Thursday, April 9, 2009

Shoeist and Shoeism

I happened to stumble on this website Addictionary (http://www.addictionary.org/).

My first reaction was …. Please don’t do this to me. :) !

I am a self proclaimed handicap when it comes to remembering all those fancy terms and words. Imagine the plight of such handicapped people.

To date it was some known and unknown intellectuals who coined such words. This website gives a formidable tool in the hands of the public.

Let’s assume that this site becomes a hit, imagine the amount of words that will get added to the English language. People are getting jargon savvy and websites like these tend to increase the number of jargons floating in the academic and work circuit. Even tough I am not a supporter of such jargons, the following thought kept staring me in the face…

Jargons reduce the number words you use to explain something to others. It’s also cool and gives you a feel of being in the league. 

Let me explain this thought with an example, 

Shoeist:  A journalist who throws his shoes at someone, preferably a celebrity or public figure, when he or she disagrees with that person.

USAGE: He is a Shoeist. I am tempted to become a Shoeist.

 Shoeism: The part of journalism where the prime motive is to insult the celebrity by throwing shoes at the person concerned.

USAGE: Don’t make me practice shoeism.

 Now think of a situation where these words don’t exist.

Instead of saying jarnal singh is a shoeist, we have to get into the details, i. e jarnal singh is a journalist who threw his shoes at the Indian home minister because of his discontent ….. on and on.

Addictionary makes our word simple isn’t it?

The answer is subject to your judgement. :)

P. S: Wondering why I am so obsessed with these two words, well I have created these words in that website. J Visit the site and find out the meaning for the following words Shopdrifter, photox, santatized, tipocrite, volunturd, mindsmack.