed by derivation.
[formed from agree + “-ance”;]
"Due to the arbitrator’s ruling, the Yankees were finally able to come to agreeance with Kevin Brown on a new contract." -During the MTV Video Music Awards shortly after September 11th, Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst pronounced his hope for worldwide peace, understanding, and among other things, universal agreeance.], on an unattributed day.
Most likely arose out of a limited vocabulary, trying to substitute for a word that Durst thought should have been in the English language.
Ah-hah n.
A sudden understand or realization, usually after exposure to new or novel information. Formed by sound symbolism.
[Nonce onomatopoeia]
"If these lectures have given you any ah-hahs, give yourself a point." -Susan Lieberman, on Wed Dec 3, 2003
This word uses an expression and connects it with the processes going on in our brain. When we suddenly understand something, we say "ah-hah." An ah-hah, then, is used to capture the state of realization.
Ahhh-mazing adj.
Amazing. Formed by sound symbolism.
[sound symbolism & blending Ahhh + (a)mazing]
"Ahhh-mazing" -Afrin commercial, on Mon Nov 28, 2005
Afrin provides instant relief for nasal congestion. In one of it recent commercials, the person used the pump mist, and instantly he was able to breathe through his nose again. He described it as “Ahhh-mazing.” He could have said ‘amazing,’ but ‘ahhh’ described his ability to breathe again. By blending ‘ahhh’ with amazing, you get the result of Afrin. The ‘ahhh’ can be thought of as sound symbolism; it is the sound that the person makes when being able to breathe after being congested for a long period of time. This can be described as advertising techniques. These are ways to catch the viewer’s attention and pique their interest.
The blend was not very difficult. The overall change is the pronunciation of the ‘a’ in the amazing. It is held longer to emphasize the result of the nasal decongestant. These techniques are simple, but that is all you need to attract the viewer.
Ahmean i.
To indicate that one wishes another to agree; to agree. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Special circumstance where sound and compounding interact. Ah (sound symbolism for the word I) + mean (English word meaning to convey or denote). The word mean is derived from Middle English, maenan, meaning to tell of. Is derived from the Old English term, ic)]
"Do you understand what I am saying, ahmean..." -Kourtney R, on Thu Sep 1, 2005
The term ahmean was coined to stress the importance of whatever idea is being discussed or represented. Emphasis is placed on the ah clipping of the word, denoting the English word I, to indicate one’s self. The word became increasingly popular as people ceased pausing between the I and the mean, while stressing the I. The term denotes one’s wish to be agreed with and the pronunciation of ahmean signifies this. This assumumption is also supported by the spelling of ah, an English interjection, used to express various emotions such as sadness, excitement, stress, or sensitivity.
Aim v.
To chat over the internet using the instant messenger AIM. Formed by acronym.
[From acronym AOL Instant Messenger, from another acronym America Online Instant Messenger]
"I haven’t aimed anyone since July. I can’t seem to get any work done on the computer when I am chatting with my friends." -Elec friend, on Wed Aug 31, 2005
AIM is the most popular instant messenger in America. An instant messenger allows two or more people to communicate with each other using text over the internet. As the user-base of America Online grew exponentially during the 1990’s in America, the company worked hard to integrate instant messaging into the overall AOL experience. The idea of talking to friends over the internet perked the interest of computer savvy people as well as those who were are far from the leetspeak world as possible. As AIM’s popularity spread, it only seemed natural for the young adults wishing to discuss chatting with each other over the internet after school over other social gatherings to zero derive the noun acronym into a verb.
However, this word is currently only used in America. In every other industrialized country, MSN messenger is the most popular instant messenger. Nonetheless, the verb "to msn" does not exist yet.
Aim v.
To send a message via AOL Instant Messenger. Formed by zero derivation.
[zero derivation of the acronym for AOL Instant Messenger]
"I aimed him, but he hasn’t replied yet." -AOL instant messenger conversation, on Sun Nov 20, 2005
Using this word conveys more information than just using the word message. It communicates the form of communication and specific program used. Since it is such a common fixture in many computer users' everyday life, it may be considered jargon. Some generalization of this word has been observed where aim is used to refer to the action of sending messages by other programs.
Aim v.
Contacting someone through AOL instant messenger. Formed by zero derivation.
"I’ll AIM you when I get back from class." -, on an unattributed day.
Aim v.
To send a message or converse with another person utilizing an online messenger system. Formed by back formation.
[‘America’ refers to the country of origin of the program, and where it is most commonly used. The country itself is an eponym, named for Amerigo Vespucci, who claimed to have discovered the New World. ‘Online’ blends the words ‘on’ and ‘line’ indicating using the internet, referred to as a ‘line’ due to the previous need for a cable connection to phone lines. ‘Line’ itself comes from the Old English line, meaning ‘a row of letters.’ Instant comes through Old French and Middle Latin from the Latin instantem, meaning ‘pressing or urgent.’ It refers to the supposed alacrity of the system. ‘Messanger’ comes from the Old French messagier; interestingly, the ‘n’ has no function. Phonetically, it is possible the nasal was more acoustically pleasing next to the affricate than was the vowel, or the velar was easier to say when juxtaposed with the inserted alveolar.]
"I’ll aim you" -Rice student ECR, on Sat Oct 1, 2005
Originally a noun derived from the acronym AIM (America Online Instant Messanger), a variant of back-formation led to the verb, which was then generalized in the manner of Google to refer to a conversation using any of several online messenger programs rather than solely AIM. The development of such a term was necessary as the technology is reasonably new—no single word in the language referred specifically to a conversation held through an online system.
Aimtag n.
Like phone-tag, when AOL Instant Messages are exchanged repeatedly, but neither conversant is present at the same time, and so replies suffer a long delay. Formed by compounding.
[Compounding based on form of phone-tag: AIM (acronym for AOL Instant Messenger program) + tag (a children’s game in which participants take turns chasing one another until a “tag,” or physical touch, is achieved, and the roles reverse. Its use here is metaphorical]
"Guess we’re playing aimtag here." -Online conversation with friend, on Sun Nov 27, 2005
I made this up myself, actually, because it just popped into my head. I always forget to put on away messages, so I frequently come back to find someone wrote me, but it might have been 5 minutes or 5 hrs previous. So i reply, but odds are they aren't around either, so I leave... it's a vicious cycle. Anyway, we've long had phonetag, so isn't it time, with the digital revolution, that we had instant messaging tag too?.
Aircon n.
Air conditioning. Formed by clipping.
[Shortning of the word air conditioning]
"Turn up the aircon - I'm hot." -My roommate, on Sat Aug 20, 2005
My roommate is from Hong Kong and therefore has some different terms (mostly British) for everyday things. I think aircon has been around in British/international slang for years. Because the United States has chosen to shorten air conditioning to AC, they do not need to use the term aircon and I doubt it will spread.
Airrage n.
Rage that results from being in the atmosphere of an airplane. Formed by analogy.
[air + rage]
"Airline pilots in Germany asked their employers to start offering nicotine gum to stop smoking passengers from having an attack of airrage during long flights." -TIME magazine, on Mon Nov 23, 1998
Interpretation of intended meaning
frustration, anger, or stress created by the restricted and enclosed environment of an airplane during flight
Presumed reason for coinage
To have an analogous word to roadrage to describe "rage in the air"
Parsing
air + rage-anger/frustration.
Airyfairy adj.
Not well defined, up in the air. Formed by compounding.
[Airyfairy. compound of ‘air’ + ‘y’ + ‘fairy’.]
"“It’s just the most airyfairy criteria.”" -Australian boyfriend, on Sun Sep 18, 2005
This seems to be the Australian version of wishy-washy, which is used to describe people, directions, etc, in America that are either not well defined or don’t hold steady to their views.
Aite adj.
To be okay or acceptable; Alright. Formed by clipping.
[aite. Clipping of 'alright']
"They don’t spin, but that’s AITE." -Rice Thresher Backpage, on Fri Oct 8, 2004
This is a slang contraction, so it’s used because it is original and colorful. It also probably serves as a shibboleth: by using it, people can indicate that they are members of the “in” group.
Ajebutter n.
A very rich or spoilt kid, a weakling. Formed by folk etymology.
[Aje butter was an expensive kind of butter that only rich people could afford.
With time, due to blending it became one word ajebutter and is used to refer to a spoilt kid.]
": “The girl is such an ajebutter, can you believe she’s never tasted suya and insists on bringing her food to school. She’s refused to eat school food!”" -Nigerian Movie Titled, “Osofia in London.”, on Sun May 20, 2012
Ajebutter is an extremely popular term used by all Nigerians i.e. both adults and children in describing a spoilt kid or weakling. It has a negative connotation and the antonym is “ajepaki” meaning someone who is tough (not a weakling) maybe very wealthy but is not ignorant but well aware of Nigerian culture and the fact that not everyone is as wealthy as he or she is. Ajebutter was originally a term used to describe a certain kind of really expensive butter that the average Nigerian could not afford. People who would buy this kind of butter were regarded as “spoiled” and were referred to as ajebutter. Note that one does not have to purchase thus ajebutter to be considered an ajebutter. Anyone who seems rich and spoiled is referred to as an ajebutter.
Ajereke n.
A Caribbean or someone from the West Indies. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Originates from Yoruba, a language spoken in Western Nigeria. Ajereke translates to “the people that eat sugar.”]
"“Di girls mother be ajereke”" -My friend, on Mon Feb 20, 2012
Ajereke is a word of Yoruba origin used in daily Nigerian English. It translates to “the people that eat sugar” and is used to refer to West Indians or Caribbeans who the Yorubas believed ate a lot of sugar cane. With time “ajereke” became adopted by non Yorubas or Nigerians of other ethnic groups.
Akata n.
Used to refer to the U.S or an African American. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Of Yoruba origin, a language spoken in Western Nigeria.]
"" Is Khadija Akata?"" -My dad, on Wed Jan 20, 2010
It is used by Africans to describe African Americans as a result of some obvious differences between the black cultures. It is sometimes used to describe an Americanized Nigerian, or a Nigerian who has lived in the U.S for a long period of time and has probably developed an American accent and may be even unfamiliar with his or her African culture.
Alcoholiday n.
A holiday characterized by heavy drinking. Formed by blending.
[Blend of alcohol, (from New Latin alcohol, from Medieval Latin alcohol, from Arabic al-kohl) and holiday (Middle English holiday, from Old English haligdaeg: holy day)]
"Beer Bike is our alcoholiday." -Housemate, on Sun Dec 4, 2005
This is a pleasing blend because the entirety of the words alcohol and holiday can be found in it. The meaning is not hard to guess from the way the word clearly comes from alcohol holiday. We have a wide variety of holidays, and this blend is easy to identify as describing the kind that are celebrated by heavy drinking.
All-nighter n.
The act of studying or doing school-related work through an entire night. Formed by derivation.
[derivation from ‘all’ + ‘night’ + ‘-er’]
"I pulled an all-nighter last night." -Conversation with friend, on Thu Nov 18, 2004
This term seems to be widely used and accepted among students, and it is the most concise way of stating that someone spent the entire night studying or working. A night spent awake studying or doing homework. The suffix ‘-er’ seems to have no specified meaning. An ‘all-nighter’ does not refer to a person who stays up all night, but rather to the night itself. In this case, ‘-er’ seems to simply indicate that the word is a noun.
All-nighting v.
Staying awake during all the nighttime hours. Formed by compounding.
[all-complete/entire + night-nighttime + ing-V]
"He had a COMP project to finish by noon today, so he's probably been all-nighting source." -A friend, on an unattributed day.
Interpretation of intended meaning:
the act of staying "up" or awake all night.
Presumed reason for coinage:
College students commonly use this to describe when they stay up all night to complete an assignment due the next day.
Parsing:
all- complete + night-nighttime + ing- V.
All-sidedness n.
The property of an object revealing all of its sides at one time. Formed by compounding.
"The all-sidedness of the foreground pictures..." -Steinberg in "Drawing as if to Possess", on an unattributed day.
Interpretation of intended meaning:
the property of showing all sides of something.
Presumed reason for coinage:
the author began with the word all-sided, a new formation, and then added -ness to make it a noun.
Alley-oop n.
In basketball, a pass from one player that is caught in mid-air and dunked. Formed by sound symbolism.
[sound symbolism]
"The dunk by Frye! The alley-oop from Marbury." -NBA on ESPN broadcaster, on Fri Dec 2, 2005
This neologism is another one used in the basketball community that is so popular we can expect it to hit the mainstream. The speaker coined the new term because an alley-oop is a special play that deserves its own term. A “direct pass for a dunk” would be gaudy. The other aspect is that expression would not carry the same punch that alley-oop does, and it is the broadcasters job to bring some excitement and verve to his work. Alley-oop is a term that expresses the two-part nature of the action, first the pass (‘alley’) and the dunk (‘oop’). The sound of the word suggests the meaning of it, as you can almost hear an emphatic ‘oop.’.
Allow v.
To leave alone, to forget about. Formed by zero derivation.
[allow. From zero-derivation of allow, 'to let'.]
"I’m allowing the homework." -Conversation with friend, on Tue Nov 15, 2005
The drastic semantic change of allow from ‘to let’ to ‘to leave alone’ seems to make sense when read aloud, perhaps because let and leave are synonyms in the sense of “let it be/leave it be”, therefore allow could have changed in meaning, like let, to mean ‘leave’. So “allow it be” could have become synonymous with “let it be”. Eventually, the “it be” was dropped, leaving “allow” to mean “leave it be”.
Alpha Consumer n.
One who starts a trend or picks it up very early, often long before the rest of the population, usu. used as a predictor of economic trends. Formed by compounding.
[compound of 'alpha' + 'consumer']
"Watch the cool kids, the alpha consumers, today, and you can see what everybody else will be doing a year from now." -Time, on Mon Sep 8, 2003
The author was describing companies that profit by predicting trends in consumer goods. One way that they did this was by watching the habits of certain groups of people who tended to be the first to pick up on or even start the trend. These consumers, since they were the 'first,' were given the designation 'alpha.'.
Alpha Geek n.
The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person in an office, department, or work group. Formed by compounding.
[From Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, from Hebrew Aleph “aleph” + from English dialect geek/geck “fool,” from Low German gek, from Middle Low German]
"Ask *somebody*; he’s the alpha geek here." -My roommate, on Tue Nov 1, 2005
The term seems to be derived from alpha male, a word created by animal ethologists. The word alpha is especially appealing because it refers to the beginning, first, or principle of whatever it describes. It would be interesting to know exactly how alpha male changed its context to become alpha geek. It could have first referred to animals and then to those who studied the animals before spreading among other speech communities. Because it originated through animal ethologists, I assume that the term alpha geek is most widespread in the zoology community.
Alternawhore n.
Derogatory term for a female who thoughtlessly prescribes to everything alternative: music, fashion, piercing, tattooing, etc. Most often used in reference to a female within an out-of-fashion alternative movement, such as the late 90’s. Formed by blending.
[alternawhore. Blend of 'alternative' and 'whore']
"I dyed my hair recently. I think they call this color Alternawhore #5." -Herself (Nancy Brown), on Tue Nov 30, 1999
This word was used for its brevity and to get a laugh.
Am-idol n.
A singer who is trying to become an actor. By virtue of their success in the music business, they also think that they can just as easily conquer Hollywood. Formed by blending and clipping.
[Derived by blending and clipping of ‘am-‘ from the word American + the word ‘idol’]
"Usher is coming out in a new movie this year, he is such an am-idol." -Spoken by a friend over lunch about the singer turned actor, Usher, on Wed Nov 2, 2005
Possible reason used: The term was originally used in reference to Kelly Clarkson, the winner from the first season of the television reality show American Idol. After she won the contest for singing, the media moguls made a huge faux pas by thinking that she could also act as well as sing. The movie bombed and thus the term for singers who think they can also act was coined. The term was used in this instance to refer to another singer, Usher, who was trying his hand at acting for the first time, but will most likely not be very good.
Ambigender adj.
Having no aspects that benefit either gender. Formed by derivation.
[[‘ambi’ + ‘gender’]
"I’m in that LPAP cause Badminton is such an ambigender sport." -Self, on Wed Sep 1, 2004
Possible reasons used: To shorten a statement that would have been much wordier. It parallels other words like ‘ambidextrous’ so that the meaning is easier to decipher and the statement is wittier.
Ambiguates v.
To make ambiguous. Formed by derivation.
[root AMBIGUOUS plus verb-forming suffix –ATE]
"It ambiguates the meaning of a two notrump bid" -During a bridge game, on Wed Sep 1, 2004
Possible reason used: It clearly conveys the notion of rendering something unclear or ambiguous.
Ambisextrous adj.
Being able to use both hands for masturbation interchangeably. Formed by blending.
[Blend of ambidextrous ('Able to use both hands with equal facility.') and sex]
"'Able to use both hands with equal facility.') and sex." -A senior discussing his masturbatory habits. He mentioned someone (who was single) was in a relationship with his left hand, to which the other person replied he was right handed. The first senior replied that he was right-handed, too, but would use his, on an unattributed day.
It was a simple way to say he was capable of using both hands so he just blended the word meaning capable of using both hands with "sex".
Ambiturner n.
A person who can turn all the way around by going in either way. Formed by derivation.
[derivation, formed from 'ambi' + 'turn' + '-er']]
"The title character in the movie Zoolander can only turn around in one direction; he wishes he could turn both ways, which would make him an ambiturner." -Zoolander, on Wed Oct 1, 2003
: Zoolander is full of funny words because the main character is not very intelligent. He has his own way of speaking, and ambiturner fits into his speech.
Amebo n.
A gossip. Formed by folk etymology.
[Amebo was the name of a popular Nigerian soap character, known for her perpetual gossiping.]
""You are such an amebo, stop talking about people!"" -My sister, on Sat Sep 5, 2009
An amebo can be described as a nosy person who does not mind her business or a person who gossips or enjoys talking about people to fault. It is derived from an extremely popular character on a Nigerian soap opera, known for her perpetual gossiping and lying.
With time, Nigerians began to refer to gossips as amebos. For example, one can say,
“Why are you such an amebo, mind your business!” This word is used by all kinds of Nigerians, i.e adults and children, though it is most especially used by children and teenagers.
Amerindians n.
Any of the native people of North American. Formed by blending.
[blend of American and Indian]
"My prof always just calls them Amerindians." -Conversation (unknown), on Mon Oct 13, 2003
This word refers to the people who were on the North American continent before the arrival of Europeans. These people are also called Indians, Native Americans, or American Indians. This term was coined to make one of the more politically correct phrases shorter and therefore more convenient.
Amped adj.
Excited, the state of being excited; In an aroused state. Formed by analogy.
