“Refudiate” This: Inventing New Words with Sarah Palin

July 22nd, 2010

Love her or hate her, you’ve got to admit Sarah Palin is human like the rest of us. In the past week, Palin used the word “refudiate” twice, once on television and then again on Twitter. Problem is, “refudiate” is not a word. Perhaps she was trying to make a clever new word out of “refuse” and “repudiate”?

Then again, maybe not.

When called out for speaking what I like to now call “Palinese,” she tweeted out at @SarahPalinUSA: “Refudiate,” “misunderestimate,” “wee-wee’d up.” English is a living language. Shakespeare liked to coin new words too. Got to celebrate it!

Well, Ms. Palin, you got me there. Shakespeare did coin quite a few words, as did Lewis Carroll. But they did so for the sake of literature, not because they didn’t know their vocabulary. But I’ll commend you for calling yourself out on your mistakes, and in your honor, I give you five college-themed words that I feel should be added to the English language:

1. ramender: A note you write to yourself when you need to buy some snacks for your dorm because all you have left to eat are stale ramen noodles.

2. all-tighter: When you stay up all night, crying and complaining to roommates that none of your clothes fit anymore since you’ve gained the Freshman 15.

3. campush: The act of dragging yourself out of bed on a cold winter morning to get to a class on the other side of campus.

4. coffiend: What you are until you get your first dose of caffeine.

5. infernoship: Despite what they told you at your interview, you are earning “real world experience” by going out on endless coffee runs and making copies. In short, you’re pretty sure that if Dante were alive, he’d add your internship to one of his rings of hell.

Got a word to add? Tweet us @CollegeBoundNet or leave a comment below.

–Barbara Bellesi

Entry Filed under: Just for Fun,News