The Game Dame

Do you have words that you frequently use to mean something other than the generally accepted meaning? You know what I’m talking about. Not pet names or made-up words, but words that mean something to you (or your close friends and family) that an outsider would completely misunderstand? I know you do.

So, to honor the versatility of this amazing language we call English, I’m starting a new (non-daily) feature called Today’s Word. Today, the word I feature from my own idiolect is “stinky“. For whatever reason, I find this a very flexible word. I present some of the meanings I use it for:

• Cute. Talking to my cats: “Oh yer such a stinky doodle, I love ya.”
• Bad. “No fighting! Don’t be stinky!”
• Ornery. Must include the suffix “-pete”. As in, “Stop teasing me, you stinkypete!”
• General term of endearment. “Mommy’s home! Where are my stinky kitties?”
• Mild perjorative. Must include the suffix “-bait”. Weaker than calling someone a jerk. More of a loving razz, really. “I see you changed the channel while I was in the bathroom, you stinkbait.”

I have no idea how all these meanings came to be.  I just find it extremely amusing how English continues to evolve and thrive.  Do you have personal words to share?