Language is always changing, which can make it fun to play with yet also frustrating even stressful to keep up with when learning! Life has been a bit stressful for me recently with midterms, the poetry reading, changes in the house, and the general stress of making a living in Southern California. For this week’s blog, I thought I’d try to have some fun with language and explore some of the new combined words that have cropped up in English. These words are being used all over and have made it not only into the dictionary but even into the scramble book! I guess they are really here to stay.

So pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper, and enter into the crazy world of English where if we don’t have a word for a concept, we will take two related words, smash them together, and create something new and wonderful, or maybe awful, but useful nonetheless!

Brother + Romance  = Bromance (noun)
A bromance is a close nonsexual relationship or intense friendship between men

 

Greg and Bob’s bromance lead them on all kinds of adventures.

BROMANCE

BUZZKILL

 

Buzz + Kill = Buzzkill (noun)

A buzzkill is a depressing person or thing.

 

His bad attitude at the party was a real buzzkill for my friends and me.

Chill + Relax = Chillax (verb)

To chillax means to calm down and relax.

After grading all those midterm exams, I really need to chillax tonight!

CHILLAX

DROOLWORTHY

Drool + Worthy = Droolworthy (adjective)

To be droolworthy means to be extremely desirable.

 

Many people find the latest technology to be droolworthy, but I’d rather have a new book.

Fantastic + Fabulous = Fantabulous (adjective)

To be fantabulous means to be extremely excellent.

 

I had such a fantabulous time at the poetry reading with Sheida Mohamadi and all my friends the other night!

FANTABULOUS

FRENEMY

Friend + Enemy = Frenemy (noun)

A frenemy is an enemy pretending to be or acting like a friend.

You have to watch out for her because she is not really your friend! She is actually a frenemy so be careful what you say!

Frankenstein + Food = Frakenfood (noun)

A Frakenfood is a genetically modified food.

 

With all my food allergies, I have to be very careful in eating Frakenfoods!

FRAKENFOOD

ginormous dog

GINORMOUS

Giant + Enormous = Ginormous (adjective)

To be ginormous means to be extremely large.

That is one ginormous dog you have there!

Stay + Vacation = Staycation (noun)

A staycation is a vacation where you stay at home and chillax.

Since I only had one week off this summer, I just took a staycation before the fall semester started.

STAYCATION

UPCYCLE

Up  + Recycyle = Upcycle (verb)

To upcycle means to take something and turn into something else , maybe something better, rather than throwing it away. 

I love to upcycle a pair of bluejeans into a purse, but the way you upcyled that piano top into a bookcase is fantabulous!

Here’s a little story using the new vocabulary in context.

            Once upon a time, I had a frenemy named Mel. It was a difficult relationship that caused me a ginanomous amount of grief. We worked together in the same office. She would bring me Frakenfoods and then get offended when I couldn’t eat them because of my many food allergies. She often made fun of what I couldn’t eat, making me feel self-conscious. Also, I’m not one much for travel partly because of my food issues. I prefer to spend a fantaboulous staycation in my own familiar environment doing things I love. For example, upcycling things helps me chillax after a hard day of work so for me a tatty pair of old bluejeans is a droolworthy find; Unfortunately, Mel thought second-hand goods were dirty and my interests were dull and she told me so on a regular basis. Her bad attitude was such a buzzkill to my self-esteem. We had such different priorities in life!

If you have time this week, try out one or more of these new words in your own speech or writing. Let me know how it goes for you. Remember, growth it messy, but it can be fun too!