avatarJohn Pearce

Summary

The article "Big Red Boots And Nepo Babies" is the ninth installment of "The Word Collector" series, which discusses newly collected words, phrases, acronyms, and sayings, including the terms "NSA," "condign," "gibbous moon," "diaphanous," "The Fourth Estate," "nepo baby," "Big Red Boots meme," and "bisociation."

Abstract

In "The Word Collector — part 9," the author shares a curated list of linguistic gems gathered over the week. These include the acronym "NSA," which humorously now also stands for "No Such Agency," and the term "condign," which describes a punishment that fits the crime. The article also explains the phrase "gibbous moon," referring to a moon phase, and the word "diaphanous," often used to describe light and delicate materials. The author revisits "The Fourth Estate," a term for the press and news media, and introduces "nepo baby," a modern expression for children of celebrities who may benefit from their parents' fame. The viral "Big Red Boots meme" is discussed, with the boots being described as "cartoon boots for a 3D world" by their creators, MSCHF. Lastly, the concept of "bisociation," the mental association of an idea with two unrelated fields, is presented. The article concludes with a thank you to readers and an invitation to join a Facebook group and follow the author on Mastodon.

Opinions

  • The author finds humor in the evolving meaning of "NSA" post-Edward Snowden revelations.
  • There is a sense of wonder and curiosity in the exploration of terms like "gibbous moon" and "diaphanous."
  • The author acknowledges a personal challenge in keeping up with internet memes, specifically the "Big Red Boots meme."
  • The term "nepo baby" is presented with a touch of skepticism regarding the meritocratic implications for children of celebrities.
  • The author expresses a fascination with the concept of "bisociation," appreciating its creative potential.
  • There is an appreciation for the reader's time and interest, as evidenced by the closing remarks thanking them for their readership.

Big Red Boots And Nepo Babies

The Word Collector — part 9

Regular readers will know that I love collecting new words, phrases, acronyms and sayings.

The following have been collected this week for your amusement, enlightenment, and delectation.

NSA — this acronym actually refers to the top-secret National Security Agency in the US, or top-secret until Edward Snowden rather lifted the lid. I was amused to see the acronym used this week to mean “No Such Agency”, though it is a bit late for that now!

Condign — (of punishment or retribution) appropriate to the crime or wrongdoing; fitting and deserved.

Gibbous moon — already vaguely familiar but I had to look this up to check the phase of the moon in which its illuminated part is greater than a semicircle and less than a circle.

Diaphanous — light, delicate, and translucent — is often used to describe dragonfly wings or very light material.

The Fourth Estate — I had come across this before but if you have a memory like mine you have to look things up again — refers to the press and news media.

Nepo baby — the nepo is short for nepotism, so a nepo baby, if you didn’t already know, is the baby of one of the stars, who is likely to have great success for just having celebrity parents, though this term is perhaps unkind if they are genuinely talented. Examples might be Stella McCartney or Brooklyn Beckham The phrase was used recently in connection with Robert De Niro becoming a father at the grand age of 79. I guess this is one option if there are no grandchildren! Grammarly is suggesting I mean repo baby which would be something else entirely.

Big Red Boots meme — I am usually the last to hear about such things since I don’t get out much, so you probably know all about this one already. They’re big, they’re red, and they’re everywhere. Big red boots have taken the internet by storm, with countless celebrities sporting them and they are giving rise to lots of memes. MSCHF, the Brooklyn art collective that birthed the boots, calls them “cartoon boots for a 3D world.” According to the product description:

“Cartoonishness is an abstraction that frees us from the constraints of reality. If you kick someone in these boots they go boing!”

That is the explanation, but I still don’t get it!

Bisociation — the simultaneous mental association of an idea or object with two fields ordinarily not regarded as related

That’s it for this week, and I hope you enjoyed them. In case of interest, a link to my previous article in this series is below and includes a link to other collections.

As always, thank you for reading.

To join a new Facebook group “Medium Matters” where writers can support each other and share articles.

Mastodon- you can find me here

Life
Self Improvement
English
Writing
Literature
Recommended from ReadMedium