I went on a great trip this holiday weekend. Rented an adorable cottage, swam in the lake, met new people, etc. So I came home and thought, jokingly, about composing a novella about my trip that would illustrate my adventures and allow me to engage in some titular mocking of Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. I thought I’d call it Drink, Swim, Boink. But boink?! What a hideous word.

And yet, as monosyllabic synonyms for sex go, there aren’t many less hideous than that. The F word comes to mind, but it’s so overused and it really doesn’t send the right message. We also have:
Bed
Breed
Lay
Mate
Schtup

And then several more two-word combinations or multi-syllable offerings that just don’t seem to fit the motif. Come on, Drink, Swim, Make It is just comical.

And all this roundabout synonym talk brings me to the purpose of my post. Not to cause thoughts of a Chris Isaak video, but to illuminate a new-to-me definition of one of my favorite activities in high school Spanish class: conjugate. Oh, the linguistic gems we find when searching for other linguistic gems!

Yes, we’re all familiar with conjugate as a verb you do to a verb. Conjugation accounts for tense, subject, number, mood, voice and other categories. Nothing new here.

But conjugate also means to join together, especially in a pair. Hence conjugate and conjugal (as in visit) have the same root. Fascinating stuff! And, etymologically, the root that binds all of these is one that means marriage or yoke and so evokes all those chattel-related images some of us aren’t fond of.

The word has applications in science and math, too, related to joining elements or compounds or grouping things based on common properties.

So, there you have it. I guess conjugation is more enjoyable than I imagined.

As for my novella, it’s probably better as an idea than it would be as a document.

Have fun, folks.

N

Hi, everyone. Gosh, I’ve really been remiss in my updates. Let’s hope someone still reads this.

Today, a colleague passed along an article from Cracked called, “15 Words You Won’t Believe They Added to the Dictionary.” It’s funny, but it’s right; I don’t believe these have been added to the dictionary. I’d be fun to see words like “grrrl” and “prebuttal” show up, but I did my due diligence and, as far as I can tell, these have not yet been added to the OED.

See, the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) produces additions and revisions quarterly, so it’s easy to find out what’s been newly accepted as an official part of our language. These additions account for innovations in science and technology (”podcasting” in December 2008) or new additions to vernacular (”chill pill” in June 2007 which, by the way, is slang derived from slang). Thankfully, the OED publishes these additions on its Web site.

Don’t believe the hype; find out for yourself here. You can also track revisions, which is a pretty cool thing, since it means someone found an older instance or an additional meaning of an existing entry. And that’s some scrappy research work, folks, since some OED entries go back farther than the discovery of what’s now the United States.

By the way, for those of you seeking something fun to do on Thursday night, I encourage you to tune in to the Scripps National Spelling Bee (as I stifle yelps of delight). ABC. 8 p.m. EST. Happiness and joy. Let’s hope they’re streaming it on the Web. Sometimes I hate not having TV. In the meantime, you can follow the Bee on Twitter for updates. I sure am!

Goodnight, moon.

N

Since I’m such a fervent lover of most words, it makes sense that there’d be a few I dislike, too. Intubate is one of these. It’s not in my list of the top five most detestable words of all time (I’ll eventually get to all of them, if not all at once), but it’s definitely up there. And it’s not because I dislike its meaning, sound or etymology, or because I get skeeved when I think about it happening, either.

It’s because I envy its easy construction and wish we could make more verbs this way. It’s so simple: preposition + noun + suffix “ate” (which derives from the Latin word for “to do”). I’ll grant that, in English, we often make verbs from noun-or-adjective + ate/en/ite/ize, but none seem so smugly simple as intubate. And I think it’s the preposition at the front end that does it.

I mean, wouldn’t it be great if, instead of saying, “put my shoes on,” I could say “onshoeate myself?” Or perhaps I could intrunkate my brief case or the monster of my childhood imagination could underbedate itself.

Two close approximations, off the top of my head, are:

• Insinuate: preposition + noun sinu (Latin root for bend or curve, from sinus) + ate
• Underestimate: preposition + noun esteem (Latin root for value or appraise) + ate

Nonetheless, there are far too few of these. I think, over the next few weeks, I’m going to mentally identify the myriad possibilities for reconjugating our verbs into this format.

To boot, I dislike intubate’s grandiose sense of it’s own importance, but that could just come connotatively from the people who use it (or the fact that it’s an important thing to do in many instances).

I’m off to inbedate myself for the night.

