Help me build a list of neologisms-by-truncation! (app, fam, cam, mag…)

May 17, 2024 11:26 AM

Poem idea came along, so I’m hunting for more of these words (and maybe their proper descriptive term, if they have one). More examples: fem, gen pop, con(vention), dom/sub, fan Doesn’t have to be recent…
posted by sixswitch to Writing & Language (16 answers total)

rep[utation]
posted by humbug at 11:27 AM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

mid[dling]
cringe[y]
posted by trig at 11:36 AM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

Best answer: totes adorbs? info, fan(atic), cell(ular telephone), sked, gent,
Does it have to be the prefix? Rizz for charisma, 'zine for magazine (tele)phone, (quaa)lude?


https://www.englishclub.com/ref/Slang/Shortened_Words/ might get some similar juices flowing.


site:etymonline.com "shortening" could too?
posted by adekllny at 11:36 AM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I'm no linguist, but Wikipedia says this is "clipping" and gives many examples.
posted by madcaptenor at 11:42 AM on May 17, 2024 [5 favorites]

sus[picious]
posted by RonButNotStupid at 12:00 PM on May 17, 2024 [7 favorites]

"Got the morbs," is not recent but did get a little Internet revival.
posted by cobaltnine at 12:09 PM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

fab[ulous]
rad[ical]
posted by jabes at 12:38 PM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

A range of old timey ones (15th to 20th C) to round out your list:
Hanky (from hand kerchief)
'Zounds! (from God's wounds!)
Bye (from good bye)
Mac n cheese (from the obvious)
posted by Tim Bucktooth at 12:44 PM on May 17, 2024 [3 favorites]

carb[ohydrate]s
t[ele]v[ision]

meta (as in "that's so meta" - but this one is weird because it doesn't refer to one longer word but rather extracts the suffix - meta[physical], meta[data], meta[filter!], etc.)
posted by marlys at 1:14 PM on May 17, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Some more old ones:

taxi < taximeter
cab < cabriolet
bus < omnibus
(Chicgo) el < elevated train

con < confidence man

radio < radiotelegraphy
posted by zompist at 1:45 PM on May 17, 2024 [2 favorites]

Blog!
posted by jgirl at 3:14 PM on May 17, 2024 [3 favorites]

Brek (breakfast, brekkie is more pop(ular))
That’s wack(y).
Cray (zy)
Bull (shit)
Rad(ical)
posted by theora55 at 3:36 PM on May 17, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Auto
Bio
Bike
Coke
Deli
Demo
Disco
Stereo
Fax
Photo
Fridge
Info
Kilo
Lipo
Porno
Prep
Prof
Promo
Zoo
posted by vacapinta at 4:03 PM on May 17, 2024

Best answer: Beeb
bud
fam
fave
lube
state pen
uni
veg
WaPo

If it doesn't have to be the first syllable:
phone
rents
scrip
posted by eirias at 4:51 PM on May 17, 2024

Response by poster: So tell us how your day went…

I… wrote a poem? [cw: f slur, I’m queer btw]

I think you have to read it in your head like punchy British MC for it work. Crisp pops and hard glottals.

noclip

I’m a dev on an app
My cap tables GAAP
Make a zine on a mac
Ride to a map tack

I mute the fam chat
Then fap to a cam
A fem fag on prep
In gen pop gets wrecked

Dom / sub I’m a fan
Go to cons with my mans
My rep is mid sus
Eat carbs on the bus

Bye
posted by sixswitch at 8:23 PM on May 17, 2024 [7 favorites]

app canz stream;
gots to binge
chats on soshe[al media]
insta cringe.

totes like the bags
totes ain't my bag;
bae over baby
deffo (dad rock) maybe.
posted by k3ninho at 9:20 AM on May 18, 2024