Arlene Miller's Blog, page 14
March 23, 2023
What Rhymes with “Silver”? Some Word Trivia
Image by Okan AKGÜL from PixabayDID YOU KNOW?No words in English rhyme with month, orange, silver, or purple.
Bookkeeper is the only word in the English language that has three consecutive double letters.
The word strengths is the longest English word with only one vowel.
Skiing is the only common noun with a double i. (Hawaii is a proper noun).
Rhythms is the longest English language word with no vowels (unless you count y as a vowel.)
Queuing is the only word in the language that has five consecutive vowels.
None of the words from one to nine hundred and ninety-nine have an a in them.
Polish is the only word in the English language that changes from a common noun or verb to a nationality when the P is capitailzed.
Uncopyrightable is the only English word with 15 letters where no letter is repeated.
The dot over the letter i is called a tittle.
The only number that has the same number of letters as the value it represents is four.
You can type the word typewriter just using the top row of the QUERTY keyboard.
Faced and decaf both use the first six letters of the alphabet without repeating any letters.
Often the last entry in the dictionary, zyzzyva is a type of weevil.
The only common language that has no governing association to make and change grammar rules is . . . English.
March 16, 2023
English Is My Second Language
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At the ripe old age of four months, I arrived in New York with my parents. We were refugees from Germany, where I was born. We moved into a building on
Image by Dmitriy Gutarev from PixabayManhattan’s Lower East Side. The main language of the streets was Yiddish, which my parents, Holocaust survivors from Poland, spoke as the main language of the house, and which they taught me. Polish was reserved for secrets.
My parents started learning English right after arrival. My father, a risk taker as a language learner, would go up to people and try out his English, not caring if he made mistakes. My mother, much more cautious, did not attempt to speak any English until she’d taken more than a year of night school classes. Neither attempted to teach me this new language. Then, when I was four, we moved to the Bronx. There I made my first conscious distinction between people—some were Yiddish speakers, some English speakers. I was in the first group, but I wanted to be in the second.
My opportunity came when I went to kindergarten. I wish I could remember anything about the learning process, but I can’t. I started kindergarten as a Yiddish speaker and ended it as an English speaker. From then on, I refused to speak Yiddish—the language my parents always spoke to me. I must have made a very strong point because they never taught my brother, born in the Bronx, Yiddish.
I loved school. I loved my first-grade class and my first-grade teacher. I was a successful student and all was good and harmonious until…. I don’t remember what prompted my teacher to ask me about something I did. Instead of answering, I responded with, “Let’s forget about it.” Back then, this was a shockingly rude thing for a previously good student to say to her beloved teacher. Beloved teacher demonstrated her shock by demanding that I stay for after-school detention.
Horror! Doom! I saw my life going down the tubes. Unpleasantly surprised that I did not come home at the usual time, my mother walked the five blocks to my school with my little brother in his stroller—a hassle for her. I was sure that Mom would join my teacher in punishing me. My mother always sided with adults and often found her own reasons for being less than pleased with whatever I did.
But then came my turn to be shocked. When my teacher explained why I was in detention, my mother shook her head. She said I had just recently learned to speak English and obviously didn’t know the import of my words. My mother stood up for me to another adult—and such an important one! When my teacher heard this very plausible explanation, the world tilted back into balance. With a smile, she dismissed me from detention. Relieved, but mostly surprised at what my mother had said and done, I practically skipped home.
The truth was, I really did know what I was saying.
That was the only time English being my second language came up as a problem…until college. Unless exempted, freshmen were required to take a speech class. In the queue to try for a much-desired exemption, I heard that both girls ahead of me succeeded. Since they had thick New Jersey accents, I figured getting the exemption would be a piece of cake. With great confidence, I read my paragraph. The speech teacher looked at me with a slight frown. She then asked, “Where were you born?”
When I answered, she nodded and signed me up for the speech class.
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Announcement and News:Here is a video of an interview I did with Robert Brandwayn, The Language Coach from Colombia
If you are anywhere near Venice Florida, come down to the Venice Book Festival on Saturday, March 25! I will be there selling my books.
I am always seeking guest posts, so if you have something relevant (to this blog, which is a pretty wide area) to say, please submit your ideas or your posts!
