Lighten Up!

Note:  There are no visuals for this post.  We wouldn’t want the visuals to distract the reader from proper appreciation of the linguistic creativity to follow.
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Nearly a year ago, columnist R.P. Clark wrote a piece on the uncanny ability of a popular (and controversial) political figure to create neologisms.  You can find it at www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/23/clark.palin.language/index.html.

A neologism is a newly-created word or phrase.  Sometimes – and this is when they are best – they are created accidentally, almost as if the subconscious mind of the speaker is playing a trick.

Mr. Clark admired his protégé’s linguistic creativity even though he admitted not liking her political positions very much.  It was okay that he was not a fan of her politics, because he was writing about language and innovation and creative involvement with the listener.  He stated, "I'm for more fun and more color in political speech."  Me, too!  I’m always for more fun in my life.  And color.

Unfortunately, the great majority of those who commented on the story missed the point.  They wasted no time in attacking the poor politico because their opinions differed from hers.  Or maybe they just attacked her because attacking her had become a conditioned response.  In any case, attack they did.  And then they turned on the unfortunate professor who had the temerity (!) - the unmitigated gall (!) - to see something positive, even humorous in the object of their vile hatred.

I am sorry to have to report this, but that’s how it was.  He wrote a light piece about language.  Most of the readers damned him for not sharing their near-homicidal rage.  A concise example was the commenter who began his post with the statement, “I just wanted to say how much i hate…”  Stop right there.  We understand you more than you think.

Often my reaction to such hate-filled people is to be angry with them for their intolerance and hypocrisy, which are very real and much in evidence in this episode.

Other times, though, like this one, I feel pity for them.  In the first place, they must have very miserable lives.  One cannot always be spreading the gospel of hatred without being filled with negative emotions, despair, angst, and most likely a good portion of self-loathing.  And in the second place, they have lost their sense of humor.  Utterly and completely, it seems… if they ever had a sense of humor to begin with.

Of course, as they would point out, there are things that are not humorous.  Pathos, tragedy, cruelty, disaster, evil – these things are not funny.  Let me point out, though, that every difference of opinion is not a disaster, and those who disagree with us are not necessarily evil.  They might be simply - different.

I cannot imagine getting through life with anything like a reasonable degree of happiness or satisfaction without love and humor.  I am sorry for the ones who hate and despise and don’t know how to let go of their personal dramas long enough to laugh a little.

In the interest of replacing some of the negative melodrama with a bit of good humor, I would like to share with you some neologisms - and other remarks that made me smile - from the comments section following the story.  Some were from well-adjusted persons sharing a laugh.  Others were from despisers who inadvertently made a joke of themselves.  Others were innocent - but funny - miscues.  I paraphrased a couple to make them more concise.  Responses follow each quote.

“Not knowing a word makes you an idiot, not a tread setter.” 
So you can’t fix tires?

“She misdemeanored herself by gutting the English language.”
Two good example of “verbing” – one old and accepted, one new.

[She has a ] “noncanny lability to espew  funny wordisms.”
Obviously an expert in word creation.

“the u s of a would def be even more of a laffing stock than we already r...thanks to geo w…”
Kind of funny to see someone so illiterate criticizing another for lacking linguistic skill.

“this business of making up new words is fabtacular!”
I need to remember  this one.

“I was typing the name of my evil ex, Vernon. Word's suggestion was "vermin." I guess they already knew the guy.”
Cool.  I wonder what they could make of… well, never mind.  This isn’t the place.

“When you consider that English has been cobbled together out of spare parts of other languages over the centuries, neologisms are inevitable.”
Hey, a seriously intelligent observation!

“My vocabulary and grammar may be bad, but people always understand the message I delivery."
Do you do your message delivery in a car or on a bicycle?

"If the best criticism of Bush that you can come up with is his pronunciation of "nuclear", then he was obviously a damn find President.”
As opposed to a damn lose President?

“PALIN 201... never.”
Is that some new course at your junior college?

“The woman is stupid because she is.”
There’s a comment that’s hard to argue with.

“u right, an imbecil… go back 2 ur north pole, AMERICA does not need u. Even though some idiots think tht we need u. 4 real we don't.”
4 real u r a imbecil.

“Plain's an idiot.”
Who’s Plain?

[She] “has a better command of english and President Obama.”
So you’re saying she’s in charge of him? 

“The read states pay less in taxes than any other states.”
Reading gets you out of paying taxes?  Where’s the library?

“If the country is as fed up with this new change Obama has given us as the poles all suggest, then…”
Those crazy Poles!  The ones from Krakow are the worst!

“American appear to be loving the ignorent … and hating the intellegent.  Why is that… missouri loves company.”
That’s true.  I know some people from Missouri and they have people over all the time.

“Oh shuddup...”
That’s concise.  And so falls the final curtain…

Gryphem's advice of the day:  Stop the spite and enjoy life for a change.  There is more to life than dramatic hyperbole and partisan anger.  It’s okay to laugh.  If the laughter is a positive reaction to the ridiculousness or unpredictability of life – then go ahead and laugh!

Take it a little lighter.  Enjoy life.  It’s a far more pleasant experience that way.

Gryphem
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P.S.  Those of you who are paying attention to the relationship between chronology and content in the Gryphem blog may notice – Gryphem is finding ways to work through the existential angst.  Fabtacular!