Escaped Thoughts

Sun, Mar 19, 2006

Language Quiz Brainstorm Of The Day

While setting up the new site I did a bit of rearranging, since I wasn't worried about preserving existing links. In the process, I was trying to decide where to put this whole section—I had used /blog/ before, but I dislike the word on aesthetic principles. I decided on weblog, which is less ugly (albeit a bit harder to say), but not before I got to thinking about the development of the term; I've heard the argument somewhere that both blog and weblog are equally silly, because it's just a new medium for something like a journal (not really a new form of communication) and therefore doesn't deserve a word.

Now even if one accepts the idea that it's not a fundamentally new style of communication (I don't) there's plenty of precedent for creating new words or phrases when something is adapted to/adopted by a new medium. Which brings me to today's “quiz”: list in the comments as many such words or phrases as you can think of. Points will be awarded for each non-duplicate answer that is accepted by a panel of expert judges*.

To get the ball rolling: television show

Update: Laura (despite now being hugely in the lead) thought the criteria needed some clarification. Specifically, the term itself must clearly indicate the appropriation of the old word for some new medium. So “radio play” counts, but “forum” doesn't.

* Panel of expert judges may or may not actually exist. No purchase necessary to play.

Other's Thoughts

From the mind of Laura - Sat, Mar 18, 2006

radio show, radio play, radio drama, tv drama, ebook, email, webpage, text message, forum (in the online sense), message board (ditto), news magazine

From the mind of Laura - Sat, Mar 18, 2006

electronic message board, online forum

From the mind of Carolyn - Wed, Mar 22, 2006

I am DELIGHTED to see the return of the language quiz, but,alas, I am underqualified for this particular question. Would answers like "cave painting" qualify?

From the mind of Stuart - Wed, May 24, 2006
Oops

I seem to have abandoned this quiz—oops! Laura, wins by a landslide, with 50 points (but loses 2 points for being greedy and taking all the answers before anyone else got a turn).

Cave paintings is intersting, since it actually distinguishes an old medium from a newer one, instead of the more usual reverse. I like it! That earns bonus creativity points, so 8 points to Carolyn.

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