Last Words

Greetings Friends,

It's no secret that new words enter our language on a somewhat regular basis. We find new ways in which to express ourselves, and before we know it, those new words and expressions we find ourselves using, go viral.

These days, you don't even need the stamp of approval from Merriam Webster or Oxford. They are no longer the last word when it comes to words. Now, all you have to do is plug your word into Google, and chances are, you'll find a Wikipedia page with a detailed explanation of what whoever wrote the page, thinks the word means. And the list keeps on growing.

When I was working towards my undergraduate degree, I took a Linguistics course as an elective. One exercise the professor made us perform was to make up words that were a combination of other words. Not compound words, but words that combined similar ideas. It was never my intention to become an etymologist, but the concept intrigued me. The way people use, and often misuse words, greatly intrigues me.

So, it's time for another Friday list: Nava's Favourite "New" Words:

Jeggings: This is one I just became aware of the other day. They're a garment that resembles a very tight pair of jeans, but are actually leggings. The effect is supposed to look tight, without actually being tight.

Bromance: a close, platonic relationship between two men.

Frenemy: a person with whom you are friendly, but inherently despise.

Metrosexual: a straight man who cares exceedingly about his appearance and personal grooming habits.

Defriend/Unfriend: the act of deleting someone from your online social networking universe. The modern-day equivalent of "flat-leaving".

Staycation: a cheeky term used to define one's decision to stay home, because taking a vacation is too expensive.

Tweetup: A meeting arranged via Twitter posts.

Microblogging: posting very short entries on a blog. Aren't those actually Tweets?

Netbook: a small laptop. Too bad; I'm partial to the big ones.

Soft Skills: the ability to interact effectively and harmoniously with others. I'm sorry, but I prefer "social" skills; abilities many people seem to be lacking nowadays.

Hikikomori (Japanese): the abnormal avoidance of social contact, typically by adolescent males. Just because I spend most of my days with my laptop, does that mean I'm "hikikomoric"?

Toxic Debt: debt which is at high risk of default. Duh.

Chillax: to simultaneously calm down and relax. There's a town in British Columbia named Chilliwack; is it cool to "chillax" in Chilliwack?

And finally, some oldies, but goodies:

Sick: a term used to describe something that looks or is, smokin' hot, as in, "Those shoes are sick with that dress".

Perfumista: similar to a "fashionista"; someone who adores fragrances.

Dude: a term of friendly endearment, like "buddy". When did it become acceptable to call everyone "dude"?

Have a sick weekend.

Nava