On neologisms

While writing my previous post, I strayed into the time-sink that is Wikipedia (and you know I just spent a couple of minutes reading the entry on "Time sink" there - go on, read, I'll wait) and discovered the term escribitionist, referring to one who keeps an online diary. I can't tell you how glad I am that that one didn't gain the sort of traction that "blog" did. I hate the deliberate cleverness of it. "Look, it's like exhibitionist but, you know, with writing." Escribosphere, anyone? Weblog I can deal with. It's a log, on or of the web. Blog, OK. Bit clunky, but simple and punchy. Escribitionist? No, you've disappeared up your own backside there.

Incidentally, Wikipedia (oh, damn, there I go again) says that "neologism" was coined around 1800. I can't help but feel that whoever did it went home and sat at the dinner table thinking he (or she) had had a good day at the office. Just coined a new term for coining new terms? Down tools for the day - you've done all you can do.