BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE
WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part I: VOCABULARY TEST
The “word of the year” is determined by any of various assessments which determine the most important word in the public sphere in the previous year. Since 1991, the American Dialect Society has designated one or more words or terms to receive the coveted title of “Word of the Year” in the United States. The society also selected the “Word of the 1990s,” web, and the “Word of the 20th Century,” jazz, and the “Word of the Past Millennium,” she. Annual categories for the word of the year include the most original, the most unnecessary, the most outrageous, and the most likely to succeed.
As facilitator for the Beanery Writers Group in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, I opted to present the members with a vocabulary test of the 2008 words of the year, some of which were nominated, and at least one an actual Word of the Year. But first, I asked them if they could define a German Word of the Year, bildschirmbraune
(answer at the end of this vocabulary test).
Below is a list of the twenty words I listed for the test, and the definition that the Beanery Writers chose. The true answers are revealed at: WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part II: VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS (or in the WRITING ARTICLES folder at www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com/). No peeking until you take the test!
The test begins with the sample words, bailout and Obamamania (both with obvious definitions, words chosen by the Global Language Monitor) and wardrobe (verb): My husband needs to be wardrobed by a clothier.
WORD OF THE YEAR 2008 VOCABULARY TEST
WITH SUGGESTED ANSWERS
carborexic: a person who either does not want to eat carbs, or hasn’t eaten enough carbs
cyberchondriac (noun): someone scared of technology; someone who thinks the computer will make him/her ill
edupunk: what you need to learn to become a punk; an educated punk
frugalista: a person who won’t spend money; a person devoted and dedicated to not spending money; a miser
futarchy: something ruled by what will happen in the future
hypermiling: smiling too much; obsessing over something
Joe: coffee; an anonymous “every person,” the middle class
locavore: a person who eats local food, whatever is available
moofer: someone allergic to milk; lacto-intolerant; cow iron; someone who enjoys being with cows
overshare: an overbooked time share dwelling; a time share dwelling rented to multiple persons
photobombing: hanging out of an airplane to take pictures; part of the photographic editing process
plutoid: people who want Pluto to be a planet; some start of being artificial or live; reference to a dog or a Disney character
pregorexia: ppregnant women who do not eat much; full of stuff
rewilding: taking a populated area that has been vacated back to the wild; bringing wonderful things like coyotes, lions and tigers into civilization; nurturing wild animals and releasing them; after one has done one wilding, they will not do it again
stag-deflation: let the air out of something; the decreasing male ego
staycation: something shorter than a vacation; a holiday which a person does not return from because they like to play so much
throwie: someone who can be dispensed with, who is no longer needed; someone you can take your angst out on
topless meeting: no man at the helm; meeting with no men
tweet: form of word sweet—something nice; combination of tart and sweet
youthanasia (noun): the young people in the Olympics in China in 2008; an entire generation of lost, braindead teenagers
NOTE: The above is the attempt of the Beanery Writers Group members to define the Words of the Year for 2008. They are NOT the true definitions. The actual definitions will be posted at a later date!
ANSWER: bildschirmbraune: Tan complexion of someone who spends too much time at a computer.
The Beanery Writers Group invites you to add your definition to this list. Define any one or more of these words and put your answers in the comment box. Thanks!
Click on WORDS OF THE YEAR 2008 Part II: VOCABULARY DEFINITIONS to discover the ACTUAL definitions of the words in the vocabulary test!
ADDITIONAL READING (posts on writing):
DEVELOPING CHARACTERS IN NOVEL WRITING
JOURNALIST ETHICS CONCERNING THE RECEIPT OF GIFTS
WHO CARES?
THE TIME IS NOW…
WHAT IS THE KEY INDICATOR TO YOUR WRITING SUCCESS?
HOW TO MARKET YOUR BOOK ONLINE
BAD WRITING CONTESTS
THE ART OF THE INTERVIEW: Things Writers Should Know
HOW THE BEANERY ONLINE LITERARY MAGAZINE WAS CREATED
ARE WEBSITES (BLOGSITES) BENEFICIAL TO WRITERS?
DOES EXAGGERATING THE TRUTH CREATE GOOD STORIES?
SELF-PUBLISHING AS I WANDER THROUGH IT
MORALITY IN WRITING
JOURNALISM QUESTION
DAVID PAGE: Notes from St. David’s Writer’s Conference
THE WRITING LIFE: There’s a World Out There?
THE WRITING LIFE CONTINUES
ALL SUMMER IN A DAY: The Use of Descriptive Language
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