FutureWire - futurism and emerging technology

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

A "Ginormous" List of "Confuzzling" Words

Well, maybe it's not all that ginormous, but it does contain the best words not in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. The hallowed dictionary publisher recently solicited suggestions for new and obscure words not in its pages, and the responses it received were clever, useful and fun. Among them:

  • confuzzled (adj): confused and puzzled at the same time
  • cognitive displaysia (n): the feeling you have before you even leave the house that you are going to forget something and not remember it until you're on the highway
  • phonecrastinate (v): to put off answering the phone until caller ID displays the incoming name and number
  • troddle (v): to wander around without knowing of doing so
  • snirt (n): snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots that have been plowed

Maybe you won't use these words in everyday speech, but the exercise simply goes to show how language is dynamic and ever-changing.