“Shakespeare liked to coin new words, too.” Sarah Palin’s tweet after tweeting to her Twitterati followers the non-word “refudiate.”
Sarah Palin isn’t the only person with new words on her lips or tweets. When Beth Vogt coined 'mommy-come-lately' for a late-in-life mom, I thought, how creative. If you want to keep up with creative use of words, a Chicago ad agency Cramer-Krasselt has created The Cultural Dictionary.
This is what a publisher wants from writers before they offer a contract to publish our books—TRIBALIZED FANDOM: Declared Devotion to Entertainment Icons
MANUFACTROVERSY: (n.) A “manufactured controversy” based on false or misleading allegations, which subsequently dominates news cycles and takes on a quality of “truth” as growing numbers of people believe it.
CYBERSECUTION: (n.) A campaign of mocking or attacking a targeted group, usually religious, through hacking their social media profiles and groups. (e.g., 4chan hacked Christian groups’ social media, dating sites and email in August 20
PREHAB: (n.) An increasing phenomenon among celebrities of claiming to enter rehab for “preventive” purposes rather than actual problems.
CROWD-MOURNING: (n.) Collective mourning across social media that marks the death of a celebrity, especially seen in cases of Michael Jackson and Billy Mays.
STUFFALANCHE: (n.) The overwhelming experience of accumulating too much stuff.
CAREGASM: (n.) Pretending to care and share the same heightened enthusiasm when in a conversation with someone who is passionate about a cause or belief that you don’t really care about.
SAR-CHASM: (n.) The awkward divide between one who is sarcastic and another who lacks in understanding.
SINDIFFERENCE: Shrugging Off Scandals. Despite the new era of responsibility, bad behavior and scandals continue. After seeing so many long-respected people, organizations and companies caught red-handed, people are no longer surprised when they hear about bad behavior. But what is new is how we are dealing with bad behavior. We expect those who have acted badly to step up and admit to their actions. While at the same time, the thirst to know more about the lurid details of the offender exists, and the mainstream media does its best to deliver. And while bad behavior is broadcast, it isn’t celebrated; it is scrutinized and held up as a path not to take.
VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE: Growing Dependence on Digital Living. As people continue to invest more personal time in online activities and as new location-based social media innovations are introduced, it’s clear that the line between our physical and virtual worlds is quickly fading. Digital features are increasingly becoming embedded in our everyday lives, advancing our ability to communicate and connect. The world around us is a growing digital playground with the promise of new realities and opportunities. In the coming year, geosocial innovations will move beyond mere games and add meaningful value to our lives.
BLAME-SHARING: Wall Street, Main Street, My Street. Echoing Americans’ frustration with political leaders, the U.S. economic leaders in both the public and private sector have come under scrutiny and blame for the nation’s ills. And while anger still exists, some of us are asking, “Did we contribute to this?” and now are looking inside ourselves to find causes and solutions for our ailing economy. Rather than simply point fingers, moving forward, Americans are seeking innovative ways to get the most out of their money and their lives.
What descriptive words have you made up in your writing?