Upcoming Posts:
Grammar Trivia The Origin of Some Common Idioms
March 9, 2023
Does Everyone Have a Home Office Now? Five Tips on How to Upgrade Yours
Image by lumbridgecity from PixabayIt seems as if everyone has a home office these days — even those people who don’t “work” at home. Of course, especially since the pandemic, many of us do work remotely or have a home business. But even for those who don’t technically work at home, the home office seems to be a necessity. And if you think about it, it makes sense. Almost everyone has some kind of computer, either a desktop, or more likely a laptop or notebook. Where are you going to put it if not in an office? And since much business is conducted by email, almost everyone has a printer. We need to print out our tax statements and other such things, as few people seem to send things by snail mail anymore. And we need a place to store paperwork (even though we like to think we are paperless). We need a quiet place to surf the internet, play Wordle, shop online. Yes, the home office is definitely important.
But this was not always the case. I watch House Hunters, and everyone seems to want an extra bedroom, or even two, for home offices. After all, two partners cannot share the same office! But long before the era of House Hunters, I watched sitcoms — a long time ago. I remember that the dads in these sitcoms always had a “study.” It was a mysterious place where the kids — and even the wife — were not welcome. It had a big wooden desk. It was usually dark. It was a place for the man of the house to read the newspaper or perhaps have a puff on the pipe or a drink. How we have evolved!
When I lived in California, I had a “home office,” since I was writing books — maybe even before I was writing books. It was at the end of my living room. I had two empty bedrooms upstairs after the kids left, but I never moved my office up there I was comfortable at the front of the house, my office sharing the space with a piano and a living room. Actually, come to think of it, my office had a chandelier because it was supposed to be the dining area.
I am now in Florida, and things have not changed much. I have only two bedrooms, so one of them must be a office. However, I also need a guest room, so now my office has a daybed and a piano (well, a keyboard). I “need” a third bedroom, so I have been thinking of enclosing my screened in-lanai and making it my office. Then I can probably build out a new screened- in lanai. When I pull out the daybed for guests and put the keyboard in the garage, it is still very crowded in there.
If you have a home office and would like to make it more welcoming and make yourself more productive, her are some ideas from Amber Ramsey…*************************************************************************
Amber is a career woman. She’s fierce, confident, and has the “can do” attitude we all strive for. Like most of us, she started out in the corporate world, but she found that her fire, spirit, and creativity were better suited to the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Amber has been on both sides of the desk, as an employee and the boss, so she has plenty of career advice to share.
5 Tips on How to Upgrade Your Home Workspace on a Budget
With the growing popularity of remote work, it’s more crucial than ever to set up a dedicated workspace in the comfort of your home. Or, you might already work from home as a writer or are planning to open a home business. In that case, the following five tips presented will help you upgrade your at-home workstation to meet your needs on a budget.
Add Mood-Affirming Colors to Your WorkstationRepainting a room is a low-cost method that can make a significant impact. Before diving in, however, consider the emotional impact of the colors you choose. Brighter, more saturated colors are associated with more robust emotional responses. For instance, the color blue has a calming and friendly effect. The color green is associated with hope and growth. Using neutral colors might help you feel relaxed, but dazzling white can increase your anxiety.
Add Some Greenery to the RoomAdding some greenery to your writing workstation is a simple way to boost morale and productivity. In addition to enlivening a space with color and vibrancy, plants may be helpful in many other ways. For example, ciphr.com explains that plants around the office have been shown to provide several health benefits, including reduced stress, higher efficiency, and enhanced focus. Plants are also quite affordable, both to purchase and maintain.
Improve Your Workspace ComfortSitting on a low-quality chair can cause discomfort or back pain, thus reducing productivity. Instead, try to get a high-quality office chair that can be adjusted to your ideal height and offers lumbar support. Most shops have excellent options if you are on a tight budget. You can get a basic and affordable chair with an ergonomic design without sacrificing elegance for comfort and support.
If you’re on a budget, look into business acquisitions whose sale has made offices – and their furnishings – unnecessary. Sometimes the company will sell or even give away the items in their physical office space that are no longer needed. It can be a great way to get quality furniture for a fraction of the price.
Invest in Equipment That Increases EfficiencyUsing a laptop for work might be inconvenient due to the limited space for typing and the inefficiency of the trackpad. However, increasing your productivity doesn’t require a brand-new, high-priced computer. Instead, look for a mouse and keyboard compatible with your laptop to transform it into a desktop computer.
