namerology
n.— «“Eighty years from now, the names we choose will be the sound of a generation, the stamp of an era.” The annual list was the brainchild of a Social Security actuary who hoped to bring more citizens to the agency’s Web site. It has fueled a mini-industry that some dub “namerology,” though the academic term is onomatology or onomastics. Like analysts studying the market in search of the next sizzling stock, “namies” scrutinize the rankings and thrive on the thrill of discovering the next big thing or stumbling upon an amusing oddity.» —“Sorry, Gert, not your year again” by Bonnie Miller Rubin Chicago Tribune May 19, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A mixed-breed dog is sometimes called a bitsa, as in it’s made from “bits of this and bits of that.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A “Bitsa” Dog is Bits of This and Bits of That of that”” You know, we were talking...
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...