Know What “Reintarnation” Means?

(This post first appeared on February 6, 2009. Updates including today's appear below in chronological order.)

The Washington Post hosted two annual wordsmithing contests in the years bookending Y2K. In the “Style Invitational,” readers were invited to pick a word of their choice from the dictionary. The challenge was to alter it by adding, subtracting or changing precisely one letter, and then to supply a clever new definition of their own invention. As an example, someone was a winner with

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

I’ve thought about entering the contest, but I'm not even sure the Post hosts it any more. So I've decided to start a blog entry with two new terms of my own, and add to it whenever my Muse sings. The entry will be open to Cold Duck readers, too. Feel free to add your own definitions as Comments. Better yet, send them in an email and, in lieu of a substantial cash prize, I’ll put your definition in the body of the entry and give you full credit. Just be prepared to live with your hard earned notoriety.

February 6, 2009

Endolphins: Powerful hormones that produce euphoria in whale watching ecotourists.

Maribund: Someone dying at sea.

April 7, 2009

Ruffled grouse: A partridge that’s just survived a Bang-Bang-Damn! moment on Opening Day.

Triungulation: GPS navigation technique for lost deer hunters.

Molsin: DUI.