New words – 13 January 2014

Chipster noun a Chicano hipster

Next door is Eastside Luv, a sleek bar that attracts younger patrons whom some call Chipsters, for Chicano hipsters,

[New York Times (US broadsheet) 18 Aug. 2013]

Cubanization noun a situation where cars are kept for many years and people rarely purchase a new one

If we push too hard, we risk Cubanization of the fleet, where it is better to keep old cars than buy expensive new ones.

[Car and Driver (US automotive magazine) Aug. 2013]

nuts to butts idiom informal in a way that is very crowded

I understand the tenets of capitalism and the desire to make money. I get that more money can be made by packing people into these places ‘nuts to butts’.

[famonthelam.com 23 July 2013]

Such a mix of product, and when a container combusts, no one seems to know what’s in it or what class fire it is. Since they’re stacked nuts to butts, you’d be hard pressed to open one, let alone get to it.

[http://gcaptain.com/ 15 July 2013]

About new words

3 thoughts on “New words – 13 January 2014

  1. I especially like “Cubanization,” since it concisely describes a very unusual economic situation. For readers not familiar with Western Hemisphere politics, I should explain that the US considers Cuba a hostile power (they did, at one point, allow the Soviet Union to install missiles targeted on our major cities) and bans all trade with the island. Before the arrival of Fidel Castro, however, Cuba’s economy was closely tied to the US, so most of the motor vehicles there are US-made. But with the import of spare parts prohibited, Cuban mechanics have found their own ways to keep these autos running for 40 or 50 years. Hence “Cubanization.”

  2. Pingback: (EN) – New words: 13 January 2014 | Cambridge University Press | Glossarissimo!

  3. Kevin Smalley

    Arpanimis – The frustration felt from viewing too many internet posts with false or misused information. Notably on Facebook.

    “I am feeling rather arpanimistic after surfing the internet tonight”.

    I know we need a word for this feeling. I think this is a good one. ARPA was the birth of the internet and nimis is latin for “too much”. Makes sense?

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