Michael McWatters, of New York City, writes, "I use a computer for the better part of my waking life, and I've noticed that certain repetitive keyboard tasks are making their way into my non-computer life. For example, I recently knocked a jar off the counter, and a little voice inside yelped, 'Command-Z!' (the keyboard shortcut for Undo). Ditto for the time I accidentally ripped a page in a book. A friend mentioned that she recently lost her keys and thought, 'Command-F' (Find). There should be a term for this confusion, as it's only going to become more common."
« Youthiness, nonchronformism, etc. | Main | Never would be soon enough » October Word Fugitive06 Oct 2008 05:17 pm
Let's test the new word-fugitive delivery system. I've already received suggestions for the October word fugitive (below) by the old-fashioned route. But more are more than welcome, so feel free to post your word inventions as comments. Anything that appears here will be considered for inclusion in my write-up in the magazine. Except, please send requests for new words to me directly, by way of the Word Fugitives form.
Comments (18)
Derived from confabulation defined as: "the replacement of a gap in a person's memory by a falsification that he or she believes to be true." (Dictionary.com) Conhackulation 
mement - the moment when a meme develops to significant proportions.
What is "Typerary Inanity", Alex? So glad to see Word Fugitive as a blog!
"Keyflex." E.g., "As the bottle of single malt slipped from my hand, my involuntary keyflex ("Command S") failed to arrest its fall." Keylapse, Keyhab, and Mental Keytardation are also in play.
When you explain yourself without revealing your real reasons, but somehow manage not to tell a direct lie, you are being "honesque"
but have you tried to unlock your front door with the carkey clicker?
Phantom Interface Syndrome, similar to Phantom Limb Syndrome.
Whoops - I was totally not paying attention. I'll try to redeem myself with: "misapplication"
Mark-
The one I want to use is the "insert" function--as in, "insert about three more hours into the day" without impacting normal needs like sleep, food etc.
Great to see this topic discussed! We talked about it recently on our public radio show, "A Way with Words." Clearly this is something more and more of us are experiencing and need a word for. I think the best terms our listeners came up with were "e-flex" and "deja undo." You can hear the whole discussion about it here: "A Way with Words" And trying to open the front door with the car door clicker? Yep, been there, done that! Now if I could just find the "reset" button for my entire office . . .
In response to Mr. McWatters query I propose the following: "Reqwertyversal" as the word to describe a keyboard undoing of a physical action. By the way, like so many proposed solutions, it doesn't work.
I suggest "hyperdigitality" - as a play on hyperreality, which has been defined as an inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy (Jean Baudrillard, Umberto Eco etc). The other connections relate to the digital and to our digits (fingers).
epromptisation
In reference to the common keyboard layout, perhaps the confusion could be referred to as a 'qweerty' moment.
Why not name this behavior, which amounts to a method frustrated by its malappropriation to another purpose or dissimilar task, malepropism? Long "e" there. "Oh, dear, I've just committed a maleprop!"
Since Pavlovian Conditioning and Personal Computer share the same initials , PC , I suggest
|
Subscribe to Barbara Wallraff by Email Today's Headlines From The Atlantic |
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.
Since this covers humans employing computer qualities in inappropriate situations, we should name it in tribute to the computer that developed human qualities in an inappropriate situation. These terms are HALaprops.
Posted by Dennis O'Toole | October 6, 2008 11:33 PM