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In this episode: Grant offers a peek at some expressions he's nominating for the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year vote in January. Will it be w00t, subprime, or something else? You can also check out Grant's look at "word of the year" contenders in the New York Times Week in Review section of Sunday, December 23rd.
Read the original blog post and listen to this episode.
Get out your plastic utensils and pull up a folding chair! A caller's question about the origin of the word potluck stirs up mouthwatering memories of crispy fried chicken, warm peach cobbler, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows. Okay, the Jell-O salad not so much. But still, whether you call it a pitch-in, a carry-in, dinner on the grounds, a covered-dish supper, a Jacob's supper, a faith supper, or a potluck, it's all good eatin'!
An Indiana listener complains that he can't stand to hear presidential candidates pronounce the word pundit as "pundint."
Greg Pliska adds an apt and all-round admirably appealing appraisal of alliterative ability. Meaning, our Puzzle Guy presents a quiz about words that start with the same letters. May we just say that Greg gives great game?
A Florida eighth-grader wants to know if a word she memorized for a spelling bee is real: agathokakological. Easy for her to say.
An American cartographer for the United Nations reports that he and his British wife disagree over whether lollygolly is a real word that means "to dawdle." Martha and Grant show the mapmaker where to draw the line.
Martha and Grant discuss a couple of strange new words making the rounds: lecondel and earmarxist.
This week's "Slang This!" contestant finds out whether the word puddle is a slang term for part of a car's muffler and if the expression hang paper involves flying kites.
A Pennsylvania caller asks to clarify the difference between who vs. that.
Finally, just in time for holiday get-togethers, Grant and Martha provide some linguistic family therapy to solve a mother-daughter conflict over whether nummy is a legitimate term. Mom says it's perfect for describing a delicious meal, but her daughter finds that kind of language embarrassing. Is nummy a real word? Open the hangar, here comes the answer!
The mention of "lecondel" got me wondering about the pronunciation and Hebrew spelling of this word (again - the first time was when I saw Grant's entry).
This blogger was wondering too, and has come up with the word in Hebrew characters. He found it in a Hebrew translation of an English newspaper article, and there's a suggestion that the word was picked up and put into print by the English-language press first.
Note the English spelling "L'Condel," which would lead to a pronunciation similar to the short "li'" in "L'Chaim!"
I'd like to enter a vote here for 'nummy' which I've used for years. I grew up in Arkansas, but my parents are from Nebraska (mother) and Oklahoma (father). My favorite 'nummy' substitute comes from my maternal grandfather who would describe good food as 'larrapin.' I've found a few references to that, but would love any more insights you or other listeners might have.
Sue Ellen said:
I'd like to enter a vote here for ‘nummy' which I've used for years. I grew up in Arkansas, but my parents are from Nebraska (mother) and Oklahoma (father). My favorite ‘nummy' substitute comes from my maternal grandfather who would describe good food as ‘larrapin.' I've found a few references to that, but would love any more insights you or other listeners might have.
There's an international aspect to this word: "gnam" (pronounced nyam). This is used for "yum", ""yummy" in Italy. I assume they are all onomatopoeic
In response to Martha's mention of hearing the term, "Facebook me..."
I have unintentionally (and somewhat subconsciously) incorporated the following words into my vocabulary in the last four years, and when used within my age group there was never any question or hesitation of their meaning.
"Myspace me" or in past tense, "S/he myspaced me." -meaning s/he searched for me on myspace and sought out my profile, thus finding my location. This is unfortunately how your worm of a high school boyfriend tracks you down and "messages you" or in a total misuse of social networking etiquette, simply tries to "friend you" without a preliminary message.
And like Grant mentioned, to friend me or message me or myspace me is a more common term now than "call me."
-mishelle
Our vote is for “slobbergasted” - being flabbergasted to the point of slobbering on yourself. Now we wonder about the historical derivation of “flabbergasted”– perhaps being overwhelmed to the point of your intestines getting “loose.” Maybe we need a discussion for fun, but fake, words on the Perfect Writing Forum.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
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