In honor of the upcoming Mad Men finale, Wordnik (www.wordnik.com) has put together a list of our favorite words from Don Draper and the gang.
As brief background: Wordnik.com’s comprehensive word graph brings meaning and context to our evolving lexicon, helping people unlock the value of words and phrases to discover what information is most meaningful and matters to them.
Below is a sampling of some of the top words. A complete list can be found at http://blog.wordnik.com/word-soup-mad-men.
Diana
1. bitchin’
Peggy [holding up Michael’s work]: “Have I lost my sense of smell or is this good?” Stan [laughs]: “That’s
bitchin’.”
“Tea Leaves,” April 1, 2012
Bitchin’
is slang for “excellent; first-rate,” and originated
as "teen/surfer slang" in the 1950s. The word apparently plays on the verb sense of bitch,
to complain, “in some inverted sense.”
2. calice
Megan [upon realizing Don's surprise party has been spoiled]: “Calice.”
“A Little Kiss,” March 25, 2012
Calice is a
Québécois
French swear word which, according to Slate,
“has its origins in Roman Catholic ritual—it’s the communion chalice.” Other French-Canadian swear words, says
Slate,
include "Calvaire! (Calvary), Ciboire! (ciborium—the container in which communion wafers are stored),
Ostie! (communion wafer), or Tabarnak!" Tabarnak
is the Québécois equivalent of fuck and comes
from tabernacle.
3. consumerism
Megan [to Don]: “I didn’t think [the play] was such a strong stand against advertising as much as the emptiness of
consumerism.”
“Christmas Waltz,” May 20, 2012
The word consumerism,
which was coined
in 1944, originally meant
“the movement seeking to protect and inform consumers by requiring such
practices as honest packaging and advertising, product guarantees, and
improved safety standards.” Around 1960, it came
to refer to “the theory that a progressively greater consumption of
goods is economically beneficial,” and by extension an “attachment to
materialistic values or possessions.” Here Megan is referring to this
last meaning of
consumerism.
4. fresh
Betty [to Don]: “I wanted to know if you'd have any problem with me strangling Sally. I’m not joking. She’s
fresh. And I prefer to not have her sourpuss ruining our trip.”
“Commissions and Fees,” June 3, 2012
Fresh
in this context means "verdant and conceited; presuming through ignorance and conceit; forward; officious." This sense
originated
in 1848 as U.S. slang, probably from the German
frech, "insolent, cheeky," which ultimately comes from the Old English
frec, "greedy, bold."
5.
go ape
Hanson/Handsome: “Billy Josephs and I were supposed to join up, but my dad
went ape.”
“Signal 30,” April 15, 2012
To go
ape means “to become wildly excited or enthusiastic,” and is
attested
from 1955. "I
Go Ape" is a 1959 hit song from Neil Sedaka. To
join up
means “to enlist or enroll,” and originated
around 1916.
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