If you’re experiencing slow internet speeds, CNET points out that upgrading your wireless router should help. While most internet service providers (ISPs) will hand you a modem and router, they may not provide the best speeds. Instead of paying a monthly charge to have one provided by your ISP, you may save money in the long run by purchasing your own router.
Keep Your Workspace Climate ControlledA well-maintained climate control system is the key to a healthy, pleasant, and cost-effective indoor environment and workspace. For example, suppose your HVAC system is noisy or not maintaining the desired temperature. In that case, it may be caused by the system’s age, faulty ductwork, or malfunctioning heat sensors. First, prevent further system damage by having it serviced as soon as possible. Then, use review sites to find a reliable company to fix it for you.
How to Pay for Your Workspace Upgrade
When it comes to running a business, there are a lot of expenses that can add up quickly. From overhead costs like rent and utilities to the price of inventory and marketing materials, it’s important to keep a close eye on your bottom line. But what about the costs associated with your home office? Can you count those as business expenses?
The answer is yes! In fact, the IRS allows small business owners like freelance writers to deduct a variety of home office expenses, including the cost of furniture, equipment, and even renovations. So if you’re planning a home office upgrade, be sure to keep track of your receipts and include those costs in your business expense budget. And remember, when it comes to deducting business expenses, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. If you’re unsure whether or not an expense qualifies, it’s best to consult with a tax professional.
Of course, there are other avenues you can explore as well. For example, a cash-out refinance is a type of mortgage loan that allows you to access the equity in your home and use it for other purposes. The funds from the refinance can be used to cover the cost of new furniture, renovations, or any other expenses related to setting up your new workspace. Cash-out refinances typically have lower interest rates than personal loans or credit cards, so they can be a more cost-effective way to finance your home upgrade.
Furthermore, the tax deduction on mortgage interest can help offset the cost of the refinance. If you’re thinking about taking out a cash-out refinance to pay for a home workspace upgrade, be sure to compare offers from multiple lenders to find the best rate and terms for your needs.
Upgraded Workspaces Can Enhance Productivity
Having a comfortable and beautiful climate-controlled office is just one of many ways you can boost your productivity as a writer working from home. Take steps to make your workspace a calm, productive place to spend your day. Then, do some research to help you determine how to cover the costs. You’ll soon have a great area to call your own.
Image by lumbridgecity from Pixabay
March 2, 2023
“Can’t Get No Satisfaction”: Bad Grammar in Music
Image by Albrecht Fietz from PixabayYou might have noticed the “bad” grammar in some song lyrics. Should we let it slide for the sake of art? Would the Rolling Stones song, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” suffer if the title and lyrics were “I Can’t Get Any Satisfaction”? If you say yes, it might just be that you are so used to hearing it with the double negative, that it sounds funny any other way.
My personal opinion is that sometimes the song just sounds better with the incorrect grammar. In the case of the song above, I can imagine it with any instead of no, and it sounds okay if you put any to the right notes. But even being the rather conservative grammarian that I am, I am inclined to let incorrect grammar remain in song lyrics. As I have said before, I used to write song lyrics. I don’t recall, but I may have put some incorrect grammar in — but probably not!
That said, I think most of these “grammar mistakes” are intentional because somehow they sound better.
“I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” is one of the more well-known songs with bad grammar. But there are others:
“Lay Lady Lay” – In this Bob Dylan song we have both grammar and a punctuation issues. It should be Lie Lady Lie, but that sounds odd, and the lie could be mistaken for the other meaning of lie. I looked on the Dylan website and other online places, and it does seem as if the commas are there most of the time. It is Lay, Lady, Lay.
“I Got You (I Feel Good) “- Websites I found on the topic of grammar mistakes in lyrics said that this James Brown song should be I Feel Well. I disagree. Actually both good and well are correct. Good is actually grammatically correct: with a sensing verb such as feel (as it is being used here). we use an adjective (good), not an adverb (well). However, well is acceptable to describe a state of health, so either is fine. But I Feel Well — can you imagine James Brown singing those words?
“Hungry Eyes” – Lyrics in this Eric Carmen song include “I feel the love between you and I.” I think this one is a real error. And you and me would sound just as good, if if not better.
“Rich Girl” – Gwen Stefani goofs on this one with “If I Was a Rich Girl.” If is generally followed by the subjunctive mood (because it isn’t true). Fiddler on the Roof got it right with “If I Were a Rich Man.” Beyonce also got it right with “If I Were a Boy.”
