New Words for a New(ish) Culture

It’s been a very stressful week for me, so today we’re taking a breather with a look at the lighter side of things. I saw a post on Alpha Consumer about the Cramer-Kasselt 2009 Cultural Dictionary. I couldn’t help but take a peek. Here are some of my favorite terms:

Brickor mortis: 

A term used to describe a housing market that has completely dried up. (Source: Wordspy.com).

I love this! It totally describes the LA market, which went from flush with foreclosed homes to long, dusty stretches without a single listing. We were lucky to get a home when we did.

Cashtration:

A person who is cash poor, possession rich, but not wanting to sell those possessions until their value returns in the market place.

I see this on Craigslist. People are trying to sell their possessions, but put high-price tags on them and declare that they paid $3000 for it just a year ago. Guess what? I don’t care. If I wanted to pay a high price, I’d buy it new and not have to worry about transporting it myself.

Econnoisseur: 

An individual who takes great pride in finding high quality items at low prices.

This is so me. I love to nab a deal, and prefer to buy quality items that will last a long time. But I was like that before the recession.

Enoughism: 

The realization that one has more stuff than they could ever possibly need or use.

We went through this about a year ago when I finished my clutter purge with a dig through our closet full of stuff. We got rid of a ton, which was a great boon this weekend when we were packing the storage closet. At first I was disappointed that our new house has a carport and a shed instead of a full garage, but now I’m realizing it could be a boon – we simply won’t have room to store all the junk most people keep in their garages.

Homedulgence:

An activity spurred on by the recession which seeks to replace going out. E.g., cocktail parties instead of bar nights and dinner parties instead of expensive restaurants. (Source: Wordspy.com)

I’m so looking forward to some homedulging once we move. I’m already planning which friends I would invite to which dinner party and what I might cook for them.

Co-rumination:

Excessively discussing small problems, especially online, which can result in an inordinately high stress level.

I couldn’t resist this one, probably because me and every other blogger are guilty of it every day!

Review the list and then share your own faves, or add your made up words in the comments.

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