Sunday slanguage

I’ve been known to throw some slanguage around now and then, what can I say, I’m from Philly. I thoroughly enjoy scholarly pieces just as much as the pop culture blogs overflowing with the newly created words of the moment. So I thought I would start a weekly “sunday slanguage” post to spice up the verbal banter. Before we dive in deep, we should start out slow and deal with the basics of “slanguage.”

The Online Etymology Dictionary notes that the word “slang” dates back to 1756 and that the original definition was “special vocabulary of tramps and thieves.” Although in 1818 another definition was recorded, “very informal language characterized by vividness and novelty.” Tramps and thieve to vividness and novelty, interesting. Merriam-Webster keeps it light with their entry on slanguage: “blend of slang and language.” However, I will cut the folks at MW a break, as they’ve been quite resourceful. 

I’ve been experimenting with “slanguage” since my New Kids On The Block days, where I learned all about “hangin’ tough” (insert iconic, yet horrible dance move). There is something so fresh and alive about “slanguage” that always keeps me on my toes. Although I sometimes cringe at the words that are pumped out in pop culture, I am always intrigued to see how today’s youths are putting their spin on language.

I look forward to keeping my ears open while hunting for slanguage and then sharing it with you on Sundays. Feel free to leave comments with “slanguage” that you would like me to explore, and I’ll take it to the streets and get the low down (and hopefully learn a fresh phrase to replace the tired “low down”).

 

 

 

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Published:
July 13, 2008 – 8:30 pm
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By alexis
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Wear your words…to bed.

The last “Wear your words” post was all about the infamous “t-shirt,” but this time I thought we would slip into or actually under something a little more comfortable, a fabulous blanket. The blanket that I am referring to is a truly special nighttime accessory, as it is composed of layers of fabric that can be folded over to reveal a traditional bedtime story. I am very excited about this lovely, wordy bed linen, and cannot wait to read myself to sleep and cuddle up with my favorite sentence, word and letter. However, it seems as though this blanket was a Platform 10 art project at the Royal College of Art and is not for sale. I’m hoping that this can be purchased someday.

There are so many words that I could explore relating to this linen art project, but if I had to choose one term it would be the “bedtime story.” Personally, these words conjure up childhood memories, brightly colored books, imaginative pictures, and night-lights casting shadows on my parents’ faces as they create stories out of thin air. It is a word that defines my childhood and can bring me to a state of calm when simply mentioned.

The official definition of the “bedtime story” is, “a story read or recounted to someone (as a child) at bedtime.

According to Merriam-Webster, the origin of the “bedtime story” dates back to 1874. Perhaps this was the time when children’s innocence and young minds were truly starting to become nurtured. Although, I question if that innocence and bedtime story ritual have now been replaced by nightly video games before passing out.

There are so many elements within the definition of this term: a book, a story, a child, someone reading to the child and the act of reading. It is filled with action that leads to rest.

Can you remember your favorite bedtime story?

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Published:
July 10, 2008 – 8:48 pm
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By alexis
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Eat your Green…Vocab

Lately I’ve been trying to live a “greener” life, and am getting all sorts of eco-friendly tips from my fellow Hatchet blogger, Gina, from Going Green. I was curious to know if she had any “green” words that needed investigating, and this was her response:

“You know the word that comes to mind is ‘Virescent’. I had never heard of it until I ran across a blog called Virescent. Under the word, the caption says ‘tending towards green.’ Do you know this word?”

So Gina, this blog post is dedicated to Going Green and your word wonder, “Virescent.”

During my initial Google search, I was bombarded by countless references to “Virescent.” One of the first items on the page was a link to Merriam-Webster. However, this was not a regular dictionary reference, but rather a special “word of the day” piece from last August. This piece is special because “Word of the Day” provides in-depth info about a certain word:

The Word of the Day for August 19, 2007 is:

virescent • \vuh-RESS-unt\  • adjective

*1 : beginning to be green : greenish

2 : developing or displaying the condition of becoming green due to the development of chloroplasts in plant organs (as petals) normally white or colored

Example Sentence:

Buds formed on the bare trees, infusing the stark branches with a slight virescent tint.

Did you know?

“Virescent” first appeared in English in 1826. It derives from the present participle of “virescere,” a Latin verb meaning “to become green” and a form of another verb, “virēre,” meaning “to be green.” “Virēre” also gave us another adjective meaning green, “verdant,” only the route to that adjective takes a stop at the Old French “verdoier” (“to be green”). “Virescent” has seen occasional general use, as when Thomas Hardy wrote, in his 1881 novel A Laodicean, of “[t]he summer . . . tipping every twig with a virescent yellow.” But it is nowadays found most frequently in scientific contexts, especially those pertaining to botany.

