A snowclone, if you’re not familiar with the term, is “a type of cliché and phrasal template originally defined as ‘a multi-use, customizable, instantly recognizable, time-worn, quoted or misquoted phrase or sentence that can be used in an entirely open array of different variants.’” (from Wikipedia). For example, X is the new Y, as in “Black is the new pink” or “Sixty is the new forty.” For enough snowclones to build an army of snowclonemen, check out The Snowclones Database.

I became immediately interested in snowclones after learning about them. There are a lot out there… I’m sure one could fill several books with examples.

Today I want to share with you one of my favorites. Any guesses on what it is? I’ll give you a clue: the title of this post! I hope you’ve seen Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, it’s a wonderful movie but I’m not here to review the film.

I’ve been combing the net for for examples of this Snowclone just for the heck of it. Now that I’ve got this blog, I’ll show my findings. Below are examples of “How I Learned to Stop Worring and Love the X”: (more…)

After some thinking, tinkering, and thinkering, I’ve added a blog feature to the site. I’ll still be posting words as often as I can (sorry about the lack up updates lately), but I’ll be posting other things here. I’ll use this space to post news about the site; links, books, and things that you should check out; but mostly my thoughts on words and language that don’t fit into a weird-word-post that you find on the main page.

I named the site On Words and Upwards and not A Nonce-Word A Day Keeps the Doctor Away or something similar to allow for the site to cover multiple topics if I felt like it. On Words just means I need to talk about language! Look how clever I am. The main purpose of the site (wait, I have a purpose in life?) is still to share nonce and obsolete weird words with you; that won’t be changing anytime soon.

And just so there’s something language related in here, I advise you to beware the fysigunkus.

Ostrobogulously,
Gedaly

verb? noun? Nothing in the OED. The definition is unknown… let’s make one up!

Not a sound to break the silence save the plunge of a porpoise or the fluck of the fishes in quest of their evening meal.
A naturalist’s wanderings in the Eastern Archipelago, Heny Ogg Forbes (1885)

It’s time for you to help noncilexicographers everywhere with a definition for this word! I could come up with something — I have my ideas — but I want to hear from you. What the fluck does fluck mean?

It’s a contest to come up with the best definition you can. I’m looking for definitions that fit the quotation above. Loosely, at least. Serious or humorous, it has to make some sense. If you want to send me definitions that don’t make sense with the above, that’s okay too. I’ll feature some of these in a separate list.

What do you win? The chance to imagine that you actually won something. Who cares? You get to make up a word’s definition.

It’s just for fun and I want some interaction with the two of you who actually read this blog. So tell your friends to come play too. That way we’ll have four submissions.

Click here to send me your definitions, or send me a message via Twitter. Entries are due by July 17th, 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time… just because it sounds official.

Start your engines. Ready, set, define!

Thanks for having me here. It’s been a short journey and I could have done it without any help. On Words and Upwards is open for business!

Funny words, weird words, new words, and more words will be found here very soon. The website is still a little wonky. Full of life albeit lacking content. In the meantime feel free to follow onWords on Twitter!

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