“Everytime You Go Away “- Paul Young uses everytime, which isn’t a word at all. It should be every time. Although sometime and some time are both words, and anytime and any time are both words, there is no everytime. But sometime and some time are different: Come see me sometime Do you have some time to spare? Same with anytime and any time: I am available anytime today. Do you have any time to do that?
“Ghostbusters” – Who You Gonna Call, asks Ray Parker, Jr. Do you think it would sound better as Whom You Gonna Call? I don’t think so.
“What’s Love Got to Do with It? “- Tina Turner has made the common error of saying got instead of have. (May not be her fault. I don’t know who wrote that one.) What’s love have to do with it? I don’t know. I could go either way on this one.
“Hound Dog” – It really bothers me every time I hear Elvis say “When they said you was high class.” If she was high class, I hope she would say were!
“Bad Romance “- Lady Gaga probably knows better than to say, “You and me could write a bad romance.” But then, how many people do you know who talk like that? Lots. Of course, it should be you and I.
“Somebody That I Used to Know” – Gotye uses that instead of who according to some websites. So they are wrong too because it should be whom. Actually that is better than who (which s wrong). It is okay to use that to refer to a person. Of course you could just leave out that entirely (someone I used to know), but that might ruin the rhythm!
“The Way I Are” – I don’t know who Timberland is. Never heard of him, but whoever wrote this song must have done this intentionally!
“Two Less Lonely People ” – Well, in this song by Air Supply, the internet says that it should be fewer rather than less. Fewer would sound a little off. AND, maybe the lyrics really mean less: less lonely (than they used to be) rather than fewer lonely people. It’s a possibility!
“Bad” TitlesTons of songs have incorrect grammar in their titles, many of them using ain’t. (Oh, I guess ain’t is in dictionary, but still…. and the double negatives!!!)
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross (Isn’t Any Mountain High Enough???)
“Ain’t No Sunshine” – Bill Withers (Isn’t Any Sunshine???)
“Ain’t That a Shame “- Fats Domino (Isn’t That a Shame???)
“Brown Eyed Girl” – Van Morrison (Brown-eyed Girl???)
“Don’t Ask Me No Questions” – Lynyrd Skynrd (Don’t Ask Me Any Questions???)
“Lay Down Sally” – Eric Clapton (Lie Down, Sally – sometimes the lyrics are written with the comma, which is correct)
“Me and My Shadow” – Ted Lewis (Oh, come on: My Shadow and I??? Or even My Shadow and Me if used as an object???)
“That Don’t Impress Me Much” – Shania Twain (That Doesn’t Impress Me Much???)
“Where You At “- Jennifer Hudson (Where Are You???? Artistic license, definitely in this case.)
…and many, many more.
February 23, 2023
Remember When: Hits of the 1960s
Image by stuart hampton from PixabayGrammar is one of my passions, but music has also been one of my long-time passions. I believe I mentioned in last week’s post that I began listening to music seriously in around 1960. The music of the late ’50s and most of the ’60s has remained my favorite music. And maybe because I like to dance — or perhaps because at this point most of the music I listen to is while I am driving — I prefer fast music with a good melody and a driving beat.
About a month ago Sirius XM Channel 73, music of the 1960s, played the top 1000 songs of the ’60s. The songs were voted on by listeners; it wasn’t an official top hits list or sales list by Billboard or any other such source. I didn’t vote because I didn’t know about it. Obviously, I couldn’t listen to the whole thing because it went on for about three days straight. I did hear about half of it, and I did hear the top 50 or so, anxiously awaiting the top 10, which surprised me.
If you happen to like music of that era, you will know these songs. I went through the Billboard Hot 100 of each year from 1960 through 1969, marking down my favorites. I was trying to get my Top 10; it was too difficult, so I have a Top 20. It consists of songs I love to listen to when I drive and songs that I think are just good!(The official Sirius XM results are at the end of this post.)
