www.savethewords.org
Words pop in and out of the cultural vernacular all the time. I heard a reporter on NPR use the term “bling” to describe a recent fashion trend. Bling? I wonder if the NPR reporter had any clue who invented that word. I bet he doesn’t, because I doubt he listens to Master P and his No Limit Soldiers (uuuuhhhh-tena-neh-nah). Master P first used the term to describe his grill (teeth, for you whiteys out there) and jewelry. There are snooty middle aged NPR listeners having highly intellectual conversations about bling, or the new kicks they just purchased, or the new crunk ringtone they just bought.

While Master P and the internet are adding words to our societal lexicon there are words that are slowly but surely disappearing. And as with everything nowadays there is a website dedicated to this occurrence. www.savethewords.org

The website asks you to sign up to save a word by pledging to use the word as much as possible in conversation with others. The idea is that people all over the English speaking world will start a vocabulary (or is it vocabularic?) revolution by suddenly using these words that are going extinct and therefore resurrect them to their former glory.

I like this idea ostensibly because I like to stretch my vocabulary (by using words like ostensibly). As I’ve noted in the past, it makes other people think you are smart. Even though you may not necessarily be smart, if somebody hears you spout a few words they’ve nary heard they assume you have some preternatural (see I did it again, “preternatural”) intelligence.

I do however have a few problems with this website. First, some of the words that they choose to save aren’t worth saving. For instance, savethewords.org ask you to save the term “ten-cent store,” which is defined as a store that sells most of its items for ten cents. How are you supposed to work “ten-cent store” into conversation? Ten-cent stores don’t exist anymore. There are 99 cent stores and dollar stores, but no such thing as a “ten-cent store.” Are they expecting you to converse with your friends about retail stores of the yesteryear? “You know in the 1960’s, 20 or so years before we were born, they had ‘ten-cent stores.’ I just wanted to bring that up to discuss it.”

Second, they want you to save some words that could only be used on rare occasions or not at all by any normal person. For example, “sireniform,” which means having the lower legs abnormally joined into a single limb. I can’t think of any time in my life where I have seen or had to refer to someone or something that had it’s lower legs abnormally formed into a single limb. Or, “krioboly,” which means a sacrifice of many rams. Again, this is not a word that I think is needed in modern times. I’ve never known some one to sacrifice one ram let alone many rams that would necessitate the use of the word krioboly.

Here is my point about my first two points. We shouldn’t hold on to words for sentimental sake. What is the point of clinging on to outmoded words that have no place in modern times? There is nothing wrong with a word becoming antiquated. As Master P has shown, we are creating more words to take their place. There are certain words that deserve to die because they’re no longer usable. It’s survival of the aptness for words as far as I’m concerned.

That being said, the site is worth checking out if only because it is a fine example of Web 2.0 and they do have some words that are kind of cool or fun to say – not to the point where I would sign up and pledge to reintroduce them to the lexicon, but kind of cool. Such as:

Woundikins – mild curse words
Boreism – behavior of a boring person
Temerate – pertaining to breaking a promise
Pamphagous – eating or consuming everything
Snollygoster - an unprincipled person, especially a politician

Check the site and see if there are any words you think are worth killing or saving. After all it could be very locupletative for you.