Ling 215: New Words in
English
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Links
O
O.J.-BY-THE-SEA, n. The media center at the Santa Monica civil trial. Different from "Camp O.J.."the center at the criminal trial. [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]
P
PILTROL (registered tradename) n. A fabric/material which
is resistant to pilling. [clipped compound of "pilling" and
"control"]
Context and source: "These coats are made with PiltrolR
which resists pilling on cuffs and waistband." (Land's End
catalog)
PLUGGERS, n. Individuals leading a very nondescript and
mediocre life who nonetheless always put forth their best
effort and make do with the lot life has given out [noun
formed form verb plug ].
Content and source: "Pluggers prefer baseball caps over
fancy toupees and hair treatments." (Comic strip "Pluggers"
in Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 10-13-96) "A plugger's barn or
workshed is almost always larger than his actual home."
(10-14-96)
POPAGANDA, n. Music that is popular with the general
public, and has purpose or is trying promote particular
ideas. [Blend of pop (clipping of popular) and
propaganda]
Content and source: Title of a K.D. Lang album.
POOPER-SCOOPER, n. An instrument comprised of a scooping
device on a long pole used for the collection of animal
waste matter [rhyming compound formed from roots poop,
scoop, and suffix -er on each root].
Context and source: "I kind of dread going home for
Thanksgiving. The first thing my dad's going to do is hand
me the old pooper-scooper..." (Conversation)
POSTAL, adj. extremely hostile. [From the observation of
postal workers going insane and killing fellow co-workers.
Found most often in expressions go postal and get
postal]
Context and source: Unable to cope, he got all postal.
POTUS/VPOTUS/FLOTUS, n. President of the United States,
Bill Clinton; Vice President of the United States, Al Gore;
and First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton,
respectively [acronyms].
Context and source: "Computer terminals all over the
Executive Mansion flash instantly with the precise movements
of POTUS, VPOTUS, and FLOTUS- code names for Bill, Hillary,
and Al..." (Gentleman's Quarterly, 11-96)
PROLLY, adv. Likely to happen, possibly occur. [elided pronunciation of "probably." Assimilation of the "b"to an "l"] Context and source: "I'm prolly going to the party tonight." (Conversation)
PSYCHODRAMATIC, adj. very crazy (psychotic) and overly
dramatic. [blend of psychotic and dramatic]
Context and source: "Calm down. Stop being so
psychodramatic." (Conversation)
Q
R
RETAIL ELEPHANT, n. A business that dominates or
monopolizes an area. [compound; metaphoric association with
the size of an elephant].
Context and Source: "... they are increasingly ambivalent
about retail elephants lumbering into their neighborhoods. "
(Newsweek 9/16/96).
ROAD RAGE, n. Aggressive driving habits often accompanied
by dehumanization of other drivers and somethimes resulting
in violence against other drivers. [Compound of road and
rage]
Context and Source: "Two thirds of all highway deaths are
caused by road rage." (Discussion forum of Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel).
ROLLING, n. A dangerous activity popular with today's
delinquents which involves throwing sometimes heavy objects
from the back of a moving truck or vehicle [noun formed from
addition of pres. participle -ing suffix to verb
roll ].
Context and source: "The youths were engaged in a dangerous
but increasingly popular new activity known as rolling..."
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11-29-96)
RUBBER-CHICKEN CIRCUIT, n. The round of fund-raising dinners attended by politicians. Refers to the standard unappetizing, rubbery chicken served at such dinners. [compound] (New York Times)
S
SARCASTROPHE, n. An embarrassing and catastrophic event
occurring when an individual attempts and fails to use
humorous sarcasm [blend of sarcasm and
catastrophe ].
Context and source: "Todd's failed attempt at humorous
sarcasm resulted in a sarcastrophe at dinner." (Internet)
SCHECK HAPPENS - General epithet used when things go awry. Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. [blend: Scheck, eponym in honor of criminal defense lawyer Barry Scheck, + 'sh-t happens', bumper sticker cliche.] Found in Newsweek.
SCHIZO, n. A cup of coffee made with equal parts of
caffeinated and de-caffeinated coffee [clip of
schizophrenia].
