Definition:
A newly coined word, expression, or usage. Adjective: neologistic. See also:
- Back Formation
- Blend
- Borrowing
- Buzzword
- Nonce Word
- Stunt Word
- What Is Family Slang?
- Introduction to Etymology
- Semantic Changes
Examples and Observations:
- Consumers plan to stay home more often, taking staycations instead of vacations.
- "We don't want to get dixie-chicked. We've invested millions of dollars in the movie."
(Dreamworks executive, 2003)
dixie-chicked, to suffer economic loss by alienating a constituency. - "Rapidly changing times mean that lexical production is sharply up, with neologisms being minted at their fastest rate since, ironically enough, the boom of the late 80s, with its yuppies, dinkies and Sloane Rangers. . . . 'Chiconomic' is one of [the] better efforts, while 'homedulging' is just flagrant lexploitation."
(Julian Baggini, "Can I Have a Word?" The Guardian, Jan. 18, 2009) - sniglet: a term invented by comedian Rich Hall for a "word that should be in the dictionary, but isn't." A few examples:
doork, a person who pushes on a door marked "pull"
lotshock, the act of parking your car, walking away, and then watching it roll past you
pupkus, the moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it - "[T]he success of a new word would depend on lexical epidemiology--the way a neologism spreads from its coiner to a new speaker, who then may infect others, and so on. Eventually the neologism either dies out or becomes endemic."
(Steven Pinker, The Stuff of Thought, Viking, 2007) - daffynition: a pun coined by reinterpreting an existing word. Making up daffynitions is a game on the BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. Examples:
antelope, to run off with your mother’s sister
testicle, an exploratory tickle
scandal, footwear you should be ashamed of
boomerang, what you say to frighten a meringue
pasteurize, too far to see
Pronunciation: nee-OL-i-jiz-em
Also Known As: coinage, word manufacture
