Alternyms

Dan Gilkerson

Ignite San Diego - August 2009

Fuzzynyms

&

You’re lost in a daze

You listen...

You listen...

But you’re so confused

no longer amused

What do you ask for so you can relate?

You don’t understand

You can’t concentrate

Analogies and similes are figures of speech

There’s so many options, which one do you ask for?

How about an idiom or a metaphor?

Synonyms and antonyms are also in reach

Alternym sounds good to meThat’s the one I’ll choose

Let’s make up a word that’s easy to use

Wait a minute!

Isn’t alternym already

defined?

An alternate name

Pseudonym - A fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name

Phonynym- Made up name.- Made up word.

Alternym

Nickname

Mark Twain

Unabomber

John Doe

Buffalo Bill

Snoop DoggK-Fed

LL Cool J

King of Pop

Alterations to the definition

More abstract

Broader

W i d e r

Higher!

Let’s encompass analogies, synonyms, antonyms, retronyms, metaphors, similes, nicknames, figures of speech, movie references, and more...

Relating multiple things together to help give more understanding.

Simply put...

• Nicknames - Usually have some history behind them • Figures of speech - A colorful expression

• Line from a movie - We all have that one friend and hopefully we’ve seen the movie

Example time...

Time flies by so quickly

It’s like giving a presentation at ignite

It’s the feeling you have when creating slides for a presentation at the last minute

When you’re having so much fun learning about new things and the night is over

OK, but what if I don’t understand the alternym?

Well then that’s a

Fuzzynym

A fuzzy what?

I’m Fuzzy

Fuzzynym

• There’s a connection but you don’t understand it.

• An attempted alternym that failed miserably

• Usually followed by a confused expression

That wasn’t so fuzzy! So that’s an alternym and fuzzynym...

How about an alternym for the HIVE?

One more example!

Huh?

COMMUNAL DIGS FOR THE NOMADIC CREATIVE

Communal Digs?You mean I have to share?

Nomadic? I don’t like moving

Busy bees work in a hive

A place that creates buzzz!

A working collective

Collectively creating sweet sweet things

...mmm like honey!

So when you’re confused in conversationOn any given day

??? Huh?Say what?

Ask them for an alternym

and be curious to what they say