How do new words get introduced into the English language?
English is a wonderfully rich language with a massive vocabulary, but sometimes you run into a situation where an existing English word won’t do. As such, people will try something new.I reviewed all the new dictionary words for 2018 and they tend to fall into these categories:Taking an existing English verb or noun and making a new part of speech with it. That’s how we got “prioritize” from “priority” because “make a list of priorities” didn’t have the same ring to it. Purists hate this approach (‘Priority’ is a noun, you can’t make it a verb!). In 2018, “Predictive” was added to the dictionary because it has entered common use to replace “that makes predictions” turning a noun into an adjective.Portmanteaus - taking two perfectly fine English words and mashing them together. Instead of “Biological Technology” we now have “biotech”. Two added in 2018 were “biohacking” and “fintech”.Shortenings. Some words are just too long. I remember the film “The Sum of All Fears” that introduced me to “rekkie” for “reconnaissance”. Some added to the dictionary in 2018 were “marg” (margarita), “fav” (favourite) and even “bougie” (bourgeois).But of course, English is the worst thief in the world and has been borrowing from other languages ever since the Normans landed in 1066. My favorite is how “kar-a-o-ke” became “care-e-oh-key” when English borrowed “karaoke”. New borrows in 2018 were “iftar” (meal taken by Muslims to break a fast) and “gochujang” (Korean chili paste).
What are some slang terms used among police officers?
The most derogatory terms for the bad guys and citizens who are just pains in the rectum:A.H. = Adam Henry (A-dam H-enry) If you don’t get it…..sometimes you will hear it as “Jack Hole”…..now what starts with an “A” that ends with HOLE ?RICHARD CRANIUM= What starts with a “D” and is a nickname for Richard ? What is the non-medical layman’s term for the Cranium ? Do these clues HEAD you in the right direction ?