Tuesday, April 28, 2009

To Coin a Word

I like the phrase "to coin a word." It suggests so many cool things. It suggests that language can be treasured like money. It suggests that the right word at the right time may be rare and valuable. It suggests that the ability to invent new words is like the engraver's art, and that the process of bringing such a word into common usage is like the minting of money.

In the spirit of "sniglets," a kind of "funny money" as it were, I would like to present the following coinage for you to collect and display.

So, a male cat is a tom, all right? What if we call a neutered male a tim?

Thank you. No, please, you're too kind. I'm here all week!

No comments: