Contents:

Introduction

A - E

F - N

O - Z

Word Play

Word A Day

Word Detective

World Wide Words

A - E

A

ANDROPAUSE (OR VIROPAUSE), n. The end of virility. [blend of virility and menopause
Context and Source: "andropause or viropause, the end of virility," (Newsweek 9/16/96)

ANIME, n. See JAPANIMATION.

ARTSY, adj. pretending to be artistic. Overly artistic. [Compound of arts + 'y' (adjectival ending, "have the characteristic of")]

A.S.S. GRADUATE, n. A long-winded person (who's attended the "American Sidebartending School"). [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]

AUDIOPHILE, n. One who loves and collects audio equipment and media [compound from L. audio 'hear' and G. phile 'loving']
Context and source: "Being an audiophile, I own an 8 track player, phonograph, cassette player, CD player, DAT recorder, and a Minidisc player." (Conversation)

AUTO "DENTIST", n. One who repairs dents, hail damage, and other types of minor damage on automobiles. ["dentist" to mean "one who repairs dents."]

Context and source: "Auto 'dentist' specializing in dents, dings, and hail damage; high quality, affordable rates,"advertisement painted on the auto dentist's car. (used by persons associated with car body repair--none phrase)

Go to top of page.

BACK STORY, n. The events of a character's life prior to the start of a fictional story. Also used metaphorically to mean "background"[compound of "back" and "story"]

BAGGRAVATION, n. A feeling of annoyance and anger one endures at the airport when his bags have not arrived at the baggage carousel but everyone else's bags have [blend formed from words bag and aggravation].
Context and source: "Nancy couldn't help but feel baggravation as she watched other passengers get their luggage and leave the airport." (Internet)

BENEDICT, n. [alter, of Benedick] a newly married man who has long been a bachelor. [based on the Shakespearean character from Much Ado About Nothing]
Source: Word a Day

BFE , adj. Very far away: Beyond Fu**ing Egypt. also B.F.E., b.f.e. [Acronym. Egypt was chosen somewhat arbitrarily as a country on the opposite side of the world. Variant: Bomfoq Egypt]
Context and source: "My car is parked BFE!" (Conversation)

BIG-EYED, adj. One who eats when s/he is not hungry; greedy. [compound of big+eye+d 'adjective forming]
Context and Source: If I see food, I want to eat it. I'm so big-eyed. (Conversation)

BLADING, v. The act of rollerblading, or skating while wearing a modified version of rollerskates called rollerblades which have only one continuous line (a blade) of wheels on the underside of each boot [clip of verb rollerblading ].
Context and source: "I'm going blading around the inner loop if you want to come." (Conversation)

BRONCO BAG, n. Tarp material used to protect well-coifed TV types from sun or rain. [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]

BTW, conj. Shorthand method of expressing by the way, commonly used in office memorandums and email communications.
Context and source: "BTW, there's a diversity training class meeting at 1:00 in the conference room." (Memorandum at work)

Go to top of page.

CADILLACING, v. Slang. Relaxing. syn. chilling.
Context and source: "He didn't work at all. He was just cadillacing." (Conversation)

CAMPOS, n. The campus police who patrol Rice University; refers to either one policeman, a group of them, and/or the collective entity of policemen. [clipping/blend of 'campus' and 'police.']
Context and source: "You could get a ticket from the campos if you park your car here." (Conversation)

CARJACKING, n. An incident by which a usually armed individual coerces the driver of an automobile to give up his vehicle or drive it and the assailant to some specified location [blend of car and hijacking ].
Context and source: "A carjacking at the corner of Cherry Lane and the Interstate 30 access road has left local residents shocked." (KXAS Local News, 9-28-96)

COMETISED - adj. used to describe Netscape when it freezes or jams. [ based on the observation of a "shooting star" or a comet (cannot really tell) that appears on the Netscape button, in the upper right corner of a Netscape browser. ]
Context and source: "Oh geez, Netscape is cometised." (Internet Newsgroup)

CORDS, n. A garment or article of clothing made of corduroy fabric. [Clipping of corduroy]
Context and source: "Hey, I like your cords!" (Conversation)

CROSS-TRAINER, n. A type of athletic shoe designed for cross-training, an all encompassing fitness routine which involves running, weight lifting, and other sports [compound formed from roots cross and train + -er ].
Context and source: "The new Nike Cross-Trainer." (Advertisement, Sports Illustrated 9-30-96)

Go to top of page.

DATE RAPE, n. An incidence of forced sexual intercourse by one of two individuals after an initial social encounter, usually a date [compound formed with roots date and rape ].
Context and source: "You Can Protect Yourself Against Date Rape" (Flyer at Hanszen College, Rice University)

DEFLICTED,adj. Affected with a condition that misshapes or distorts. [Blend of "afflicted" and "deformed."]
Context and source: "I wouldn't want my girlfriend to have the deflicted body of a rower." (Conversation)

DETOX, n. A clinic or treatment facility at which substance abusers attempt to rid themselves of dependency on a particular drug. Part of this process entails the actual physical removal of toxins present in the body due to the abuse of a substance [clip of detoxification ].
Context and source: "Mrs. Herrod checked herself into detox..." (Conversation)

DISORIENT EXPRESS, n. A state of confusion. [novel formation].
Context and Source: "I felt like I was on the Disorient Express for good this time."(Newsweek 11/14/96)

Go to top of page.

EARWITNESS, n. An individual who hears an incident occur, especially one who later gives a report on what he heard [blend of ear and eyewitness ].
Context and source: "I didn't see what happened, I just heard it. I guess I was an earwitness." (Conversation)

EATERS COMA, n. A condition characterized by sluggishness, sleepiness, and often a lack of motivation to do anything but rest/relax or sleep; a condition whose onset occurs shortly after a meal, usually dinner.
Context and source: "I have a lot of homework to do, but I just ate a big dinner and now I've got eaters coma." (Conversation)

EATERS DEATH, n. The acute form of eaters coma; characterized by difficulty in standing up and walking, onset occurs after an extremely large meal.
Context and source: "I've got eaters death and I don't think I can get up from this chair."(Conversation)

EBONICS, n. Black English Vernacular [Blend of ebony and phonics]

E-MAIL, n. An application of personal computers through which messages are automatically (electrically) sent through networks of computers to Electronic mailboxes [clipped compound formed from electronic and mail ].
Context and source: "I need to check my e-mail" (Conversation)

EMOTICON, n. A symbol, usually found in e-mail messages, made up of punctuation marks that resembles a human expression. [Blend of emotion and icon]
Contex and source: " I received a strange symbol at the end of an e-mail and was informed that it is called and emoticon."

Go to top of page.