Pam Webb

Word Nerd: Words Describing Words

Have you been there before, you know that time you were perhaps in a pub trivia round, or rooting for a Jeopardy contestant, or maybe just reaching for that word you maybe remember learning back in tenth grade English?

Those words that describe words is what this post is all about. You are no doubt familiar with that all time favorite onomatopoeia, which is fun to say (and less fun to spell), which means a word that sounds like what it is trying to emulate, such as buzz, ring, meow. Or what about oxymoron, when opposite words are used together, as in jumbo shrimp or Microsoft Works, or a loud whisper.

Ah, but there are so many other words that describe words. How about:

Tmesis: this is taking a compound word and inserting one or more words between the different parts.
“He abso-flippin-lutely said he refused to drive me to the airport.”

Portmanteau: blending two words to form a new word.
“Be a darling, and drive me to the airport. I’ll even treat you to brunch.”

Nonce: an invented word for a specific purpose, as often found in literature.
“Can you recite the Jabberwocky poem?”

Modegreen: replacing a word or phrase for misheard song lyrics.
“We got into a tiff about Cold Play’s song. He said “Dream of a pair of dice.” And I said, “Dream of paradise.” I was right of course, and he treated me to a gelato.

Crash blossom: when a news headline creates an ambiguous meaning, often creating inadvertent humor.
Dad almost fell over laughing when he read “Paramedics Rush to Help Bee Sting Victims” in his newsfeed.

Neologism: a new word or expression that becomes accepted into general use.
“Can you believe how many selfies Jana took on her vacation?”

Malapropism: mistakenly saying a similar sounding word, which can be both humorous and confusing to the listener.
“I tried not to smile when my niece said she liked the banana on my head, when I know she meant to say bandana.”

Counterword: a word that is used in a broader form than its original intent to the point that it has lost its true meaning.
“When I go shopping with Marjie she says everything I try on is nice, so it’s hard to believe if it is or not.”

Euphemism: using a word or phrase to more politely describe something that is awkward or unpleasant.
“Wait for me while I go powder my nose.“

Dysphemism: uses a word or phrase to more harshly describe something.
“My uncle has nothing good to say about that garage and called it a chop shop.”

Weasel words: those words signifying ambiguity that can lessen the impact of a statement.
“I might be able to take you to the airport. It’s likely that I will have time after my appointment.”

Synecdoche: using a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.
“Grandpa will yell “All hands on deck!” when he calls us in to eat supper. I think he is remembering when he was in the Navy and was ordering his sailors to report to duty.”

So, which were new terms to you? I must admit I veer towards weasel words, and I have been known for my malapropisms, but try to pass them off as neologisms or portmanteau words. And for years I thought I was in modegreen thinking whenever I heard Creedence Clearwater wailing about that bathroom on the right. Thanks to YouTube I’m set straight.