 

Ok stop and take a breather from that word reference overload. I’ll give you a few seconds to soak it all up while I clap in glee from that fabulous word moment.

Besides having a deeply rooted history (excuse the pun), this word is experiencing a moment in the spotlight over the past year. Considering that “green” is a hot topic in magazines, brands, news, etc, (as it should be), more and more people are “beginning to be green.” I would actually tag today’s youth as the “Virescent Generation” (maybe I can get MW to add that soon).

In addition to having a meaning that is defining the world at the moment, “Virescent” is also an increasingly popular green blog title. It is truly an appropriate title for the countless bloggers working towards living a greener life with each day and each post.

The new blogs will have to share the name “Virescent” with the “Virescent green metallic bee.” There were a few pages dedicated to this buzzing creature as well as many scientific pages discussing chloroplasts (for the sake of the length of this post, I’ll let you explore that on your own).

I’m truly trying to live up to the word, “Virescent,” as I make “greener” decisions in my life. If you are a word lover that lives a “Virescent” life and want to share it with the world, you’re totally in luck.  Primitive State has the option of typing “Virescent” (or any other word) into a scrabble design and displaying that on t-shirt (pretty cool).

Do you define yourself as “Virescent”? If so, congrats, keep up the good work!

 

image courtesy of Joshua Davis

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Published:
July 8, 2008 – 1:22 pm
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By alexis
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Brought to you by the letter "T"

As a follow up to yesterday’s post, I thought I would explore the word, “t-shirt.”

They hang in your closet, are folded in your drawer, or are in a pile in the corner of your room. They’re worn in, trusty, cotton friends that can last through the years. But did you ever stop to think about what the “t-shirt” actually means? 

Merriam-Webster defines this comfy noun as, “a collarless short-sleeved or sleeveless usually cotton undershirt; also : an outer shirt of similar design.” MW also notes that the “t-shirt’s” variant is “tee shirt.” 

Both MW and the Online Etymology Dictionary claim that “t-shirt” originated in 1920. Now that I think about it, it was only 88 years ago when this fabulous clothing staple was given its proper name (moment of silence to celebrate all that is the “t-shirt”). Prior to 1920 everyone just wore shirts: “a garment for the upper part of the body.” So the question is, where did the “T” come from? No it’s not what you’re thinking, Mr. T did not come in and shout “I pity the fool who doesn’t call this a T-shirt” (OK, I had to make that bad joke-it was just asking for it). Actually, the “T” became attached to the “shirt” in 1920 to call attention to the shape of the shirt when laid out flat. I’m just glad they didn’t make an F shirt or Q shirt for that matter, because how would that work with your arms? Sounds painful, unless you’re a contortionist and into that stuff. 

The “Shirt” can be dated all the way back to the 12th century. So you’re telling me that it took all that time,  to recognize the lettered shape and add the “T”? OK fine, I guess everyone wasn’t ready for the cool factor of the “T” until then.

Also, there are several other sources that claim the “T” in “t-shirt” stood for “training,” as men in the army in WWI saw European soldiers wearing the classic, airy shirts. It was only then that the soldiers brought the term into the army and as a result into the U.S. So the moral of this word story is, that American Apparel and their sulky/trying-too-hard models should really thank the letter “T”, soldiers, and Europeans for the “t-shirt.”

 

 

 

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Published:
July 3, 2008 – 8:40 pm
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By alexis
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Wear Your Words….on your chest

Even when you’re not speaking, you still have the ability to communicate with those around you by wearing your words. The next time you walk down the street, keep count of how many individuals pass you wearing t-shirts decorated with a killer word, witty phrase, or memorable quote.

I am all for expression, however, I am craving unique thought when it comes to the worded shirt (note: please stop buying “Everyone loves a (insert nationality here) girl” shirt-they are so tired). So instead of wearing the shirt that everyone and their mother is wearing (yes, you might be wearing a shirt your mom wears), go create one and really express yourself. Why not find an obscure quote from your favorite movie. Or maybe you’re such a wordsmith that you have a book of your own quotes that you’d like to share. Either way, I strongly suggest that you visit websites like spreadshirt or choiceshirts, and let your words emerge on a blank canvas. Keep in mind that you’ll be sharing these thoughts with anyone that passes you on the street, so refrain from statements like “I don’t shower” or “I don’t like you” (pretty much anything that’s negative or that confirms that you don’t have good hygiene). 

