The Washington Post's "Style Invitational" asks readers to take any word from
the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and
supply a new definition. Here are some recent winners:
Foreploy: any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of obtaining
sex.
Fortissimoe: the musical moment produced when someone serially slaps the faces
of the first-violin section.
Tatyr: a lecherous Mr. Potato Head.
Doltergeist: a spirit that decides to haunt someplace stupid, such as your
septic tank.
Giraffiti: vandalism spray-painted very, very high, such as the famous
"Surrender Dorothy" on the Beltway overpass.
Sarchasm: the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the recipient who
doesn't get it.
Contratemps: the resentment permanent workers feel toward the fill-in workers.
Coiterie: a very VERY close-knit group.
Whitetater: a political hot potato.
Impotience: eager anticipation by men awaiting their Viagra prescription.
Reintarnation: coming back to life as a hillbilly.
Inoculatte: to take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
Hipatitis: terminal coolness.
Taterfamilias: the head of the Potato Head family.
Guillozine: a magazine for executioners.
Suckotash: a dish consisting of corn, lima beans and tofu.
Burglesque: a poorly planned break-in. (See: Watergate)
Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad
vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like a serious
bummer.
Glibido: all talk and no action.
Antifun gal: a prude.
Vaseball: a game of catch played by children in the living room.
Eunouch: the pain of castration.
Hindkerchief: really expensive toilet paper; toilet paper at Buckingham
palace.
Deifenestration: to throw all talk of God out the window.
Hozone: the area around 14th street.
Acme: a generic skin disease.
Dopeler effect: the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at
you rapidly.
Hindprint: indentation made by a couch potato.
Intaxication: euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you
realize it was your money to start with.
Newtspaper: the Washington Times.
Nazigator: an overbearing member of your carpool.