aporkalypse
n.—Gloss: A joking name for the swine flu pandemic. «As a responsible newspaper in serious times—when the world is threatened by climate change, economic collapse and what we are steadfastly refusing to describe as a “hamdemic” or an “aporkalypse”—Metro is very careful to give a balanced view of the major issues of our time.» —“Cats: a clarification” Metro.co.uk (United Kingdom) April 27, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Malamute, kayak, and parka are just some of the words that have found their way into English from the language of indigenous people in northern climes. • In the 1970s, some scientists argued that two quarks should be called truth and beauty. • The...
Rebecca in Austin, Texas, wonders why the terms cold sore and fever blister describe pretty much the same thing. Also, why do we say we have a cold, but we have the flu? The word flu comes from the Italian word for influence, influenza, and is a...