I’m considering creating a few t-shirts with a favorite word on the front and definition on the back. Actually, Merriam-Webster should really promote their dictionaries by handing out t-shirts with a different definition from every word in the dictionary (although, when have dictionaries ever needed promotion). 

If you can’t conceive your own shirt and the creative bug has yet to bite the right side of your brain, then seek out some great t-shirts with expressions about politics, the environment, music, media, life, sports, your hometown, etc.  I recommend checking out the threadless site to get some great shirts.                      

A few of my favorites on threadless:

So who knew that Hester Prynne’s scarlett letter shirt would turn out to be the cool thing to wear. In that case, punishment has turned into personal expression, so go ahead and wear any word you’d like (insert sound of national anthem here). This holiday weekend, express your freedom of speech and of worded shirt and wear your thoughts on your chest. 


image courtesy of quartermane

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Published:
July 2, 2008 – 7:49 pm
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By alexis
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My Favorite Book

Word lovers, raise your pencil, your pen, your laptop and your journal (not your desktop-please no injuries) to the dictionary, my favorite book. It comes in all shapes, sizes (extra large and super small), colors, languages, topics and can be found on a shelf and online. I’ve certainly collected quite a few dictionaries over the years and each has a unique story (like the Merriam-Webster that is always Downy fresh due to a college packing accident). In addition to lining my shelves, dictionaries are cluttering my bookmark bars in my web browsers.

Since it holds a very special place in my heart, I would like to shine the language spotlight on the “dictionary.”

According to Merriam-Webster the definition for “dictionary” is:

dic·tion·ar·y -noun

pronunciation: \ˈdik-shə-ˌner-ē, -ˌne-rē\

1 : a reference source in print or electronic form containing words usually alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, etymologies, meanings, and syntactical and idiomatic uses

2 : a reference book listing alphabetically terms or names important to a particular subject or activity along with discussion of their meanings and applications

3 : a reference book giving for words of one language equivalents in another

4 : a computerized list (as of items of data or words) used for reference (as for information retrieval or word processing)

The Online Etymology dictionary notes that “dictionary” originated in “1526, from M.L. dictionarium ‘collection of words and phrases,’ from L. dictionarius ‘of words,’ from dictio ‘word.’ Probably first Eng. use in title of a book was in Sir Thomas Elyot’s ‘Latin Dictionary’ (1538) though L. Dictionarius was so used from c.1225.” I love that “dictionary” originated from “dictionarium-collection of words and phrases.” There is something very intimate and exciting about thinking of a collection of words that line a shelf, overflowing with vintage letters and meanings.

Over the years, “dictionary” has evolved from simply being defined as a “A book containing the words of a language arranged in alphabetical order, with explanations of their meanings; a lexicon” (1828) to a language translation reference, a word origin reference and a computerized version as well. Although the word itself has not been altered, its definition is rather malleable and has been molded into many forms and sizes.

I often debate between clicking my bookmarks bar for a quick online word fix or pulling a hefty paper version from the shelf. I find pleasure in flipping through pages and encountering words that I haven’t used in a while. There is something that is so wonderful about the word quest: the art of searching and reading until you reach your final dictionary destination. Even though I sometimes use an online dictionary for a quick check, I often find myself leaning towards the shelf while at home. The only downside to the book version, the painful paper cut.

My love for the dictionary extends beyond its language lessons. I have often used the massive book to flatten a wrinkled piece of paper, as a weight for a blanket at a backyard picnic, and even as a hand weight while attempting an indoor workout session (exercise your body and brain).

Do you have a collection of dictionaries? Do prefer the online version or the trusty paper book? What ways do you alternatively use the heavy book?

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Published:
July 1, 2008 – 9:39 am
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By alexis
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Technology Talk

It took some time for parents (the baby boomers) to understand what it meant when we said we were “IMing” or “texting.”

Then came blogging, podcasting, and vodcasting.

By this point, if the baby boomers weren’t following the new generations’ every move, then they were utterly lost and could be found googling “BRB” and “LOL” just to understand what their son or daughter had said to them. Now to be fair, there are many baby boomers that have made a decent effort to keep up with technology and the lingo, but I for one would throw my laptop out the window if I heard my mother say or type “LMAO” (laugh my ass off-for those of you about to google the acronym). I am all for parents keeping their fingers on the pulse of their son or daughter’s culture, but when they start speaking in techy tongue, then they might as well try to fit in a pair of leather pants from high school and really look like they’re trying too hard. 