Cheers,

- N

OK, I give, 808 is more a series of numbers (or one number) than a word, but still, what does it mean? I’m talking 808 as in the thing Kelis is back with cuz she’s bossy or the things that accompany heartbreak in Kanye’s most recent album. I suspect this is the kind of thing one might find on UrbanDictionary.com…

Turns out, 808 means several things. The two citations above refer to the Roland TR-808, “a revolutionary computer-controlled rhythm machine which offers up to 768 measures of programming at a time.” This item might also be known as a sweet ass drum machine. More specifically, 808 refers to the bass drum track from this machine, which is apparently a popular sample.

Here’s a documentary about the TR-808 (slight music-related geekiness and 11 minutes required to enjoy):

The collective consciousness behind UrbanDictionary.com also claims 808 is the penal code for disturbing the peace, however I found no evidence to corroborate this claim.

808 is also the area code for the entire state of Hawaii. Incidentally, Montana is another state that, despite its size, has only one area code.

- N

I’m kicking off the new year with the launch of a new feature, the book review. Unlike other book reviews, though, mine will focus on the word most central to each reviewed book and detail the author’s thoughts about that word. I chose to open this feature with Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them (Nerds) for two reasons. First, it’s an amazingly well-written, useful book, and second, I am a nerd. At least I thought I was before I picked up this book, but more on that later.

Author (and nerd) David Anderegg, Ph.D. blames the country’s educational, social and economic stagnation on our communal dislike of people who are smart, specialized, interested in math and science, etc. From a very young age, he argues, we train our citizens to make fun of other kids based on the “nerd” stereotype. So much so, apparently, that many kids today choose pretending to be less smart/skilled over having their nerdiness diagnosed (as subsequently living through unpleasant social interactions).

There’s far too much goodness throughout Nerds to detail even half of Anderegg’s excellent points. Instead, I’ll share his definition of “nerd” with you and then highlight some of my favorite things about this book.

In chapter one of Nerds, “The Field Guide to Nerds, or, Why Nerds are so Gay,” Anderegg’s section, “Nerds and Geeks: Same or Different?” offers up some good definitions. Here’s an excerpt:

…What better place to turn for a definition of a folk concept than Wikipedia, the repository of all folk wisedom? Wikiepdia tells us that a nerd is ‘a stereotypical or archetypal designation.’ It ‘refers to somebody who passionately pursues intellectual or esoteric interests such as books and video games rather than having a social life, participating in organized sports or other mainstream activities.’ The Merriam-Webster definition is an ‘unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially: one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits.’

… Geek self-tests are an awful lot like nerd self-tests:There is the emphasis on intelligence, technical knowledge, social awkwardness, and physical repulsiveness that adheres in both concepts.

… On the topic of differences between nerds and geeks, the Wiki says: … ‘Some view the geeks as a less technically skilled nerd. Others view the exact opposite. The lines between geek and nerd are often thin and ill-defined’; however, the consensus is that ‘a geek is a person who obsesses in one area or another, whereas a nerd is a highly intelligent person who is very scholarly and does well in many domains such as math, science, computing, etc. Nerds are more associated with obsessive knowledge…

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On the 15th day of Movember — the month in which men worldwide grow moustaches to raise funds for prostate cancer research and awareness — I thought it fitting to explore the word “mo.” In this context, Mo is Australian slang for moustache.

This month, a bunch of guys at work are sporting Mos (and calling themselves Mo Bros) to raise awareness of (and money for) men’s health issues. Something like a 5K race or, my childhood favorite, Jump Rope for Heart, Movember participants collect donations in exchange for growing a Mo. And the Mo-prostate connection makes sense. There’s only one thing more manly than a moustache, right?!

Have a gander at the Movember US home page for info., hilarious video clips and other fun toys. This site is really well-designed and creative, and it’s got a lot of funny time-suck material. I’m partial to the Mo Barber Shop, where you can upload a photo of yourself and see how you’d look with a Mo. Here I am with a “wispy”:

Circus ready, folks. Thank gawd for my German ancestry!

If you’re intrigued with Mo terminology, as I am, you should check out the MO-xford Dictionary and get ready to crack up! And, if you’re passionate about mustache history, you can visit one of my new favorite blogs, Moustaches of the Nineteenth Century.

Since “Mo” is a slang term, there’s not much etymology to be found (despite the apparent wealth of moustache-related Web properties). That’s OK, though. Sometimes we get to be new critics of words. And anyway, if the word “Mo” offers us a fun way to help others, then I’m all about it.

- N

Obama, the surname of the soon-to-be 44th (but the first African American) President of the United States of America. Obama was elected yesterday with 338 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote. For many in the US, the word Obama also carries with it connotations of change and hope. I don’t mean to turn this into a political post; I mostly just want my blog to be timely and relevant as much as it’s evergreen and irreverent.

Obama is also lauded, rightly so, for being a master of social media. Read this ReadWriteWeb article, Obama’s Social Media Advantage, to check out some of the tools that he used more effectively than the other guys. All in all, his campaign was awesome. He has some brilliant strategists on his team.

