The Word Nerds Discussion Forum Index » The Word Nerds podcast » -algia    View previous topic :: View next topic  -algia Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:27 pm Kaa   Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 41 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA I was listening to this episode about nostalgia and I was reminded about an interesting word I heard recently on another word-related podcast, A Way With Words with Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett. The word: postalgia. I looked it up after their show (of course), and found that the meaning they preferred wasn't necessarily the one that most people mean, but I liked theirs, so I'm going to go with that one. It's easier to relate it via anecdote. Remember those silly little filmstrips we used to watch in grade school? The sound was never right, the music was hoaky, and the narrator seemed like he was hopped up on something that made him a little too excited about whatever subject he was talking about. At some point, we've surely all seen one of these--at school or on TV--that described what the Year 2000 was going to be like. Usually, these were from the 50s, and optimism was rampant about the future. Flying cars! Personal jet-packs! Whole meals in pill form! Houses that cleaned themselves! Postalgia is this: Where the hell is my damned flying car? They promised me a flying car! So...nostalgic for the vision of the future from a past perspective? Is there a verb tense for that? _________________ Kaa Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 1:37 am Bloomer   Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 136 Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA Kaa, I loved your example! Then, I looked at the date of your post. Is this for-real or just an April Fool's prank? Is "preplaining" the act of criticizing before something happens? I can only think of two other words that end in -algia: fibromyalgia neuralgia Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:05 am Kaa   Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 41 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA Bloomer wrote: Kaa, I loved your example! Then, I looked at the date of your post. Is this for-real or just an April Fool's prank? Heh...it was for real. I ignore April Fool's when allowed to do so. I wasn't even aware of the date when I posted. _________________ Kaa Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:16 am Kaa   Joined: 06 Oct 2006 Posts: 41 Location: Atlanta, GA, USA Bloomer wrote: I can only think of two other words that end in -algia: fibromyalgia neuralgia Those were the only two I could think of, as well. But then I looked at this: [url="http://www.onelook.com/?w=*algia&scwo=1&sswo=1"]Words that end in -algia[/url] I loves me some onelook.com _________________ Kaa -algia   The Word Nerds Discussion Forum Index » The Word Nerds podcast You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum All times are GMT - 4 Hours   Page 1 of 1   All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First  Select a forum General discussion----------------About The Word Nerds DiscussionIntroduce yourselfThe Word Nerds podcastWord Nerds archivesMiscellaneous topics Language and linguistics----------------GrammarSlangRegional speechNon-English languagesLiteratureRude words Technology and media----------------Podcasting