[From amplified. From Middle English amplifien. From Old French amplifier; From Latin amplificare]
"I am so amped to be here tonight!" -The Tonight Show, on Fri Nov 25, 2005
Before electric guitars are hooked up and altered through an amplifier, they sound dull, dreary, and their music is barely recognizable. However, once you attach the guitar to the amplifier, the music “comes to life”. It is clearly more vibrant, louder, more exciting. Over time, the amplifier got clipped to just “amp”. In this case, amped refers to a state of being extremely excited. It replaces the older word ‘pumped’ and means the exact same thing. There is even an energy drink called “Amp”, which was created by Mountain Dew and is clearly trying to associate itself with the young adult demographic, which also happens to be the primary group that uses this word. It is unclear why being amped increased in popularity and eventually came to make being pumped rather obsolete, but it probably has something to do with a new generation becoming the ‘it’ crowd and deciding what words to say and what to leave out. Clearly ‘amped’ is very prominent in everyday speech now and will probably remain so for quite a while.
Anachronistic adj.
Something that proceeds in a fashion that is not chronological order. Formed by derivation.
[Derivation of ana 'without' + chrono 'time' + -ist 'one who practices']
"A review of a biographical work on Marie Curie." -'Too Hot to Handle' By Brenda Maddox, on Mon Nov 29, 2004
It was used to concisely describe a specific aspect of the work under consideration.
Analrapist n.
One who practices analysis and therapy. Formed by blending and clipping.
[Blend formed from anal(yst) and (the)rapist]
"I was an analyst and a therapist, the world’s first analrapist." -The sitcom Arrested Development, on Mon Oct 3, 2005
Attempting to parse this word into its component morphemes gives no help in deciphering the word’s meaning. The ana in analyst means "back," and my dictionary gives the origin of therapist as a Greek word meaning "attendant." Therefore the parsing of analrapist would be ana-l-rap-ist, where ana means back, ist meaning one who does, and l and rap are nonsense fillers taken from the words analyst and therapist, left over from clipping.
This word is a case of intentional homonymy. Arrested Development’s writers wanted to play on the seemingly accidental similarity between analrapist and anal rapist.
Reason used: Clearly for humorous effect caused by the near homonymy between analrapist and anal rapist.
Anatidaephobia n.
The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you. Formed by derivation.
[Derived from ‘anatidae’ (family name of heavy, short-legged swimming birds with horny-tipped bills) + ‘phobia’ (Latin: fear, fear of)]
"" -The Complete Far Side, on Wed Oct 5, 1988
In his book 'The Prehistory of The Far Side', Mr. Larson explains how he came up with the idea to use the term 'anatidaephobia' rather than a supposedly more obvious word such as 'duckowatchophobia'. Many 'Far Side' cartoons are rather intellectual, and Mr. Larson is somewhat of a naturalist himself (there is a species of biting flea named after him), so he chose to use a more scientific approach and take the name of the duck family (anatidae) and append -phobia onto it. All words ending in -phobia are models for anatidaephobia, and Mr. Larson coined the word so that anyone who knew how ducks are biologically classified would see it as something more than a nonsense word.
Anchor Baby n.
A child born to a couple who are in the United States illegally, but is nonetheless a U.S. citizen by birth. Formed by analogy.
[From the comparison of a child to a ship’s anchor, because he acts as an anchor between his (foreign) parents and American society. He himself is also figuratively anchored to this country through U.S. citizenship]
"These so-called 'anchor babies' get full rights upon birth." -A news program about the discussion of American citizenship, on Wed Nov 23, 2005
Anchor Baby probably originated by analogy to a ship’s anchor, which secures the ship. The term refers to a baby born to illegal immigrants residing within the United States. These people do not have the legal rights of an American citizen, but any child born to them gains those rights automatically by becoming a citizen. In the same way that a ship’s anchor holds it in place, the child becomes an “anchor” for himself and for his parents by being eligible for everything that the parents are not, and by growing up amidst American culture.
Androgynator n.
An individual whose gender is initially ambiguous. Formed by derivation.
"Recently used by a friend to describe an individual of debatable gender." -A friend, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
It was used as a derivative term for an androgynous individual.
Andropause (or Viropause) n.
The end of virility. Formed by blending.