The Grammar Diva’s Top 20 songs of the ’60s:20. Happy-Go-Lucky Me – Paul Evans (loved it as a kid – I remember dancing to it pretending I was a “beatnik”) (1960)
19. It’s Over – Roy Orbison (1964)
18. Love Potion #9 – The Tokens (1965)
17. Get Ready Here I Come – The Tempations (1966)
16. Baby Love – The Supremes (1964)
15. Deep Purple – Nino Tempo and April Stevens (1963)
14. Bristol Stomp – The Dovells (because I won a dance contest at a temple dance doing this one) (1961)
13. Think of the Good Times – Jay and the Americans (actually, these are my guys; loved them since I was a preteen; so actually my top 20 are all their songs, but I tried to restrain myself, and this is my favorite, even though I know it isn’t their favorite) (1965)
12. Grazing in the Grass – The Friends of Distinction (and also Hugh Masekela) (1969)
11.Crazy – Patsy Cline (1961)
10. I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles (1964)
9. Let Me In – The Sensations (1962)
8. How Do You Do It – Gerry and the Pacemakers (1964)
7. Norman – Sue Thompson (1962)
6. Easier Said Than Done – The Essex (1963)
5. Breakin’ Up Is Hard to Do – Neil Sedaka (1962)
4. Take Five – Dave Brubeck (1961)
3. Higher and Higher – Jackie Wilson (1967)
2. Runaway – Del Shannon (1961)
1 Take Good Care of My Baby – Bobby Vee (1961)
Other Favorites from the 60s: Good ones that didn’t quite make my personal top 20.The Twist – Chubby Checker
Crying – Roy Orbinson
Who Put the Bomp – Barry Mann (actually a great songwriter)
His Latest Flame – Elvis
Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
Midnight in Moscow – Kenny Ball
The Wah – Watusi – The Orlons
I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) Barbara George
Love Me Warm and Tender – Paul Anka
If I Had a Hammer – Peter, Paul and Mary (and Trini Lopez?)
I Will Follow Him – Little Peggy March
She Loves You – The Beatles
Do Wah Diddy – Manfred Mann
Suspicion – Terry Stafford
Little Old Lady from Pasadena – Jan and Dean
You Really Got Me – The Kinks
Bad to Me – Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas
Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
You’ve Lost That Lovin- Feeling – Righteous Brothers
My Girl – The Temptations
Cast Your Fate to the Wind – Sounds Orchestral
All Day and All of the Night – The Kinks
Laugh, Laugh – Beau Brummels
96 Tears – ? and the Mysterians
Red Rubber Ball – The Crykle
Elusive Butterfly – Bob Lind
I Fought the Law – Bobby Fuller Four
Zorba the Greek – Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
Respect – Aretha Franklin
Sweet Soul Music – Arthur Conley
Brown-Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
Tighten Up -Archie Bell and the Drells
Classical Gas – Mason Williams
Solitary Man – Neil Diamond
Lay Lady Lay – Dylan
Time Is Tight – Booker T and the MGs
Twenty-Five Miles – Edwin Starr
The Worst That Could Happen – The Brooklyn Bridge
Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town – Kenny Rogers
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ – Crazy Elephant
The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens
I’m Into Something Good – Herman’s Hermits
And there are many more.
1960 – Theme from a Summer Place – Percy Faith
1961 – Tossin’ and Turnin’ – Bobby Lewis
1963 – Surfin’ USA – The Beach Boys
1964 – I Want to Hold Your Hand – The Beatles
1965 – Wooly Bully – Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
1966 – California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and the Papas
1967 – To Sir with Love – Lulu
1968 – Hey Jude – The Beatles
1969 – Sugar Sugar – The Archies (I kid you not)
So as I awaited the Sirius XM top 10, I expected to hear certain songs. I knew some didn’t make it because I had already heard them. I thought for sure that either Hey Jude, Satisfaction, or Light My Fire would be #1. I thought there would be Beatles, Stones, Elvis. Well, agree or not, here is what the listeners said:
Top 10 Songs of the 1960s: (according to the listeners of Sirius XM channel 73)10. Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
9. Sounds of Sience – Simon and Garfunkle
8. Kathy’s Clown – Everly Brothers
7. California Girls – The Beach Boys
6. Downtown – Petula Clark
5. Dock of the Bay – Otis redding
4. Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
3. Theme from a Summer Place – Percy Faith
2. Runaway – Del Shannon
1. Only the Lonely – Roy Orbison (Surprised? I was.)
And there you have it. I you aren’t familiar with 60s music, give a listen!
Next week – something a little more grammar-ish??
February 17, 2023
To Valentine’s Week, With Love
Image by Stefan Schweihofer from PixabayDo you know any songs that are about cleaning out the garage? How about doing taxes? Driving in traffic? Cooking dinner?
Probably not. Most songs are about — well, you know — love.
