This blog is for everyone who uses words.

The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.



Thursday 19 February 2015

homillionaire: a rant


Who makes up new words?

Well, now we have the internet, anyone can. They can spread them around like measles, too.

But just because a word has come into some fool's mind, and then made its sad stumbling way out through his twitchy fingers onto his keyboard, it doesn't mean it deserves to exist.

And so I come to homillionaire.

What's a homillionaire?

No, nothing to do with Santa. 

A homillionare (ouch!) is someone whose house is worth more than a million pounds. 

File:Tiny house in yard, Portland.jpg
Photo: Tammy

Now, I accept that the concept of a homillionaire is useful, but homillionaire is still a rubbish word. Some people will be misled, some will be baffled, and others, like me, will be driven into contortions of agony.

And, let's face it, there was nothing wrong with "property millionare", anyway.

Was there?

Word Not To Use Today: homillionare. This revolting object was brought into being by the estate agent Savills. Ho is actually in the dictionary as an abbreviation of house, but luckily until now it's never got out much.


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