A Really Really Long Poem About Everything

For your muppet-armed delightion this week, a hodgepodge of semicolonectomized neological inventiveness.

Words Spied

adblockalypse n. The predicted demise of online advertising due to the increased consumer use of ad-blocking software. (ad-blocking + apocalypse) [Campaign]

brogressive n. A white, privileged male who ostensibly supports progressive causes and ideas, but who is reluctant to act in ways that might undermine his privilege. [The Guardian]

inculator n. A firm that helps startup companies nurture their ideas and grow their business. (incubator + accelerator) [Devex Impact]

lampshading pp. Wearing thigh-high boots with a baggy top or miniskirt (thereby creating a look that resembles a lamp with a shade). [Elle] Photo: Womensforum

mincome n. A guaranteed minimum income for all citizens. (minimum + income). [Saanich News]

muppet arms n. A physical manifestation of extreme happiness. [Twitter (@BookRiot)]

yeo-person n. Jocular gender-neutral job title to replace “yeoman.” [The New York Times]

Word of the Week

semicolonectomy n. The removal of one or more semicolons from a piece of writing.

In the paragraph above, you could perform a semicolonectomy, replacing every semicolon with a period.
—Allan Metcalf, “Sidestepping the Semicolon,” Chronicle of Higher Education, April 6, 2016

Cruft* of the Week

delightion n. The state of being delighted. [The New York Times]

* “Poorly built, possibly over-complex; generally unpleasant” —The Jargon File.

Quick Links

18 Words Californians Gave the English Language [LAist]

The dumbest rule in the AP Stylebook [Baltimore Sun]

J.R.R. Tolkien’s guide to inventing a fantasy language [Quartz]

Shakespeare’s linguistic legacy [Oxford University Press]

Sidestepping the Semicolon [Chronicle of Higher Education]

Why both I and me can be right [The Economist]

Word of the Day: Stumped [The New Yorker]

Quote, Words, Unquote