So this post is about one of my other loves (besides grammar and my kids) — music. I like all genres of music, particularly any song with a good melody and a good beat — maybe because I was a dancer. I am most fond of the music of the late 1950s and early-to-mid 1960s. That is when I started listening to the radio, even before my preteen years. I had a transistor radio that I received for my ninth birthday. It was next to my ear almost constantly — that is, when I wasn’t playing 45s or albums. I can remember exactly what my beige Motorola transistor radio looked like. I even looked on eBay to see if I could get one now. I found one on another site, but it wasn’t for sale.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do a post about love songs. First, I wanted to see the differences in love songs from the 1960s and the 2000s. I would have guessed that more of the older songs would have the word love in the title.
I decided to compare the Billboard Hot 100 songs of 1960 with those of 2020. I was surprised to find out that six songs from the Top 100 from 1960 had love in the title, compared to five songs in 2020. Pretty close.
1960: Puppy Love, Cradle of Love, Love You So, I Love the Way You Love Me, Tell Laura I Love Her, When Will I Be Loved.
2020: Someone You Loved, Lose You to Love Me, Savage Love, ILY (I Love You Baby), Lovin’ On You.
I then wanted to see how many of the top songs had girls’ names in them:
1960: Cathy, Laura, Tracy, Sandy
2020: Only Roxanne
I then looked at the titles of songs from those two years to see how they had changed. Here is a selection from each year:
1960: Teen Angel, Sweet Nothin’s, Puppy Love, Pretty Blue Eyes, Mama, Stairway to Heaven, Heartaches by the Number, You Talk too Much
2020: WAP (ask your kids if you don’t know what this means), Ballin’, Good as Hell, Woah, Death Bed, We Paid, Godzilla, Hot, Emotionally Scarred, Suicidal, Juicy, Pussy Fairy
Yup, some differences there!
More LOVE music trivia:
Billboard’s Top five love songs with love in the title — of all time:
5. Silly Love Songs by Wings – 1976
4. We Found Love by Rhianna – 2011
3. How Deep Is Your Love by the Bee Gees – 1977
2. I’ll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men – 1994
1. Endless Love by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie – 1981
However, according to many sources, the top love song of all time is I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston, 1992
February 8, 2023
And The Winner Is . . . (Part 2)
Image by Prawny from PixabayLast week’s post included some of the Words of the Year (2022) determined by the American Dialect Society (actually voted on by their public). In this post, we conclude the categories of Words of 2022.
INFORMAL WORD OF THE YEAR
it’s giving (X): description of something exuding a particular vibe or energy (for example, “it’s giving rockstar”)
dickriding: currying favor or sucking up to someone
(the) ick: feeling of disgust about one’s date
menty b: mental breakdown
rizz: effortless attractiveness or style (short for “charisma”)
And the winner is . . . “it’s giving”
MOST CREATIVE WORD OF THE YEAR
-ussy: suffix from “pussy” (as in “bussy” = “boy pussy,” now humorously attached to many
words) – I still don’t really get this one.
blorbo : a person’s beloved fictional character from television or other media
-dle: suffix for Wordle-like games (Heardle, Absurdle, Foodle, Worldle, Redactle, etc.)
moid/foid: derogatory terms for men and women in incel culture
short king: positive or affectionate term for a man of modest stature
And the winner is . . . “-ussy” of course
EUPHEMISM OF THE YEAR
special military operation: Russian designation for invasion of Ukraine
camping: access to abortion, as used in informal networks circumventing state anti-abortion
laws
diverse-owned: said of a business owned by members of historically underrepresented groups
leg booty: algospeak substitution for LGBT (algospeak are words created to avoid being censored by social media filters)
pronouns: trans/nonbinary gender identities, as used in transphobic rhetoric to mock
pronoun choice
résumé embellishment: lying about one’s accomplishments (George Santos, for example??)
And the winner is . . .”special military operation”
*SNOWCLONE/PHRASAL TEMPLATE OF THE YEAR
not X: ironic framing device expressing an attitude of mock horror or incredulity
if I text you X, it means Y: explaining how to interpret an emoji or series of emojis
#IStandWithX: expression of solidarity
it’s the X for me: singling out a notable or funny aspect of something, or finding fault with
someone
she’s/he’s a 10, but X: pointing out a negative or quirky quality of someone
X hits different: describing an experience that is affecting in a meaningful way
And the winner is . . . “not x”
Snowclones are phrases where the principal words are changed while the structure of the phrase remains the same. These phrases are most often documented by replacing the variable words with letters (such as “X” and “Y”). So I guess you put a word or phrase in for the X. Sort of like algebra?
