Eighinger: Never listen to an empty suit, even if you’re a hodophobe

On the average, more than 500 new words are added each year to the English language.

“Like it nor not, language is constantly evolving,” writes Richard Evans for bestoflife.com. “New words get added to the dictionary every year, often long after they’ve become part of the daily lexicon.”

Some dictionaries are looking to stay on top of “modern usage and slang” than ever before, according to Evans. For example, so far this year dictionary.com has been busy with 15,000 updates to existing entries and the addition of 650 new entries. Here are some examples:

GOAT, yes in capitalized letters, has been added. it is the familiar acronym meaning “greatest of all time.’ Michael Jordan is the GOAT when it comes to basketball players. LeBron James is not. 

Hodophobia is an interesting addition, meaning an irrational and disproportionate fear of traveling. “If you’re experiencing what feels like hodophobia amid a pandemic, however, it might just be common sense,” according to Evans.

Empty suit is a slang term for an executive, manager or official regarded as ineffective, incompetent or lacking leadership and other qualities. An empty suit often blames co-workers for his own inadequacies.

Ish is an adverb used to modify or moderate something previously stated, or as a vague reply to a question. “If you thought your food was just OK and someone asks, ‘Did you enjoy your meal?’ you could simply answer, ‘Ish,'” Evans wrote.

Sharent can be a noun meaning a person who frequently uses social media to share photos and details about family members, specifically children. “If you’ve spent all day sharenting (in this case it’s a verb), you should put your phone down,” according to Evans.

Ecoanxiety is a specific kind of anxiety, which Evans said is caused by dread of environmental perils, especially climate change and a feeling of helplessness for those living now and even more so for those of later generations.Personally my favorites from the aforementioned are “sharent” and “ish.” My wife, for example is a sharent. Me? Ish.

If I Had My Way …

All eating establishments (fast-food and otherwise) would be required to offer both Coke and Pepsi.

Movie theaters would offer morning viewings, say once or twice a week, for those who have work schedules that do not permit evening or afternoon trips to the cinema.

The same would hold true for banking hours. Once or twice a week, evening hours would be available, especially for necessary in-person needs and the drive-through lanes. That would greatly assist those who find it difficult to take care of normal (and specialized) banking chores during regular daylight hours. 

No pregame TV show for any sporting event would be permitted to be any longer than an hour. 

Some satellite TV channel would offer a 24/7 schedule of nothing but videos or film clips featuring music from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Top 5

The five best names for rock bands (some — or all — of which I have found no longer exist) that most people have likely never heard of:

Cindy Brady’s Lisp: “A smirk-inducing reference to the youngest member of the Brady Bunch,” wrote Joe Daly for the weeklings.com in 2013. 

Mott the Hoople: Actually, a very influential band in the 1970s, and the only member of this list to score at least a semi-major hit with “All the Young Dudes.” 

The Gaza Strippers: Reviews indicate the group is/was a bit on the “irreverent” side.

Cattle Decapitation: The band’s music served as “a protest against the abuse and consumption of animals.”

The Dancing French Liberals of ’48: An old-school punk band.”One of the sublime pleasures in starting a band is the hallowed ritual of conceiving its name,” wrote Daly. “… and truth be told, many musicians would grudgingly admit to having spent more time imagining the perfect band name than mastering their instrument.”