Carrie's Blog

New Words



The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again
asked readers to take any word from the dictionary,
alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one
letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully.
Each is an artificial word with only one letter
altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically
innovative.

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax
refund, which lasts until you realize it was your
money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a
hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid
people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.
The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign
of breaking down in the near future.

4. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house,
which renders the subject financially impotent for
an indefinite period.

5. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very
high.

6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of
sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when
you are running late.

8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

9. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This
one got extra credit.)

10. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is
sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And
then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a
serious bummer.

11. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting
through the day consuming only things that are good
for you.

12. Glibido: All talk and no action.

13. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas
to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

14. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance
performed just after you've accidentally walked
through a spider web.

15. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a
mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the
morning and cannot be cast out.

16. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after
finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.