2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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I’m a Neoterrorist! Oops – I Mean Neoterist… Teehee.

Okay, so I recently signed up for a word-of-the-day email from Dictionary.com (one of my FAVORITE web sites of all time) and today’s word – neoterism – is perhaps my new favorite word, for two reasons. First, because of what it means:

neoterism \nee-OT-uh-riz-uhm\, noun :
1. An innovation in language, as a new word, term, or expression.
2. The use of new words, terms, or expressions.

And second, well, second for how it looks and sounds. Come on, sound it out with me: neoterism \nee-OT-uh-riz-uhm\. For those of us who don’t read phonetics, let me help: nee-oht-er-ism. Read it fast, then say it fast. And then see if you don’t do what I did the first time I said it – which is end up calling yourself a word terrorist. (teehee)

I am one, you know.

No, not a word terrorist. Well, actually… (teehee again)

SIDEBAR: I’m sure many people would beg to differ there and say I am, because I am a relentless corrector of people who misuse words or use lazy language. It’s funny, because I don’t think I’m really the most grammatically correct person all the time – but if you use “whom” and are willing to speak with authority, I’ve found that most people will just assume you are correct. (teehee again again)

As I was saying though, what I mean is that I am a neoterist – I LOVE to make up my own words and expressions. I call them Jillisms, and use them all the time. Sometimes I do them on purpose, and sometimes, well, let’s just say that I have been known to defend a made-up word as real more than once. Just ask The Husband and The Step-Kids about spurrilous, which I ASSURED THEM ALL was a word right up until the then 9-year old Boy Child asked me if that was like scurrilous.

I never really thought about other people having their own version of Jillisms, let alone there being enough other people doing it that there was an entire set of dictionary words in various grammatical forms to describe it. I think that’s FABULOUS.

Don’t get me wrong, I love real language. There are so many interesting and colorful words and expressions in this world – things like “daft cow” and “ostentatious” and “skip the light fandango” – and they deserve to be used. But sometimes you need to say things your own way – because, you know, spurrilous lies are different than scurrilous or even spurious ones. And people need to be encouraged to not be afraid of language or grammar, but to enjoy words and to be clever and creative and say what they need to mean what they say. πŸ™‚

So, my fellow terrorists, I mean, -terists, what are your made up words/expressions/terms?? I’m always looking for a new word or three…

4 comments to I’m a Neoterrorist! Oops – I Mean Neoterist… Teehee.

  • I also came out as a terrorist! But of the best kind… I kill books on a regular basis, ploughing through them, devouring them… And I also get word a day. sometimes they are so obscure that you just have to laugh.
    Great blog, by the way.
    Gwynn

    • I like it Gwynn – and I really hope you enjoy lengthy and return trips to story-lands, because then you can also self-proclaim yourself a serial killer! (teehee) As for word-a-day, I love the obscure words best I think. Where else would you learn some of them?? πŸ™‚

      Thank you so much for your comment and the compliment! I did visit your blog as well – http://todayinshenaya.blogspot.com/ for those of you reading out there – and love the concept of your book’s characters writing the blog… I’ve seen it done once before, and think it’s a clever way to bring people into the world of your story. Well done!

  • Tracy Brown

    Hmmmm…. Does fan-freakin-tastic count? Or my recent fav: fantabulous?

    πŸ™‚

    I owe you an email!

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