Washington Post Style (Stale) Invitational and neologisms

Thu Feb 3 19:05:26 UTC 2011

Several Publications, including the New York Magazine had similar
"contests" in the 1950s, but, like various fake tests that "prove" how
much more students learned in schools in the 1880s, the viral versions
tend to disguise the sources and insert additional lines.

     VS-)

On 2/3/2011 1:51 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
> Ronald Butters wrote:
>> Did this list already get posted here? If so, my apologies.
>> I found it delightful.
> A partial version of this list was sent to the ADS list in 1999.
> Other versions of the list were sent in 2000, 2001 and 2010. Joel
> asked about one version that was sent to him:
>
> Joel S. Berson wrote on 27 May 2010
>> Recently sent to me is the following alleged winners' list from the
>> Washington Post yearly neologism contest.  However, I find in a
>> message in the ADS-L archives from 9 Feb 2001
>> --Subject: Neologisms
>> -- ten of the same words.*  What's going round --
> Periodically a list like this "goes viral". The introduction to the
> list and the list of words are sometimes altered. The name of the
> contest varies, e.g., "Style Invitational" or "Mensa Invitational". I
> think the actual title for one of the relevant contests was the "Stale
> Invitational" and it was part of the "Style Invitational". Stale was
> created by changing one letter of Style. This contest was based on
> generating a new word by changing one letter. A contest announcement
> appeared 1998 July 12:
>
> The Style Invitational; Week 278: The Stale Invitational:
> The Washington Post [Washington, D.C] 12 July 1998: pp. F02. (ProQuest)
>
> The results of the contest for Week 278 were published during Week 281
> on 1998 August 2:
>
> The Stool Invitational; Week 281: Calculate the Odds:
> The Washington Post [Washington, D.C] 02 Aug 1998: pp. F02. (ProQuest)
>
> ...
> Report from week 278:
>
> in which you were asked to take any word from the dictionary, alter it
> by adding, subtracting, or changing a letter, and supply a new
> definition.
>
> Fifth Runner-Up: Foreploy: any misrepresentation about yourself for
> the purpose of obtaining sex. (Greg Oetjen, Lorton)
>
> Fourth Runner-Up: Fortissimoe: the musical moment produced when
> someone serially slaps the faces of the first-violin section. (Jean
> Sorensen, Herndon)
>
> Third Runner-Up: Tatyr: a lecherous Mr. Potato Head. (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
>
> Second Runner-Up: Doltergeist: a spirit that decides to haunt
> someplace stupid, such as your septic tank. (David Genser, Arlington)
>
> First Runner-Up: Giraffiti: vandalism spray-painted very, very high,
> such as the famous "Surrender Dorothy" on the Beltway overpass. (Robin
> D. Grove, Arlington)
>
> And the winner of the two-foot-high baby bottle:
>
> Sarchasm: the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and
>
> the recipient who doesn't get it. (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
>
> Honorable Mentions:
>
> Necronancy: communication with the late Ernie Bushmiller. (Chuck
> Smith, Woodbridge)
>
> Contratemps: the resentment permanent workers feel toward the fill-in workers.
>
> (Kevin Mellema, Falls Church)
>
> Coiterie: a very very close-knit group.
>
> (Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park)
>
> Whitetater: a political hot potato.
>
> (Art Grinath, Takoma Park)
>
> Impotience: eager anticipation by men awaiting their Viagra
> prescription. (Meg Sullivan, Potomac)
>
> Elepants: too-tight jeans on broad-beamed people. (Steve Fahey, Kensington)
>
> Lollapalooka: someone who has taken one too many turns in the mosh
> pit. (Philip Delduke, Bethesda)
>
> Auto-da-feh: the extermination of heretics via drowning in a vat of
> pus. (Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park)
>
> Stupfather: Woody Allen. (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
>
> Reintarnation: coming back to life as a hillbilly. (Barry Blyveis, Columbia)
>
> DIOS: the one true operating system.
>
> (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
>
> Inoculatte: to take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
> (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
>
> Thripp: a bug. (Bee Perrin, Washington)
>
> Hipatitis: terminal coolness. (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
>
> Writer's tramp: a woman who practices poetic licentiousness. (Meg
> Sullivan, Potomac)
>
> Goodzilla: a giant lizard that puts out forest fires by stamping on
> them. (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
>
> Taterfamilias: the head of the Potato Head family. (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
>
> Guillozine: a magazine for executioners.
>
> (Barry Blyveis, Columbia)
>
> Osteopornosis: a degenerate disease.
>
> (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
>
> Adulatery: cheating on one's wife with a much younger woman who holds
> you in awe.
>
> (Joseph Romm, Washington)
>
> Suckotash: a dish consisting of corn, lima beans and tofu. (Russ
> Beland, Springfield)
>
> Emasculathe: a tool for castration.
>
> (Steve Fahey, Kensington)
>
> Sata: a mythical being who brings toys to bad children. (Tom Witte,
> Gaithersburg)
>
> Burglesque: a poorly planned break-in.
>
> (See: Watergate) (Jennifer Hart, Arlington)
>
> 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. (Meg Sullivan, Potomac)
>
> Genitaliar: an image-enhancing object that can be carried in a man's
> front pocket.
>
> (Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park)
>
> Glibido: all talk and no action. (Tom Witte, Gaithersburg)
>
> Antifun gal: a prude. (Elden Carnahan, Laurel)
>
> Vaseball: a game of catch played by children in the living room. (Russ
> Beland, Springfield)
>
> Eunouch: the pain of castration.
>
> (Jonathan Paul, Garrett park)
>
> Hindkerchief: really expensive toilet paper; toilet paper at Buckingham Palace.
>
> (Dave Zarrow, Herndon)
>
> Deifenestration: to throw all talk of God out the window. (Paul
> Kondis, Alexandria)
>
> Hozone: the area around 14th Street.
>
> (Stephen Dudzik, Silver Spring)
>
> Acme: a generic skin disease. (Sandra Hull, Arlington)
>
> Dopeler effect: the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they
> come at you rapidly. (Greg Oetjen, Lorton)
>
> Hindprint: indentation made by a couch potato. (Dave Zarrow, Herndon)
>
> Intaxication: euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts
> until you realize it was your money to start with. (Greg Oetjen,
> Lorton)
>

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