it’s sarcastication, people
I’m not sure if there is such a thing, but I’ve decided that today is make up a new word day. Honestly, as a writer, every day is make up a new word day. I feel totally fine with bending, twisting and manipulating the English language (and some others as well). My newest word is ‘sarcasticate’ and it means: to make something sarcastic. It’s a verb. I like it so much, I’m writing a whole post about it, and here it is:
Sometimes, I wish I could write code or do computer programming. First of all, it would make me smarter and more able. Secondly, it would help me with an issue that I keep running into.
You see, I can make things bold. I can italicize. I can underline. I can even strikethrough. But, I can’t sarcasticate.
Even using those smiley face emotive icons, there isn’t one that means sarcastic. They have sad, mad, kissey, sick – all of those are easily visible states of being. But sarcastic? Not so much.
It seems that sarcastication, while writing on the internet must actually be conveyed through words. There is no help. And, while I do think it’s safe to say that I have the sarcasticating gene, I also think that the reader has to have that gene too…and some brain power. Not to mention the fact that you must have actual reality downpat before you can get the sarcasm. So, conceivably, my sarcastications could be missed by some readers because of their own ineptitude or because I might be having an off day.
Without the sound of my voice, I rely on my written words…because I’m a writer…that’s the point, I get it. And, I’m thrilled that while code and program can’t currently help me sarcasticate, I can mold my meaning with my words (those that are real and those that I’ve composed).
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42 Responses to “it’s sarcastication, people”
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I love yrou sarcastication post. I think I can get pretty sarcastic sometimes and it is hard to convey in words sometimes. It can be hard to sarcasticate. I love the new word. Thanks for the post.
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Thanks, Stephanie…I bet you’re a great sarcasticator!!!
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As a rather sarcastic person myself I thoroughly appreciate the invention…and the post!
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Well, everyone, this is a huge compliment. I’ve known Renee since we were 10 years old (thank you Facebook) – and she is the queen of sarcastication. You heard it here, she gets the crown!
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Hah! That’s great. How about when you REALLY SHOW SOMEONE on line, but you aren’t sure that they understood how well you bested them … I think, lacking a smug satisfaction emoticon, one must be smugified? Hmmm…needs work.
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To Queaseate – “to make one sick” as in: the McCain campaign queaseates citizens with its hate speech. How that?
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David – this is perfect…you are so right that there is no way to communicate the smugification. I love this.
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Jennifer, I am so f***ing queaseated right now by the McCain/Palin campaign and their hate. If next Tuesday doesn’t come soon, the queasification will just destroy me.
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Julie, great post! And so true – I also have the sarcastication gene and it can invite misunderstanding sometimes. For the record – I get it – your sarcastic comments aren’t lost on me.:)
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Thank you, Laura!
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As a fellow writer and avid sarcast, I completely agree with your point that the available emoticons are ineffectual when we need to indicate our sarcasm to the person(s) who just doesn’t “get it.” I propose we adopt: 8-P which has a certain tongue-in-cheek look to it. Although, even that feels not quite right…
When it comes to creating new words, I have a favorite I’ve used for a while now as part of my standard email valediction. It’s my wordsmithing attempt to rewrite a conjugation wrong:
If freeze = frozen, why does squeeze = squeezed? I declare it should be squozen!
Love, Peace, and Freshly Squozen Creative Juice,
Annette
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Annette – this is too good. Love it.
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How about when one fabricates the life of a maverick?
Is that A Mavrication?
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Yes, David – without doubtrifcation.
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You’ve exposed an important flaw in emoticon design! I can feel myself making a sarcastic face (and yes, it’s there when I look in the mirror), but I can’t imagine how to communicate it via emoticon. And then there’s the deadpan delivery of some folks’ sarcastication (the noun form of your new verb)… maybe everyone has their own personal take on a sarcastic “look.” Fun post, Julie!
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A word I coined that I am using with startling frequency lately- jackassery.
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Susan. You are not excused from the table until you use it in a sentence.
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Okay, how about, “John McCain’s V.P. pick is jackassery of the worst kind.”
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That would be perfection, Susan. Well done.
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How about knittification? The insertion of knitting references into the unlikeliest of places? (You’d be amazed at how many comments I leave at writing and business blogs that just HAPPEN to refer to knitting.) It’s the yarn-lover’s knittification of the internet … something knit-bloggers have been doing for years!
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Jules- I am TRULY flattered (no sarcasm here). It is refreshing to be the “Queen ” of something other than the obvious.