Context and source: Menu list, Sundance Coffee
SEA LAWYER, n. One who attempts to shirk responsibility
or blame through trivial technicalities. [This word is used
chiefly in the Navy and at the Naval Academy to describe a
midshipman or officer who uses technicalities and other
trivial excuses to escape responsibility or punishment.
Based on the popular stereotype of lawyers always arguing
technicalities and trivial details coupled with the fact
that the Navy is closely associated with water and the sea.
]
Context and source: "Most sea lawyers are not well respected
by their classmates. (A Sense of Honor by James Webb)
SECADEM, n. a Rice student whose double majoring in both
Group I or II and III. [Blend of Rice terms S/E (Group III
major) and academy (Group I or II).]
Context and source: "Are you an S/E or an academy?"
"Actually, both. I am a secadem." (Conversation)
SEXAHOLISM, n. A condition describing someone who is addicted to sex and alcohol. [blend of sex and alcoholism]. Source: An episode of the "Simpsons."
SHOPGRIFTING, v. to 'rent' something for free by
purhcasing it and then returning it within 30 days for a
full refund. [Compound of shop + grift "to swindle"]
Context and source: His shopgrifting is totally shameless."
(Conversation)
SLACKADEM, n. A term used by science/engineering majors
at Rice University for a person majoring in humanities or
social sciences due to a perceived lack of work or effort
put forth by the latter [blend formed from words academy and
slacker ].
Context and source: "If you'll excuse me, I've got to study
for a test. Not everyone can be a slackadem and watch TV all
day." (Conversation)
SLOW-SPEED CHASER, n. A celebratory drink after court is adjourned. [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]
SNAIL MAIL, n. The standard system of mail delivery in
which letters, documents, and packages are physically
transported from one location to another, in contrast to
electronic mail [rhyming compound formed from roots snail
and mail].
Context and source: "More and more companies and individuals
are looking to e-mail as an alternative to the traditional
means of sending information and documents, snail mail."
(Computers, pg. 52)
SPACE-POSSESSION DICTATORIAL, adj. Overly concerned with:
one's possessions, the placement of these, and the placement
of others' possessions in the vicinity of one's possessions;
characterized by compulsive behavior regarding one's
possessions.
Context and source: "My roommate is so space-possession
dictatorial!" (Conversation)
SPAM, n. Multiple posts of the same message to the same
or different Usenet newsgroups or to an e-mail account. The
message is usually adverts or marketing promotions and
contains no useful or worthwhile information.
v. The act of sending multiple copies of a useless message
to a newsgroup or an e-mail account. [Extension of the word
Spam, the processed meat]
SPEEL, n. An informal speech, usually brief and sometimes
impromptu. Also spiel.
Context and source: "Now I'll give my little speel about
drinking." (Conversation)
SPIDER, n. person or computer program that searches the web for new links and link them to search engines. [Metaphor, a spider spins webs.]
SPORK, n. A utensil with both bowl and tines, a
combination of spoon and fork. [Blend of spoon and fork]
Context and source: "I hate these stupid plastic sporks."
(Conversation)
STALKERAZZI, n. (pl. stalkerazzis) Tabloid journalist who pursues celebrities night and day, dogging their every move. [Blend of stalker and paparazzi, tabloid journalists, after eponymous character in Fellini movie. Italian plural -i reanalyzed to singular]
Context and source: "Broomfield hooks up with a pair of
"stalkerazzis" who work for the tabloids..." (New Yorker
6/8/98)
SWANGIN', v. swerving a car back and forth by rapidly
turning the steering wheel (left and right
...repeatedly.)
Context and source: "I lost a wheel while swangin'."
(Conversation explaining gang terminology)
SWOOSH, n. The logo of the Nike Corporation, resembling a
rounded off check-mark.
Context and source: "The Nike logo is called the swoosh, it
appears 32 times in the annual report..." (Conversation)
SWOOSHTIKA, n. Derogatory reference to the distinctive
logo of the Nike Corporation. Alludes to the powerful
hegemony of Nike in the world of sportswear and marketing,
the blind logo-worship of unthinking masses of people, and
Nike's treatment of its third world workers like slave
labor; implicit comparison with Nazi party and the its
swastika. [blend of swoosh + -tika, from 'swastika']
Context and source: "People are already beginning to talk
about the 'swooshtika'" (Conversation)
T
TAGGIN', v. spray painting a gang's name on walls.
