English for Students

Neologism

This Chapter is devoted to Neologism- a newly coined word or expression. When words are first coined, instant approval is not what they meet with. Usually the first reaction is disapproval! For instance, when USA Ex-President John Fitzgerald Kennedy first used the word finalized, much to the horror of purist and most other users, the usage was roundly condemned. Today we take the word for granted. Here is the list of Neologism.

Many of the words presented in this chapter are currently colloquial and/or Internet usage and may not be found even in the latest Dictionaries. Wait for few more years, though, and they will gatecrash into every respectable Dictionary.


Andropause: (or Viropause)

This term refers to the end of virility (created from a combination of androgen/virility and menopause). If women have menopause, obviously men had to have something other than menopause. The prefix andro refers to something male or masculine) from the Greek andr), hence andropause.


Artsy: Pretending to be artistic, overly artistic.


Blog: This is web page consisting of frequently updated, chronological entries on a particular topic. It is a form of free publishing that is typically updated daily.


Criminal Menopause: This refers to a stage in life during which an older, habitual criminal loses interest in crime, or when an older prisoner no longer poses any threat to society.


Cyborg: This is a human being who has certain physiological processes and physical abilities that are aided or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices that are embedded into the body. Once purely science fiction, the first Cyborg became a reality in 2003.


Cybernetics: This is the science of communications and automatic control systems in machines as well as in living beings.


This Chapter is devoted to Neologism- a newly coined word or expression.Here is the list of Neologism.


Flash mob: The word refers to a large group of people who gather in a usually predetermined location, perform some brief action and then quickly disperse.


Floor time: This is a therapeutic and parenting technique wherein an adult engages in creative play with a child that often includes getting down on the floor with the child.


419 scam: The 419 scam is a fraud, particularly one originating in Nigeria in which a person is asked for money to help secure the release of, and so earn a percentage of a much larger sum. This is also referred to as 419 fraud, 419 scheme or 419 con, the classic dictator remove millions of dollars out of the conman’s country. The conman (or woman) offers the victim a percentage of this fictitious pot of Gold, hoping to suck the victim into paying all sorts of fees to trunks of money out of Nigeria, Sierra, Leone, The Philippines or whatever exotic country the conman chooses. Ultimately, the money is never sent, but the victims are often duped to the tune of thousands of dollars.


Googol: A cardinal number that is equivalent to ten raised top the power of a hundred. This word was purportedly coined in the 1940s by the young nephew of American mathematician Edward Kasner.


Hathos: This word refers to the feelings of pleasure derived from hating some one or some thing. This word is obviously a take-off from pathos: a quality or characteristic that evokes pity or sadness.


Kippers: An acronym of Kids In Parents Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings. It refers to an adult son or daughter, particularly one over 30 years or more who still lives with his or her parents.


Location awareness: This is a capacity to detect the exact or relative location of a device, particularly a wireless device such as a cell phone.


Passive overeating: This term refers to excessive eating of foods that are high in fat because the human body is slow to recognize the caloric content of rich foods and also eating whatever is put before you, even to the point of discomfort.


Quiet party: This is party in which talking and other loud noises are prohibited and where guests communicate using handwritten notes. These unconventional parties ensure that singles do not have to bother about trying to sustain any sort of conversation in the midst of overpowering background of music or noise. Participants pay a minimal fee to enter. They are then given envelopes, paper and pencils and allowed only to whisper in areas designated for low-volume conversations. After a few minutes of drinks, whispers and giggles, the bits of paper start flying.


This Chapter is devoted to Neologism- a newly coined word or expression.Here is the list of Neologism.


Sex grab: Modern day overcrowding in cities seems to have lead to this condition and the coining of this new term. It refers to a passer by (usually a male) reaching out for or actually touching the genitals or breasts of a pedestrian (naturally a female). This condition is particularly encountered in the overcrowded local trains and buses in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Singapore and in few other metros.


School refusal: This is a condition refers to an extreme fear of attending school. The condition is particularly popular among children who stammer or have some other impediment. Child Psychologists in the West use this term as a medical term. A child displaying this condition might pretend to be sick or prefer to stay home because of the feeling of safety and security. Some children will refuse to get out of bed or waste as much time as possible while getting ready in the morning. Others will use any possible excuse to throw tantrum and avoid getting to school. Some children will even experience physical symptoms like stomachache, headache or nausea.


Shouting head: A loud and aggressive person, particularly one who is a television pundit or commentator, is termed shouting head. In India, a television is known to hector secular guests who belong to the other side of the saffron divide.


Social Networking: This refers to the use of a web site to connect with people who share similar personal or professional interests, particularly where the people in the site’s database are connected to each other as friends, friends of friends and so on.


Spam: These are irrelevant or inappropriate messages sent via the internet to a large number of users or newsgroups. This term originated in 1930s from spiced ham. The internet meaning is supposedly derived from a sketch (set in a café) by the British comedy group Monty Python where every item on the menu includes spam.


Spim: This refers to unsolicited commercial messages sent via an instant messaging system. There is no system that markers will not exploit. This instant messaging system is the latest system that caught their attention. Spam is something that we are already familiar with. Add Instant Messaging system to spam and you have SPIM.


Stink lines: In an illustration or cartoon, you will notice wavy lines that appear over an object to indicate that it smells bad. So, stink lines indicate the metaphorical stench emanating from something that is extremely bad.


This Chapter is devoted to Neologism- a newly coined word or expression.Here is the list of Neologism.


Terror management: This indicates a set of personal or cultural practices or beliefs that enable an individual or a society to ignore or accept the inevitability of death. This term is also referred to as Terror management theory.


White food: Processed foods like white sugar and all purpose flour or starchy foods such as potatoes, rice and pasta are referred to as white food.


Word Burst: This refers to a rapid rise in both the frequency with which a word is used in a particular context and the rate at which the word’s usage increases over time.


This Chapter is devoted to Neologism- a newly coined word or expression.Here is the list of Neologism.

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