Today the news has been full of people celebrating the memory of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. In this time of violence and intolerance his message of peace and acceptance rings perhaps more true than ever before.
Another man who is no longer with us but for whom I had a great deal of respect was Virginia's grandfather, Wilbur Dillman. I won't go into all the reasons I respected him while he was still with us, but I do want to mention his love for language. He was a master of using language and the development of words to make points and just to have fun with his grand kids (and their spouses), and I believe he'd have enjoyed the following list that a friend sent me. Hope you enjoy it as well!!
The Washington Post once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:
1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
9 Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
10 Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
11. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
12. Glibido: All talk and no action.
13. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
14. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
15. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
16. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
I found some others on-line (some of which were a bit too off-color for this blog). Here's one by a guy named Jeff Hest: Meanderthals—A group of people meandering obliviously in your path who are impossible to get by without walking in the street.
Any funny ones come to your mind?
No comments:
Post a Comment