the secret's already out...

[kuangning]

... so burying this in a comment is kind of shabby. Not one word, zibblsnrt. Not one... cause fearghaill already beat you to it.


Cairsten's Rules for Slaying the English Language.

1. You may not break the rules of grammar until you know them.
   
   
2. You must understand that you are breaking the rules.
   
   
3. Breaking the rules can be done for fun or profit.
   
   
4. Breaking the rules is best done on purpose, for amusement.
   
   
5. If you must break the rules, break them horribly.
   
   
6. There are accepted ways in which the rules can be broken. Know them.
   
   
7. There is a time and place for everything, including language-slaying.
   
   
8. Any noun can be verbified.
   
   
9. Nounifying a verb is proper English and gets you no points.
   
   
10. Creating words is perfectly acceptable IF:
    * Your audience immediately understands your meaning.
    * Your audience suffers pangs of envy because they didn't think of that word first.
    * Bonus points if your new word gets lexiconified immediately.
    * You have succeeded perfectly if you later hear someone who wasn't in your audience use your word, without knowing the source or without realising that the word won't be found in any dictionary.
    *Eventual dictionarification is the ultimate accolade.
    
    
11. Language-slaying is not to be undertaken by the faint of heart or the uptight of spirit.
    
    
12. Language-slaying is not to be attempted as a time-saver. In fact, it is best if your new word is longer than the grammatically correct phrasing, yet is more apt.
    
    
13. Language-slaying is to be undertaken with egregious attitudinality.

Comments

[earlylight.livejournal.com]

I've done #12 in the past, rather successfully I'd like to think.

Re:

[kuangning]

Hway! Language-slayers Anonymous, here we come. :) Or not. :)

Re:

[earlylight.livejournal.com]

No it definitely sounds like a plan!

In the past I've been a copy editor for several different things. So I'm quite aware of those not worthy of being a Language Slayer. Me? I'm just lazy now and write in a way that makes me happy and also reminds me of my speech in real. I am a true subject jumper.

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

*giggle* Thanks! I like those rules. I do, sometimes, wish that more people knew the early ones.

Re:

[kuangning]

I do, too. :) One must earn the right to be a language-slayer. ;)

[scrypto.livejournal.com]

8. Any noun can be verbified.

I submit that the same is true for adjectives - e.g.,
GUILTIED! (http://www.whack.org/~skott/guiltied.html)

[galith.livejournal.com]

This is just too good (and on topic)

http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?itemid=22033240&nc=1

[kuangning]

LOL...

[fearghaill.livejournal.com]

repeated here for the benefit/amusement of all- Welcome to the Dark Side, Cair.

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

Hee hee hee.. Converted. ;)

(and this is eleven words, so nyeah!)

[kuangning]

*sob*