Historically, the taller and more handsome candidate has always won (at least since the debates have been televised). This time is no different. Tell me those aren’t great teeth!

Last night, Obama addressed a packed crowd in Chicago. He began with these words:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

For more speeches, videos, downloads, blogs, photos, music and info., visit BarackObama.com.

And if you’re like many in this country who got really fired up about this election and are now somewhat bored and bereft (even if you’re happy your candidate won), you would probably enjoy this WSJ article, Campaign addicts now confront the morning after: As election coverage fades, news junkies break old habits; Getting to know the kids. That, folks, is what they call a run-on sentence.

Geekily yours,

N

This entry is inspired by its predecessor. After thinking for a while about the word überraschen, German for surprise, I started to wonder whether or not it was a compound word. Über, obviously, is a word. It turns out raschen is not a stand-alone, kind of like how people can be overwhelmed but not just plain whelmed (and not underwhelmed, either. That’s not a word. “I know it’s not ‘cuz I looked it up.”).

But the thing about whelm, I’ve found, is that it’s more commonly-used relative, overwhelm, is actually a synonym, too. I thought, initially, that whelm meant something and overwhelm meant that same thing, only to a greater extent. Nope. Whelm and overwhelm have exactly the same meaning. Overwhelm is a redundancy. In fact, they’re used in each other’s definitions. And they both have marine roots.

… but they may whelm you. We hope that works out.

Whelm comes from the Old English hwielfan, to cover over. Etymologists say it was probably altered because of its close relation to the Old English helmian, to cover, which is the root of the contemporary English word helmet. Anyway, nowadays whelm means to cover or engulf with water, to immerse, submerge or overcome by some other stimuli, like emotions. Overwhelm, as I mentioned, carries these same definitions, except its generally used to convey the overcome-by-emotional-stimuli part.

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Kinder Überraschung, or children surprise (also “Kinder Egg”), is the name of a glorious candy egg available in Germany and throughout most of Western Europe. As you might have guessed by its name, each egg has a surprise toy inside.

Kinder Eggs are not available in the U.S. except when brought back by someone who was recently in Europe, as is the case with the egg I have resting beside me presently (thanks, Kai). Apparently, legislation was passed in the 1930s that barred candy from containing non-food items. Someone probably choked to death in an idiotic way. That is, after all, how we come by most of our legislation in this country.

Nonetheless, I’ve come to posses one, which pleases me immensely. As a small child, I traveled to Germany with my parents. I remember very little from that trip, but I remember loving Kinder Eggs. As an adult, they’re no less wonderful. I’m using mine as an exercise in self-control despite my intense longing to know whether it’s one of the rare eggs with a Smurf inside.

And the makers of Kinder Überraschung are quite Web savvy — some eggs contain Internet surprises; unique pass codes that open up interactive games and downloads. Very cool! Check out this ad from 2007 to get a feel for what you’re missing:

Thank you, Herr Blum, for giving me back a small piece of my childhood and making my sister envious :)

Lass dich überraschen,

Nicole

First coined by (go figure) British social commentator Mark Simpson in a 1994 Independent article, metrosexual has grown — as new words tend to do — latching itself on to everything from personal grooming habits to pant lengths. Simpson (pictured left), if I may say so, is more of a dandy than a metro.

More on “dandy” later, perhaps. Today, I’ll not only share a set of definitions, but I’ll also explore a personal theory, that metrosexual is a new word, but not such a new phenomenon.

So, what makes a man a metrosexual? Canadian Web site Filly.ca offered up some great definitions in the article, “Is He a Metrosexual?” If you have some time, I highly recommend a read, since this article also spends some time defining colloquial gems SNAG, Renaissance Man, Primp, Martha Studly and Skexual. Love it. Returning to our metro question, the folks at Filly say:

The newly popular media and marketing buzzword seems to mean different things to different people, but in general, a metrosexual:

• Is a modern, usually single man in touch with himself and his feminine side
• Grooms and buffs his head and body, which he drapes in fashionable clothing both at work or before hitting an evening hotspot
• Has discretionary income to stay up to date with the latest hairstyles, the newest threads, and the right shaped shoes
• Confuses some guys when it comes to his sexuality
• Makes these same guys jealous of his success with the ladies - for many metros, to interact with women is to flirt
• Impresses the women who enjoy his company with the details that make the man.

Among them:

• His appreciation for literature, cinema, or other arts
• His flair for cooking
• His savoir faire in choosing the perfect wine and music
• His eye for interior design
• Is a city boy or, if living a commute away from downtown, is still urbane, if not rightly urban
• Enjoys reading men’s magazines…

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