Neologisms: not so Neo

I always relished the concept of Sniglets as a child, watching first-class ’80s television. I distinctly remember the way the permutations made me giggle so I guess I’ve always been a language nerd.

Of course, there is a fancier term, “neologism” which clearly refers to a phenomenon as old as language itself: “a newly coined term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use but that has not yet been accepted into mainstream language.”

As you read about Sniglets, you’ll see that they provide real educational value. I posit there is also business value as well. For instance, this week I identified what I now realize is a mirker: someone who creates tasks at meetings but shirks all action items related to those tasks.

At the bottom of my heart, I believe there are many more sniglets out there, just waiting to be discovered, like a statue buried deep inside a large chunk of clay (realizing I’m actually nearing another ’80s classic).

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