Eden Sher, an actress well-known for her portrayal of Sue Heck in ABC's "The Middle," published her first book in October of 2016.
Titled "The Emotionary: A Dictionary of Words That Don't Exist For Feelings That Do," Eden Sher has masterfully added over 160 words to the English language to describe young people's feelings towards others, about situations, and about themselves.
Here is a sample of these words and how students can use them to describe how they feel about college.
1. Ambiviculty
ambivalence + difficulty
n. the anxiety of having to make decisions
Should I go for the pizza or the salad tonight? Sugar or chocolate chip cookie? Pasta or burger? College is full of tough decisions.
2. Prelament
pre- + lament
v. to miss someone before they're gone or something before it has ended
College is full of wonderful experiences with friends. Cherish them.
3. Fauxcus
faux + focus
v. to devote a great deal of time and effort to a pointless task
Also known as: procrastination by doing something productive unnecessarily.
4. Particulate
partial + articulate
adj. able to accurately convey only a portion of one's ideas
Writing papers in college can be harder than you think. Sometimes you know what you want to say, but you don't know how to write it down.
5. Strumble
stress + crumble
v. to deteriorate into nothingness from stress and exhaustion
Also known as: Midterms/Finals Week.
6. Namenesia
name + amnesia
n. the experience of forgetting someone's name literally one second after they've introduced themselves
During the first week of school you'll meet so many new people as you explore your dorm, classes, and campus. Don't freak if you suffer from a case of namenesia.
7. Incredulation
incredulous + elation
n. the surprised excitement of having something go exceptionally well
These moments may be few and far between but when success knocks on your door, you can't help but celebrate.
8. Snacktivity
snack + activity
n. the act of eating purely for recreation; most likely to occur when bored
Yes, the freshman fifteen IS real.
9. Blignorant
blissful + ignorant
adj. possessing a jolly naivete about life and the world
We know a lot, but we still have much to learn. College students are in that awkward stage of life between adolescence and true adulthood.
10. Feignderstand
feign + understand
v. to pretend one has finally heard another person after asking them to repeat themselves three plus times
There's always that one professor that doesn't speak clear English. Finally you give up and act like you understand their lecture.
11. Distractilate
distracted + late
v. to wake up earlier than expected, use the extra time to be productive, and arrive at one's destination late
Sometimes it's doing your makeup. Sometimes it's actually eating breakfast. Whatever it is, when you distractilate yourself before class, you're actually describing college in a nutshell.
To look up more imaginative words in The Emotionary, you can purchase the book here. What word do you think best describes the college life?