[blend of virility and menopause]
"Andropause or viropause, the end of virility" -Newsweek, on Mon Sep 16, 1996
Angelologist n.
One who studies angels. Formed by analogy.
[angel + ologist
This word is created through analogy. Many words include ologist, such as paleontologist, oncologist, and many others. Similarly, one who studies angels would be an angelologist.]
"I’ve never met an angelologist before." -Angels in America, T. Kushner, page 194), on Tue Nov 30, 1999
The character in the play is seeing angels and humorously comments on this oddity by making up an occupation for his habit.
Anglely adv.
Using lots of angles. Formed by derivation.
[Formed from “angle”]
"You play tennis too anglely." -My aunt, on Sat Jan 1, 2000
Apparent Meaning: using lots of angles. In this context making his opponents run to get drop shots and tough cross-court shots.
Reason Used: to describe his method of playing and to identify exactly what she didn’t like about his playing style.
Anhism n.
A special saying or action that is unique to Anh. Formed by derivation.
[Derived from ‘Anh’ + ‘-ism’]
"Is that your newest anhism?" -Stated by Becky Shim when I told her I liked to say ‘shoo’ a lot, on an unattributed day.
Reason used: It is a shorter coined word to describe things that Anh says or does uniquely. The suffix ‘-ism’ can be used like this to characterize any word, such as ‘johnism’ or ‘frankism’.
Ankle v.
Pull down another person’s pants to their feet. Formed by zero derivation.
[Nat.‘ankle’ with a converted meaning]
"I tried to grab the flag and instead I ankled her." -Suitemate, on Wed Sep 1, 2004
Possible reason used: To describe the act of pulling someone’s pants down (also known as ‘pantsing’) in a humorous and slang manner.
Anormal adj.
Abnormal. Formed by derivation.
[affixation of a- (not, without) + normal]
"The blood in disease states is anormal." -Made by self in conversation with friend, on Mon Nov 1, 2004
Could not remember the correct word for not normal; an antonym of ‘normal’ in recent use.
Anti-gravity n.
Not grave; funny. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Pun on the established scientific term “anti-gravity” used in physics and astronomy]
"Title of a humor column" -Scientific American, on Tue Nov 30, 1999
The prefix anti- ‘against’ was appended to the root gravity ‘grave, serious’ to give the meaning “not serious, funny.” Because this column appears in a scientific journal, most readers will understand both meanings of the word anti-gravity and appreciate the bad pun.
Anti-hetero adj.
A derogatory term meaning stupid or foolish. Formed by compounding.
[compound of 'anti-' + 'hetero(sexual)']
"Quit being so anti-hetero." -Lovett senior, on Thu Nov 25, 2004
Needed a new way to say gay (as in derogatory term).
Anti-hippite n.
One who is prejudiced against hippopotamuses. More often used as a joke. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[Pun on ANTI-SEMITE.]
"“I was expecting something a lot worse. I think Will just has something against purple hippos. That ANTI-HIPPITE!!" -Friend on MOB message board, on Sun Nov 7, 2004
Intended Meaning: one who is prejudiced against hippopotamuses
Analysis: play on anti-semite
Possible Reason Used: Friend wanted to be cute and rather than saying the long adjective phrase “against hippopotamuses”, he condensed the idea into a noun similar to anti-semite.
Anti-p.c. adj.
Lacking the effort to not offend others when addressing social and political issues (The politician’s speech was anti-P.C. when he made the joke about past prejudices.). Formed by derivation.
[anti-P.C. Derivation/Acronym: from ‘anti’ + ‘politically correct’]
"It is so anti-P.C." -A friend, on Wed Sep 15, 2004
The word anti-P.C. was used because using a shortened phrase in which 'anti' is added before 'P.C.' (an acronym for “politically correct”) is more simple than stating a compete phrase, such as, “not being politically correct.”.
Anti-rail adj.
Opposed to the construction and use of light-rail lines and trains, particularly those of the light-rail system of the city of Houston. Formed by compounding.
