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One thing that bugs me to no end is how people attach -holic to everything to say they really like something. Chocoholic and workaholic are prime examples.
These "words" really get under my skin!! When people say "Joe is a real workaholic" I instantly think to myself, "Oh, Joe must be addicted to a substance called workahol." There is no such thing as workahol or chocohol.
When people use these words it just makes me want to scream!! Am I alone in my hatred of this use of language? It's enough to drive me to become an alcoholic!
Darrell said:
These “words†really get under my skin!! When people say “Joe is a real workaholic†I instantly think to myself, “Oh, Joe must be addicted to a substance called workahol.†There is no such thing as workahol or chocohol.
That reminds me of something Homer once said on an episode of The Simpsons:
"It's true I'm a rageaholic. I just can't live without rageahol."
Etymology Fan said:
That reminds me of something Homer once said on an episode of The Simpsons:
“It's true I'm a rageaholic. I just can't live without rageahol.â€
You beat me to it! That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. I consistently steal this joke to other -aholic words.
This is slightly similar to an Eddie Izzard joke I heard. Something to the effect of, "Catholicism, the belief in the teachings of Cathol."
The OED dates -aholic back to 1965, so it doesn't seem to be too old. -aholics listed include sugarholic, computerholic, spendaholic, golfaholic, carboholic, footballaholic, and bookaholic.
Whether it's in the dictionary or not, it's here to stay. I'll be nearly everyone has used it at some point. It doesn't bother me. I think it's fun! Especially since I can jokingly say "I'm a wordaholic. I can't live without wordahol."
Do you call someone who loves the art of Andy Warhol--there must be at least one out there--a Warholaholic? Should that remain capitalized? And would it get shortened to "waraholic" thereby shifting meaning over the next two hundred years to replace "hawk" as in, "They have totally different views on managing politics with armies: she's a dove and he's a waraholic." and people at that time--who will think this perfectly normal--will ask each other where the expression came from and a dictionary will trace the first known reference back to here!
As absurd as that notion is, it is the exact sort of randomly quirky way that English does evolve. Which is why the topic is just so much fun!
Martha Barnette
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