(leaving a trademark; graffiti) [from tag- meaning to mark
or a label.]
Context and source: "We were taggin' all night."
(Conversation explaining gang terminology)
TELESCAM, n. Illegal money-making schemes conducted by
phony telemarketers. [Compound tele- (clipping of telephone)
and scam]
Context and source: "For Downs, the secret finally came out
when she gave her 19 children and grandchildren shoe boxes
stuffed with nearly identical collections of telescam
trash." (Time, 25 August 1997)
TELEVANGELIST, n. An evangelist who conducts regular
religious services on television. [Blend of television and
evangelist]
Contex and source: "Ole Anthony and his merry band take on
the televangelists." (US News, 8 December 1997)
TERRAFORM, v. To change a planet's surface and atmosphere
so that life as it exist on Earth is possible [compound from
L. terra 'land' and form ].
Context and source: "And that's the question that will shift
us to the next level of our fascination with the place, the
idea that we could live there, that Mars could be
terraformed." (Newsweek, 9-16-96)
TOUCH, n. An abbreviation of touchdown, the scoring of
six points in American football by penetrating an opponent's
end zone while in possession of the football [clip formed
from touchdown].
Context and source: "Farve drops the screen pass off to
Edgar Bennet and he takes it in for the touch." (FOX NFL
Half-time Show, 10-20-96)
TROLL, n. A person who sends messages to a Usenet newsgroup to incite emotions and cause controversy. [Metaphorical extension of troll, a supernatural creature (dwarf) that lives in a cave.]
TYSON, adv. Characterized by an insane rage, particularly
in the context of a sporting event. [Reference to boxer Mike
Tyson]
Context and source: "He wne absolutely Tyson in the Monday
Night Football opener against the Green Bay Packers."
(Sports Illustrated, 15 September 1997)
U,V
VATOR, n. Something which lifts, an ascending platform;
an elevator. [clipping of elevator]
Context and source: "Push '3' on the vator to get to the
third floor." (Conversation)
VERTICALLY-CHALLENGED, adj. Short, not tall [compound
formed from vertical + -ly (adv.) and challenge + ed].
Context and source: "Don't call him short, he's vertically
challenged." (Conversation)
VIDEOPHILE, n. One who loves and collects video equipment
and media [compound from L. video 'see' and G. phile
'loving']
Context and source: "The picture quality will be vastly
improved, pleasing videophiles." (US News and World Report ,
1 December 1997]
"I guess owning a Beta, RCA Selectavision, SVHS, Laserdisc,
and DVD makes me a videophile." (Conversation)
W
WAC, adj. Very unpleasant, undesirable; inappropriate, incorrect or not the way something should be or expected to be, contrary to the social norm; bad or negative in a general sense. Also wack. [clipping of wacky] Context and source: "That test was wac!" "Her outfit was totally wac!" (Conversation)
WALLIN', v. Slang. to sit or stand against a wall at a
party. [derived from, of course, wall]
Context and source: I didn't dance. Just wallin'. (a book
called Street Talk 2)
WHATEVER, v. To dismiss or ignore. Desire to dismiss.
[Zero derivation of whatever]
Contex and source: " That guy really whatevers me."
(Conversation)
WORDROBE, n. a person's vocabulary. [blend of word
and wardrobe]
Context and source: "He has an extensive wordrobe." (a web
page on the Internet)
WORRYWORT, n. A person who tends to worry habitually and
often needlessly [Compound of worry and wort]
Context and source: "The people in charge of making sure an
HMO stays solvent seemed like worrywarts." (US News, 24
November 1997)
X,Y,Z
Y2K, n. The year 2000. The problem in which some computer hardware and software are unable to process dates after 31 December 1999. [Acronym from Y (year) + 2 + K (Gr. 'kilos' thousand)]
'ZINE, n. An unprofessional periodical publication; a
non-formal, home-made magazine. [clipping of magazine]
Context and source: "Until two years ago, I had no idea what
a 'zine was." ( Loose Lips Sink Ships ,a 'zine)
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This page was last modified on 11July 1998 by C. Nash
Send comments to:
carlosn@rice.edu