[By adding the oppositional morpheme 'anti-' to 'rail' (a clipped form of 'light-rail'), one arrives at a new word for describing light-rail's opponents; new compound/clipping; formed from 'anti-' + 'rail' (light-rail)]
"An anti-rail spokesman said he was not surprised by the accident." -Click2Houston.com, on Thu Nov 20, 2003
Light-rail is a relatively recent phenomenon, and in Houston, it has become a controversial means of transportation, because its initial construction and future expansion may or may not cost taxpayers more money. As a result, there are those who are opposed to the city's new light-rail system, and there has arisen a new adjective to describe these people.
Anti-virotic n.
A medicine used to destroy harmful viruses. Formed by blending.
[blend from 'antibiotic' + 'virus']
"I am hopeful that molecular biology will be well enough understood to allow us to make drugs effective against viruses, ‘anti-virotics’." -Http://science.discovery.com/convergence/100discoveries/hostbio/billnye.html, on Tue Nov 16, 2004
Reason used: The word was used to describe a possible medical tool of the future. Because of widespread familiarity with the word “antibiotic”, the user formed a blend of “antibiotic” and “virus” to describe a type of medicine used against viruses that would work in similar ways to how antibiotics work against bacteria and other microorganisms.
Antiacademic adj.
Literally, “against academic”; possessing a malevolent attitude towards academic and intellectual affairs and qualities. Formed by derivation.
[Concatenation of negating prefix “anti-“ with adjective “academic” meaning “pertaining to higher learning.”]
"If you use some words you may get made fun of in groups that are antiacademic..." -Lecture, on Tue Nov 30, 2004
Antidependence n.
Means when the compiler is doing instruction scheduling, the relationship between instructions that prevent them to be rearranged in
reverse order. Formed by clipping.
[blend of anti + dependence]
"....enable you to rearrange the instructions which antidependence will prevent..." -Text book of comp412, on Mon Oct 10, 2005
Computer scientists use this word in specific field: compiler design.
Antique v.
To cover an individual’s face and/or body with flour, rendering the individual’s appearance resembling an object that has accumulated a large amount of dust; often performed as a prank on an individual who is sleeping. ("While I was sleeping, someone anti. Formed by zero derivation.
[ANTIQUE verb derived directly from noun ANTIQUE, from French, from Latin ‘antiquus’]
"I’m definitely going to antique that guy while he’s sleeping." -Student plotting to perform a prank on another student, on Wed Nov 2, 2005
Apparent Meaning: To cover one’s face with dry flour, resulting in one’s appearance as a dusty antique object. The noun ANTIQUE has been used as a verb that refers to the process of making someone appear like a dusty antique by using flour. This is often performed as a prank, especially when the target individual is sleeping so that he or she cannot anticipate and avoid being ANTIQUED.
Possible Reason Used: The term was initially introduced in the MTV show “Jackass,” in which members of the cast ANTIQUED other members while they were sleeping. The prank became popularized as a way of humiliating and frustrating an individual by covering the individual’s face with flour. The white flour on one’s face is meant to appear like the layer of dust that accumulates on neglected antique items stored in an attic or similar environment. Thus, the prank action inherits its name from its goal: to make an individual appear like an antique. The prank is often exaggerated when a large amount of white flour is simply poured over the target’s face and body in an effort to further frustrate the target by leaving more mess to clean up.
Anyhoo adv.
Nevertheless; in any case. Formed by an unknown word formation process.
[spelling and pronunciation variation of anyhow]
"Anyhoo, let’s move on." -Economics teacher, on Tue Aug 17, 2004
Anyhoo is used like the word ‘anyway’ — to shift the subject in conversation. In going from ‘-how’ to ‘-hoo’ the vowel sound is shifted from a dipthong [au] to a high rear vowel, making the word slightly easier to pronounce. Other than this, it is used no differently than ‘anyway’ or ‘anyhow’.