So for those of us who like to keep our parents on their toes (and stay ahead of the social techy world), here’s some new lingo to send your parents running to google: “Twitter” and “Tweet”

“Twitter” is a “social networking and microblogging service utilizing instant messaging, SMS or a web interface.” The 140-character message that you type and share on Twitter is called a “tweet.” In addition to being a noun, “tweet” is also a verb that could be defined as “the act of typing and sending a message on twitter” (example: I “tweeted” about The Hatchet last night, did you see it?).

For those of you not using Twitter, I highly recommend that you give it a try and exercise your language brevity with the 140-character limit per tweet. Less is more (except when it comes to tea, cupcakes and books about words).

 

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Published:
June 30, 2008 – 8:06 pm
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By alexis
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New Words On The Block

Some people intently watch ESPN to see which players will be drafted to their favorite teams, while I anticipate the time when Merriam-Webster adds new words to the dictionary (I am an utter word nerd and proud of it).

The last word party kicked off in 2006, when Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition was filled to the brim with over 100 new words. The “new” words are only two years old in dictionary years, but our language changes so rapidly, that it’s possible that these words are already “so last year.”

A little sampling of the new words on the block (as of 2006):

Technology and Computers
Mouse potato
Ringtone
Spyware

Science and Medicine
Avian influenza
Biodiesel
Gastric bypass

Pop Culture
Soul patch
Supersize

Entertainment and Leisure
Labelmate
Ollie
Wave pool

The Human Condition
Drama queen
Unibrow

International
Manga
Qigong

Business and Industry
Agritourism
Big-box

Nature
Aquascape
Coqui

Miscellaneous
Polyamory
Sandwich generation

There are some words on the list that I feel should have been added before ’06: “unibrow,” “drama queen,” “soul patch.” I’ve used the word “drama queen” for quite some time (flashbacks to middle school years when every girl was a drama queen and passing notes).

It makes sense that “supersize” was added at the same time as “mouse potato” and “gastric bypass.” The definition for “gastric bypass” should really read, “see ‘supersize’ for more info.”

Anyway, the real treat for me is reading this sample list of new words and building a picture of the person in ’06 (and maybe even now) that these words define. So here we go: In ’06 the “mouse potato” tried to delete his “spyware” while playing solitaire on the computer and changing his “ringtone.” After taking a break from his computer, he visited a nearby “wave pool” filled with “drama queens” that were mocking his “unibrow” and “soul patch.” He immediately left the “wave pool” and filled his car up with “biodiesel” before stopping by a local fast food joint, where he “supersized” his meal (which years later would cause him to need a “gastric bypass”).

OK story time is over. And now, a few questions: Do you currently use any of these words? If not, how long did they last in your vocabulary?

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Published:
June 28, 2008 – 12:17 pm
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By alexis
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Gas… the new curse word

Unless you live under a rock, then you’ve heard and read about “gas,” the hot topic and three-letter word of the moment. This one syllable wonder is dominating conversations and is dripping with anger and passion, as many are now cursing the word.

According to Merriam Webster, there are several varying definitions of “gas,” both as a noun and verb. But for the purpose of this post, let’s focus on:
“1: a fluid (as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely”
“2: a combustible gas or gaseous mixture for fuel or lighting”

Before we get caught up in the current craze, it’s important to take a look back, way back to times when “gas” could be purchased for less than the change found under your car seat. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “gas” was invented and first used by “Flem. chemist J.B. van Helmont (1577-1644), probably influenced by Paracelsus, who used khaos in occult sense of ‘proper elements of spirits’ or ‘ultra-rarified water,’ which was van Helmont’s definition of gas.” It was not until 1779, that the modern scientific world adopted “gas” into its language and work. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary notes that “gas” originates from “New Latin, alteration of Latin chaos space, chaos.” Well, it seems that “gas” has returned to its roots, and is creating chaos in the world with its ever increasing price and limited availability (insert echoing evil laugh here).

“Gas” entered the world of slang in the 1950’s, and gained yet another definition: “something that gives pleasure: delight <the party was a gas>.” It’s hard to believe that there was a time when “gas” could express humor and happiness, which is quite a contrast to the rising blood pressure and Hulk-like rage that it induces now.

From chaos, to fuel, to levity, “gas” has moved through the spectrum of definitions and is now laced with stress and anger. So where is this word going? Well, if “gas” continues to remain the same in our daily convos, then we might start to see some new words in medical dictionaries, perhaps gascashphobia: fear of increasing gas prices. If Rachel Ray gets EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) added to the dictionary, then anything is possible.

But for now, “gas” is like a crazy lover we can’t seem to leave; it’s a fuel for our life that we can’t live with or without.

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Published:
June 25, 2008 – 2:44 pm
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By alexis
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3 Comments