TV Words

[Jonathan Lighter]

I heard one yesterday on the news but stupidly ignored it. Momzilla?  Dadzilla?

  I thought I'd just invented those, but suddenly there are 15,000 RG's for one and nearly 10,000 for the other !  Parentzilla ?  A mere 40.  Bushzilla ?  Over 1,000.

  There's also Britzilla, bratzilla, Cheneyzilla, Kerryzilla, Hil(l)aryzilla, Hitlerzilla, Jesuszilla, Satanzilla, Crunkzilla, Weedzilla, Crackazilla, Geekazilla, Freakazilla, Vanillazilla, chillazilla, thrillazilla, Manilazilla, Billazilla, Fillazilla, Jillazilla, Killazilla....

  No Tombombadillazilla though.

  Most frightening ?

  Gorillazilla.

  Best in class ?

  Holy crapazilla !

  JL



Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Charles Doyle
Subject: Re: TV Words
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I believe the "TV words" of interest in this conversation a few days ago were mostly spoken (and thence popularized) by fictional characters on television shows. But "non-fiction" TV has also contributed to the general lexicon, either coining or popularizing words.

I'm thinking of "bridezilla," which I have heard several times recently in reference to specific young women who were in the (cantankerous) process of getting hitched; a graduate student of mine even referred to herself by that appellation. I expect there are other suffixed "-zilla" words?

--Charlie

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