EMOJI OF THE YEAR
skull: expressing figurative death (from laughter, frustration, etc.)
melting face: expressing embarrassment or dread
saluting face: sign of respect or solidarity
dotted line face: feeling of invisibility
red flag: signaling danger or problems
colored boxes: for Wordle results
And the winner is . . . the skull
Next week: A little something for Valentines DayFebruary 3, 2023
And The Winner Is . . . (Part 1)
Image by Mohamed Hassan from PixabayIf you read last week’s blog post, you know that The American Dialect Society’s (ADS) Word of 2022 is the suffix -ussy. However, the ADS has an entire ceremony with multiple categories for words of the year — kind of like the Academy Awards of words. Although -ussy is a little difficult to catch on to, some of the other words are a bit clearer. I have attended the ceremony on Zoom a couple of times in the past, and I had heard of most of the words. In 2021, of course, many of the words concerned the pandemic. This year, I did not attend, and some of the words are a little less familiar to me — most of the people deciding the winners are young. I guess I could compare it to not knowing many of the nominees at other award ceremonies either!
Note that words can be nominated in more than one category.
Other nominated words for Word of the Year (-ussy being the winner)Dark Brandon: sinister, powerful alter ego of Joe Biden (play on “Let’s Go Brandon”)
quiet quitting: doing no more than the minimum required for a job
rizz: effortless attractiveness or style (short for “charisma”)
Slava Ukraini: “Glory to Ukraine!” (said in solidarity with Ukrainian resistance)
special military operation: Russian designation for invasion of Ukraine
quiet quitting: doing no more than the minimum required for a job
climate criminal: celebrity who flies excessively via private jet
longtermism: ethical position that prioritizes improving the long-term future
nepo baby: celebrity who is the child of a celebrity
rizz: effortless attractiveness or style (short for “charisma”)
The winner? quiet quitting
Political Word of the YearDark Brandon: sinister, powerful alter ego of Joe Biden (play on “Let’s Go Brandon”)
Dobbs: Supreme Court decision reversing abortion rights (as in “post-Dobbs”)
pink trickle/splash: result of Republican “red wave” in midterms not materializing
Slava Ukraini: “Glory to Ukraine!” (said in solidarity with Ukrainian resistance)
Woman, Life, Freedom: rallying cry for women’s rights in Iran and elsewhere
The winner? Dark Brandon
Digital Word of the Year-dle: suffix for Wordle-like games (Heardle, Absurdle, Foodle, Worldle, Redactle, etc.)
BFFR: initialism for “be fucking for real”
American Dialect Society 2022 Word of the Year Vote
American Dialect Society: Words of the Year
chief twit: self-designation of Elon Musk after acquiring Twitter
chronically online: spending so much time online that it warps one’s sense of reality
crypto rug pull: scam in which a fraudulent development team pumps a cryptocurrency
token before disappearing with the funds, leaving investors with a valueless asset
touch grass: go outside (antidote to spending too much time online)
-verse: online world, as in Metaverse (Facebook’s VR platform) or Fediverse (federated
servers on Mastodon)
The winner? Another suffix: -dle
Stay tuned for Part 2…
January 27, 2023
Words of the Year: 2022
Image by Наталия Когут from PixabayEvery year, various dictionaries like to come up with a Word of the Year. Sometimes the dictionaries agree; sometimes they don’t. In 2022 dictionaries all went their own ways — as did the American Dialect Society, which does its own words (many of them in various categories) of the year at a special ceremony, which I have attended and participated in on Zoom, but not this year.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) left it up to the public to decide its word of the year for the first time. (The American Dialect Society always lets the public decide, but more about them next week.) Over 340,000 people participated. The winner? goblin mode, which received 93% of the votes. And I never even heard of it. The OED defines it as “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”
Apparently, goblin mode was first coined in 2009 on Twitter, but went viral in 2022. The term appealed to those who rejected the idea of returning to “normal life” and leaving their homes after the pandemic. It also can refer to rebelling against the “increasingly unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media.”