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In your funny, witty and intelligent way you have conveyed a very real problem. And I love your way of dealing with by making up a word. I liked your post so much that I read your it out loud to my family and they all loved it too.
Fantastic piece of writing. In fact, I wish I had written it, and believe me I am not sarcasticating. :-)
Ron
By Ron Miller Blog
http://byronmiller.typepad.com
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Ron…HUGE compliment. Huge. I’m humbled. Thank you.
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Julie, My fellow blogging friend and I were recently looking for a word to describe how she writes. Now we know, she sarcasticates. Love it!
My new word. Glenvy–to be both happy for and envious of- simultaniously
ie. I glenvy your gift with the written word.
Your blog is such a find for writer’s like me with plenty to learn!
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Kerry – this is superb. I have glenvy all the time. Thanks for reading and writing…I’m heading to your site now!
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I think it sounds like a perfectly good word, and I may start using it.
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supercallifuckalistic – a day where NOTHING ELSE can POSSIBLYgo wrong.
This is a great post!
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You can’t do what you don’t understand.
*beat*
*waits for it*
*waits, still*
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Maybe “sarcastication” will follow “woot” into the official dictionary, maybe right after they add the missing “gullible.”
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Consider it part of my dictionary now too!!
Anne
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My pastor (of all people) maintains that sarcasm is the highest form of humor because it takes brains (on both ends). Definitely adopting “sarcastication.”
Deb’s “knittification” makes me think of a book of knitting patterns I got from the library this week. There were a huge variety of creations, but most of them just make me cry out, “WHY?” They knittified things that were never meant to be created on needles.
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Sarah! A woman on a mission to comment! Your pastor is very smart – a great way of describing what I referred to as the possibility of my readers’ possible ineptitude. Hilarious about the knitting…you have to give us an example!!!
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[...] it’s sarcastication, people [...]
Wow, I am so glad to see that there are others out on the interwebs that have sarcastic DNA!
Yes, I do believe it is part of someones DNA, scientist just have not made the coloration yet. I have daughters that are great at sarcasticating and it was not even something included in any lesson plan. I have warned them that being sarcastic maybe considered an art to us but, to others it just upsets them. When others get upset they tend to call you bad names and fire you! But, because of our unique makeup, the sarcastor just gets over it and moves on.
I am sure one day a loopyassed therapist will consider sarcasm a disorder and try to heal us with psychotropic drugs. Wow, come to think about it – A bunch of sarcastic people on mind altering drugs – we could get our own reality show! Fame and fortune awaits us! The sisterhood of sarcasm marches on!
Ok, I was just going to write a little blup here and now I have gotten carried away.
I will now go about my day, piss people off, and spread the news of sarcastication!
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I’ve often thought that we need a “Rhetorical Markup Language,” similar to what we have in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).
I have seen people use [sarc] and then [/sarc] to indicate a sarcastic passage. In the same way, we could use an [fe] tag to indicate irony (Fe being the chemical symbol for the element iron; this could lead to all sorts of interesting tags, like [NaCl] for salty language).
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I love ‘Fe’ and ‘NaCl’ that is inspired…I’m sure some of the things that I write are sulfuric as well. This must be explored…as must RML…
Love that you came by…Julie
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[...] OK, I simply love this post because I have thought this same thing, struggled with how to “sarcasticate” many times while typing, and never thought to post about it like Julie Roads did. What IS [...]
Yeah, “sarcastination” can be hard. I always obsess and edit my posts several times because I’m afraid that the reader wont get the sarcastic tone, but rather think me bitter. And they are so different. You can totally be sarcastic without being bitter. Or so I keep telling myself ;-)
Yeah, sarcastication is a form of art.
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I am glad there is no sarcastication marks. I would have to set it as default for most of my writing and its meaning would be lost!
Great idea though. Let’s all so Sarcasticate today.
Justin
Justin Matthews´s last blog ..For Our Troops, Thank You.
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Hey Julie I just saw this post and had to laugh. I was making up words the other day in my posts as well. We now have Cantankerify, the act of becoming Cantankerous. Too much fun to be a writer that’s for sure.
Thanks Julie
Justin Matthews´s last blog ..Taking advantage of loopholes, a post to piss you off.
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Julie Roads Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 6:05 am
Oh…it’s beyond fun, I’d say. When I get paid for it…I still giggle a little bit.
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Definitely agree with what you stated. Your explanation was certainly the simplest to understand. I tell you, I generally get irked when folks discuss issues that they plainly don’t know about. You managed to strike the nail right on the head and explained out everything without having complication. Perhaps, people can take a signal. Will likely be back again to get more. Thanks
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