New Words

Here’s a few new and useful words and terms I’ve created out of my seemingly inexhaustible mental bookcase of ideas (out of thin air).

While another stunningly creative person may have used one of these words or terms previously to me, I made these up independently (as far as I know) and by employing studiously superficial research could find no earlier use. In a few cases the word was already in use – but mine is a new (meaning better) definition. So here (in no particular order) we go.

“Detrampulated‘ – the unbouncy, grounded feeling one gets upon returning to solid land after trampolining. It is a self-motion illusion, similar to the feeling of returning to ground after flying or doing gymnastics. Distinct from, but related to, Sea-legs the dizzy feeling of returning to land from a boat passage. (2015)

“Fundalism” – Altering or responding to a public sign with humor – in a graffiti manner. (2015)

“Ear-resistable” – Carefully prepared but repulsive sound.

The song “Horse with no name” is earresistable (May 2009)

“Respectful Disagreement” (1990) – self explanatory, but seldom practiced – especially in politics. (I gave Leon Panetta a “Respectful Disagreement” button in 1994 when he accepted the employ as Bill Clinton’s Chief of Staff. He thought it should be useful and appropriate in DC.)

“Conflict Escalation” – Amplifying a disagreement, the effect police and military often have on a minor disputes. A near opposite to respectful disagreement.

“Denaissance” – Dumbing of a culture. While Renaissance indicates an enlightening age, Denaissance is when a culture loses wisdom. Created December 8, 2009. Synonyms: DeEnlightenment, Dunlightnment (duh-enlightenment) or Un-naissance (created at the same time).

Example: “Around turn of the century, 2000, the United States denaissance began and is now spreading with the rapidity of a pandemic.”

“Charmel” the town I call home. The term fits so well due to its human inhabitants general attitude. (I’ve been using this since the early 1990’s and, while my friends are helping, I still await its wide spread adoption . . .)

“Numerature” – communication or art primarily employing numbers.

“Godomobile” – the almost unconscious acceptance that the car is God, taking cultural priority over all other values. Particularly prevalent in Los Angeles with its 24 lane freeways.

Example: “The Godomobile is responsible for LA’s abominable freeways.” (Jan 5, 2007)

“DREGs” – noun, a word and an acronym meaning “Developers, Resource Extractors and Governments” adds concision to identifying those who harm our environment for money, greed or power. (2002)

“Precreated” – a term meaning creation prior to the otherwise official date; “previous to.”

Example: Our Universe was precreated with respect to Big Bang. (Not to be confused with “Procreated,” which is a far narrower definition, albeit considerably more agreeable. Though come to think of it you might have occasion to say “Baby Peter was precreated to his parents pledging marriage due to their prior procreation.”)

OK, maybe “Prior” is a better word for some things, but “precreated” has the advantage of conveying more meaning to those with limited English skills (think elected officials and bureaucrats), and “prior” doesn’t necessarily include the idea of “created.”

“Dark Bulbs” – Bulbs which emit dark instead of light. (Yes, I’m kidding – with the physics, not the term. A spoof on Cosmology. However it appears a fine and obviously brilliant gentleman Ken Umbach may have precreated (!) this term. In any case he certainly did a fun job explaining it.)

“Calmflict” – Peace enforced by a threat of violence.

Example “East Germany endured decades of cold war calmflict when residents were shot trying to leave the country.”

“Demodel” – Reconstructing a building so it is worse than before (as opposed to “Remodel”).

“That hit and run contractor sure demodeled his parent’s home.”

“Galnecology” – a Woman’s Medical Health Specialty, contrasted with Guy-necology.

“De-voted” – verb, A Recalled politician, an elected official unwillingly removed from office for counterfeit earnestness.

Example: “Pacific Grove’s ex-Mayor Dan Cort was devoted to being a developer again due to his pathological insincerity.”

“Confuser” a more accurate name for an electronic device on your desk or in your lap, that runs programs or Apps with the goal of making some tasks in your life easier, yet it somehow often takes longer to do the same things. (~1983-1984)

“Enfulminate” is to inspire volcanic emotions – either good or bad. Contrasted with the word “Fulminate” which is limited to criticism. Example: Monique’s overwhelmingly clever and intricate employment of words and ideas enfulminated me to better work. (2015)

“Saumom” You may know of Saudade: a Portuguese word meaning a melancholy longing for something or someone that you’ve loved and lost. Well, “Saumom” is a sparkling cheerful new word (ala Mom’s cheerefulness) for when you have now re-found something or someone that you’ve previously loved and longed for. Similar with how “Cypressing” (yes, thank you very mulch) is the satisfaction of reuniting after “Pining” for someone. 😉

“Hersterectomy” – a sometimes questionable surgical procedure to remove feminine plumbing.

