Nontroversy: Let Your Words Be Few

 

+It’s when the news makes a big deal out of stuff that’s not really a big deal but they make it seem like a big deal. What’s the word for that?

Nontroversy.

(For more nontroversy visit John Ridley’s Top Nontroversies of 2011 article on NPR).

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Communicating succinctly, whether in speech or in writing, is paramount. If our listeners/viewers must wade through superfluous wordiness (wordiness intended) to decode the intent of our words, we’ve lost our audience. To accomplish to-the-point-speech (could’ve used the word ‘succinct’ again, but that would be pedantic) we have to make up a few words which don’t exist.

The list that follows is by no means exhaustive. Share your own word shortcuts in the comments for us all to benefit…

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+It’s when you check your phone, just to see what time it is and set it down ten minutes later after having played Words With Friends, checked Facebook, and read e-mail from all six of your e-mail addresses and still not know what time it is…

Phoneomenon.

+It’s when you start driving to work when you didn’t intend to drive to work just because your body and mind go into auto-pilot while driving to church, the mall, or any other weekend activity that’s non-work related…

Faketrip.

+It’s when you open a gift for your birthday/Christmas/anniversary/secretary’s day and express your love and adoration for the gift while secretly thinking of how to exchange it, barter for better, or where the nearest charity dropbox is on your way to work or your next faketrip…

Presentpooper.

+It’s when you start your car to defrost it on a cold day then get inside and have to wait for it to defrost the icy parts you didn’t scrape off the windshield.

Frostwait.

What are your succinct suggestions?


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Author: Andrew Zahn

I'm a son, husband, dad, business owner, actor and good sleeper/eater. On this blog, I pave a highway for creative growth by providing food, water, and shelter for those wishing to live, work, and play with creative zest.

4 thoughts on “Nontroversy: Let Your Words Be Few”

    1. Chris,

      That’s awesome! I didn’t even think of doing that.

      Now I’m off to have my Versacme Day…

  1. Designer grocery shopping? Anyway, here’s my contribution, though not an official blend, but consider it practice for me:

    trashtipping; The physical result of the canine discovery that with a simple two-pawed “grab and pull” in the kitchen, a nice snack can be acquired.

    “Honey, time to get a lidded can in the kitchen. Looks like we’ve been trashtipped!”

    1. Greatness Duane! Trashtipping also happens in restaurants… As in “we’ve only got enough to leave a $2 tip but should leave about $4. Let’s book it otta here.”

      Server says “dang it! I’ve been trashtipped!”

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