Merriam-WebsterThe Merriam-Webster Dictionary chose gaslighting as its word of the year. The word comes from a 1938 play, Gas Light, in which a man tries to make his wife believe she’s going mad. Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true. Dictionary.comDictionary.com named woman as its word of the year, after a 1,400% spike in searches over 2022.
The word was frequently searched as people explored what it meant amid debates over transgender rights.
While Dictionary.com defines the word as “an adult female person,,” it also emphasizes that “the word belongs to each and every woman – however they define themselves.”
Collins DictionaryCollins Dictionary (does anyone have one of these?) named permacrisis as its word of the year. It describes permacrisis as “an extended period of instability and insecurity.”
The world has certainly faced a variety of crises this year, from the war in Ukraine to the cost-of-living crisis.
This dictionary says the term “perfectly embodies the dizzying sense of lurching from one unprecedented event to another, as we wonder bleakly what new horrors might be around the corner.”
American Dialect Society (ADS)The American Dialect Society voters have selected the suffix -ussy as the all-around word of the year. I have never heard of it. My daughter has never heard of it. I guess you have to be of the TikTok generation. I have looked up the suffix in various websites, and I still cannot figure out what it means or how to use it.
“The selection of the suffix -ussy highlights how creativity in new word formation has been embraced online in venues like TikTok,” Ben Zimmer, chair of the ADS New Words Committee and language columnist for the Wall Street Journal, said. “The playful suffix builds off the word pussy to generate new slang terms. The process has been so productive lately on social media sites and elsewhere that it has been dubbed -ussification.”
In a Vulture article by Bethy Squires, she says, “Riffing off ‘bussy’ (a portmanteau of ‘boy’ and ‘pussy’), now everything is a cat or a cavity. A calzone is a pizzussy. A wine bottle has a winussy.”
You figure it out!
January 20, 2023
Memories of Nonfiction 2022
Image by Mystic Art Design from PixabayLast week I ran down the many novels I read in 2022. I read mainly fiction, but there were some nonfiction books I read and enjoyed. I tend to read mostly political books when I read nonfiction. And I also read some memoirs of not-famous people. I am sure I would enjoy them, but I rarely read memoirs of the famous, like Mick Jagger or Elton John (although I may have read Elton John’s bio). I don’t read history nonfiction; it is not a subject I enjoy. Perhaps some science and psychology.
Here are the nonfiction books I read in 2022:
Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg – I would recommend this one, which is about the long friendship, sometimes long distance, between journalist Nina Totenberg and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.Random by Penn Jillette – Written by half of Penn and Teller, this book was really unique and interesting. I would recommend it. Infant Guide for new Mothers by Martha Foster – Well, I read this one in preparation for being a grandmother!They Want to Kill Americans by Malcolm Nance – All his books are great, especially recommended for those leaning left. Nance has been around the political/military world for decades.Crying in H Mart by Zauner – I gave this memoir only three stars. A pretty well-known book , but I have read better.Camel from Kyzylkum by Lara Geyla – This book was written by a friend of mine. It is a great memoir about the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of immigrating from the Soviet Union in the late twentieth century. Recommended.Democrats 101 by James Purvis – Nice and small. Interesting piece.Midnight in Washington by Adam Schiff – You will enjoy if you are a fan of Schiff.Untamed by Glennon Doyle – I actually read this book in 2023. It is the memoir of author Glennon Doyle and is a powerful book for women.Here is a list of recommended nonfiction books I have read and liked in the past couple of years:
Virus: Vaccination, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America’s Response to the Pandemic. The Reckoning by Mary Trump. I have read both her books. The Violence Inside Us: A Brief History of an Ongoing American Tragedy – The story of guns in America.Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build New Habits and Brea Old OnesDivergent Mind:Thriving in a World The Wasn’t Designed for You – I enjoyed reading this one because I have a divergent mind (synesthesia). Other types of divergent minds include autism and super sensitivity.The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial Transcendence and Transformation – I saw this author speak and wanted to read the book, which I liked.Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson – This one is a MUST READ.My Vanishing County by Bakari Sellers – A memoir of Mr. Sellers.Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell – And all his other books too!What are you reading? What are your favorite books? What is your favorite book? What was your favorite book as a child? Has any book changed your life?I would love the answers to some or all of these questions for future blog posts. Please send me your thoughts on this in an email please (not a comment: but if you send it as a comment, I will save it but not print the comment) to bigwords101@yahoo.com or info@bigwords101.com.Thank you!