“Understandability” – a quality of being comprehensible.

“Disunderstand” – When someone refuses to admit or acknowledge the truth staring them in the face. Common with elected officials, lawyers, religious fanatics, News editors and even sometimes Judges. Example: Carmel Pine Cone Publisher Paul Miller worked so hard to disunderstand that Checkmate is a pesticide he censored letters, and ranted about it in editorials.

“Unsplain” – To expound on a subject and leave the listener / reader less informed or misinformed. Opposite of Explain. (You could also try using Dissplain, which at first seems even better, but after a bit of thought gets 2nd place.) Jan 2018

“Congraduations” a Portmanteau of Congratulations and Graduations. (in 1992 for school graduation of a friend’s child)

“Pro-gratulations or Pro-gradulations” (as opposed to “con-gratulations”) When expressing encouragement for someone’s achievement, shouldn’t it be a positive term?

(Yes I am aware the latin “con” means “with,” and “gratulate” come from the root word “grace” nevertheless, here is a completely new term for your use and amusement.)

Then of course putting the two together is “Pro-graduations” or “Prograduations.” (March 2014 – no other instance of this word on the web)

Relatedly (no I didn’t make that one up), there’s the quickly getting popular “Fungradulations” which is what one gives another for a particularly pleasing achievement. Of course don’t forget the associated “Fungraduations” – which is preferably internally redundant. (2015)

And please try to forgive me for creating the word “UnGradulations.” Its for when when you wish to take back your encouragement for times like when your child saves up money to buy a new car then crashes it into something valuable. (2015)

“Hyper-certainty principle” How passionate advocacy for an idea increases the less evidence there is for its physical reality. For example: The concept of Gravity rarely invokes fights, however swimming pools of blood have been spilled over which god is better or “right.” This definition even comes with an equation – so it must be valuable – and correct. (2010)

Absurtainty or Abcertainty – Certainty absurdly beyond reason. (2018)

“Nicing”. Extra special. As you undoubtedly know, hugging a tree is a fabulous moment. But when the hugger (or hugee) is a fabulous friend – that’s “nicing” on the cake.

“Emergency Edict” An immediate halt to a specific human activity when credible threats of irreversible or significant multi-generational duration harm to human health or our environment are raised. (~1996)

“Hyper-erogatory” – massively beyond necessary for the conditions. Supererogatory means beyond necessary, hypererogatory means far beyond that. Example: Some businesses try to give you more than you expected when you paid for their services. A grocer giving you 5 pounds of cheese when you only paid for one pound is a hypererogatory act. (2015)

Vagablond – an itinerant person of Nordic (or Southern California) descent.

“Dam” – a unit of measure defined as the amount of water held behind the outrageous, proposed (and halted) New Los Padres Dam ~25,000 acre feet.

Example usage — “I don’t give a dam.” Jan 25, 2010

———–Amusing Words created or improved by friends :

“Meanderthal” – (n) Someone who walks in front of you aimlessly at a glacial pace. Sasha Read, July 2017

“Wasband” – (n) A former husband. Thanks to Melissa T. (2016)

“Co-Giggler” (n) A friend or colleague with whom one shares an uncontrollably amusing event. (Created by Jennifer Alexander, Dec 9, 2013) Example:

“The second show wasn’t nearly so amusing without my co-giggler.”

One of my all time favorite phrases is “Explanation Point” used instead of “exclamation point.” Just love that.

A question: Does “de-nuded” mean getting covered up ?

and one I use regularly now, to bid farewell (which is spreading, albeit slowly) —

“Vidios” – noun, meaning farewell. Adios was a popular term of good bye (originally Spanish) up through the analog electronics audio era. Now that video is the primary means of entertainment, the term needed updating . . . 😉

Note: These new words are not merely English. Since I created them I hereby proclaim — These words are provided free of charge – for use in every language; including all Elvish languages!

(What a concept !)

With my best wishes.