Is there a single verb that means "to be merry during Christmas" but excludes being merry or happy at New Year?
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3Just turn Nowell into a verb.– Andrew Leach ♦Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 11:37
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5I'd post "No" as an answer, but the system won't accept answers that short, and I bet it'd get more downvotes than upvotes... :-)– user28567Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 11:43
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4@snailboat: all you have to do is find the antonym for Russian. Because Russians do not celebrate Christmas at all (certainly not in December), while New Year's Eve is the main holiday of the entire year.– RegDwigнtCommented Dec 18, 2013 at 11:51
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8Verbing weirds language.– SteCommented Dec 18, 2013 at 11:55
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8@Ste Not nearly as much as a 30-letter neologism :-)– Andrew Leach ♦Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 11:56
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9 Answers
One might propose yulegaiety or yuleglee, although whether that implies anniënnui I am uncertain.
I am going to propose "Anteneoannusnoelojollification"
Built from
- ante — Before
- neo — new
- annus — year
- noel — Christmas
- o — bridging vowel for word fluidity
- jollification — the act of jollifying, making happy.
Making something merry at Christmas before the New Year.
No citations until it makes it into the OED.
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38Unfortunately if you forget the second n in annus it becomes the happy anticipation of someone tearing you a new one during the holidays. Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 14:31
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8@BenJackson hey, if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not here to judge. Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 14:44
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3They ought to use this word as a sobriety test! "Say this three times fast, sir: Anteneoannusnoelojollification" Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 18:00
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2Copy/paste of course. I was terrified of leaving off the 2nd "n"! lol! Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 18:02
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1@netinept Of course. "On December 25th I will be bringing an abundance of anteneoannusnoelojolification to my friends on EL&U"– SteCommented Dec 18, 2013 at 18:34
Neologisms ahoy ...
- I'm having some major jollitude
- I'm feeling Santastic
- I'm all falala
- I'm totally kringled right now.
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I'd vote twice if I could! Definitely recommending you for Santa's "Nice" list! :-) Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 17:54
I suggest unchristmassing because Christmas is an exclamation expressing:
surprise, dismay, or despair.
So if you are unchristmassing you are being the opposite of those things, which sounds good.
Since it contains the word christmas, it should only be used at that time of year.
answered Dec 18, 2013 at 11:57
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5I've never heard "Christmas" used as an exclamation, but I might try to get it going in the UK. Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 12:35
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This immediately explains the alien attacks that always happen to fall on Christmas. Or is it the other way around? Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 15:01
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3First OED citation for Christmas used as an interjection is “1897 Kipling Capt. Cour. iv. 91 — Jiminy Christmas! That gives me the blue creevles.” which I thought went with crickets. Last OED citation as interjection is “1959 N. Marsh False Scent (1960) vi. 192 - ‘All right with you, Bertie?’ ‘Oh, Christmas!’ he said. ‘I suppose so.’ ”– tchrist ♦Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 15:29
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3Be aware that "Christmas" used as an exclamation is a minced oath for "Christ". The Kipling reference is a double-minced oath, since "Jiminy Cricket" is itself a minced oath for "Jesus Christ". Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 15:57
Jolly. Never really used except during the holidays.
Happy Jollydays...
For the common vernacular, I shall suggest "Christmerrymas". A portmonteau of Merry and Christmas with no mention of the New Years at all.
I'm curious as to why you're so admant about people not being merry for the New Years though.
No there isn’t.
The English language isn’t a code for expressing detailed complicated ideas in single words. Did the poster or anyone else really need such a thing?
christmasyaynewyearsnay:
- Christmas
- Yay
- New Years
- Nay
I think this sums it up in a very matter-of-fact way and is also how I feel regarding the matter =D
answered Dec 18, 2013 at 17:45
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