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Word: coolspeak (lookup in dictionary) (lookup stats)
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...fallen victim to Coolspeak...

Author: By Benjamin N. Smith, | Title: Linguistic Liberties | 10/2/1986 | See Source »

...WHAT IS COOLSPEAK? Well, it's basically Orwellian Newspeak with a touch of fashion. In 1984, the function of Newspeak is to reduce the human vocabulary to the point where abstract ideas and emotions could not be verbally conveyed. Although there are probably very, very few people in California who have even heard of 1984, the inhabitants of our West Coast have done a better job of destroying the power of our language than the Ministry of Truth could have dreamed of. Take, for instance, this deep and moving conversation I heard on the shuttle...

Author: By Benjamin N. Smith, | Title: Linguistic Liberties | 10/2/1986 | See Source »

...other thing which irks me is that Coolspeak is so damned inappropriate here. Maybe Nerdspeak or Snobspeak, or even Paranoidspeak but not Coolspeak. Only about 10 people here are authentic blondes, and very few of them have either a tan or a surfboard. Consequently, when I see some pale, hairy organism loping out of the Science Center and telling some equally unfortunate companion about his "tubular" new vector conversion program, I am overcome by irony and grief...

Author: By Benjamin N. Smith, | Title: Linguistic Liberties | 10/2/1986 | See Source »

...hardly blame our poor friend, however, for he is only trying to fit in with the other dudes who like to chill out in the Computer Room. Perhaps nothing in the world feeds and thrives on itself as well as Coolspeak. When one of your friends introduces some new expression, no matter how stupid, into his vocabulary, one either picks it up or falls behind...

Author: By Benjamin N. Smith, | Title: Linguistic Liberties | 10/2/1986 | See Source »

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