Several years ago, never mind how many exactly, I was engrossed with the completion of a certain academic treatise. The completion of said work had me somewhat down in spirits because I felt that I lacked the proper terminology to fully describe the chaos that surrounded the Diet of Augsburg (1530). For those of you who aren't familiar with the event, it was billed as the ultimate showdown between Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and Martin Luther, the indefatigable Bull of Wittenberg. The insane chaos that preceded Luther's arrival could best be compared to, but was probably far in excess of, a national political convention today. While official condemnation of Luther rang throughout the streets, secret messengers scurried back and forth in a final effort to avoid the inevitable showdown. Back room deals became commonplace. Bishops acted as pages. For a moment, the world was turned on its ear. All of this before the man of the hour, Martin Luther, even set foot into the town.
The excitement of the event is hard to deny, and cannot be ignored when addressing the life of Luther. However my friends, how was I to describe this vast spectacle within the confines of a collegiate work that was more concerned with the person of Luther than with the events that surrounded him? In the end I came to one conclusion. Necessity is the mother of invention. I created my own word.
Polympics- The chaotic jockeying for power and position that accompanies a political event.
The word suited my needs perfectly and allowed that portion of my work to be succinct, yet descriptive. After its initial usage I filed my word away in my mind, having no more apparent need for it. However, after dining with Roverine, Brechty, and Gen last night I have been convinced to share my word with the world. I have made it my goal to ensure my word's inclusion in Webster's Dictionary. I cannot achieve this goal on my own though. I need your help. Use my word! Make it popular! My argument for inclusion will be that much stronger if my word is in common usage (isn't that the Scrabble requirement?). If I succeed we can have a party or something.
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2 comments:
I like it. I'll use it. Please give the exact pronounciation. I think I get it, but I don't want to get it wrong during the Polympic Season.
Well, the pronounciation of "polympics" is the classic battle between "oh" and "uh." Basically it is pronounced like "olympic," with one exception. "Olympic" begins with a long O sound, or "oh." The O in "polympic" is pronounced as a short O, or "uh." The only reason I prefer this pronounciation is that some people will actually, although rarely, use "polympics" as an abbreviated form of "Paralympics," or "Pregnant Olympics." When used in that instance, the O is long. By keeping the O in "polympics" short it helps to eliminate the chance of any confusion.
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