Where Did The Coinage "Bonnaroo" Come From?

(Here's the latest blog from my "wordabulous" client, Debbie Watts.)

Hi, Wordabu-logians!

Hope your summer is off to a sun-sational start!  I want to begin by thanking all who came out to meet me at my book signing in Nashville at Border's West End on June 18th.  We had a lively crowd and a great discussion about words.  Then, the party resumed down the street at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel.  We enjoyed a champagne toast, gourmet goodies to eat, great local musicians, and a spirited Scrabble tournament, what I hope will be the first of many more.

 
Many have been asking me what I do as a vocabulary coach.  The teaching tools and techniques I use for 7th, 8th, and high school students are totally different from those I use with adults.  For example, a young college graduate approached me at his graduation party, asking me if I would "tutor" him for an important interview he had coming up with a pharmaceutical sales firm.  He had a list of questions the career placement office had given him to study and prepare for.  I asked him how he would answer those questions.  He gave me some answers, and then I prescribed some more precise adjectives, verbs, and expressions that were more professional and that showed he had done his homework for that interview.  I just got word from him that he got the job!  I wouldn't assume that it was my "designer vocabulary" that did it for him, but I hope it helped.  If any of you are interested in being coached in vocabulary or that I should "design" a special vocabulary just for you, you may contact me at: wattsd2@comcast.net.

 
I want to leave you with a neat word coinage.  In Tennessee, we just enjoyed country music week and the Bonnaroo music festival.  The word "bonnaroo" has an interesting origin.  R & B artist Dr. John is credited with this coinage.  It seems that he combined the words, "bon," a romance language root for "good" and "aroo", meaning "around".  The result is a word that names one of the ''best" concerts "around".  Thus, bonnaroo was born.  Share some of your favorite coinages with me by leaving comments.

 
Oh, I almost forgot.  I'd like to thank Channel 4 for having me as a guest on "More At Midday". Tim Ross, you're a funny guy.  I enjoyed our interview.  Chuck Whiting, you're the best publicist in the business. Randy Schiller at Border's Books in Nashville, you should write your own book about words.

 
In wordly love,

Debbie
aka "Word Woman"

Debbie Watts Shares "Wordabulous" Words of Wisdom

(From Chuck Whiting: As some of you know, my firm handles publicity and publishing for National Vocabulary Coach of the Year Debbie Watts.  Here are some more "Wordabulous" words of wisdom from Middle Tennessee's "Word Woman".)

Hello, Fellow Word-lovers:

Hope you're having a wordabulous day.  I'm catching my breath following a very busy, yet successful school year. I'm also in the thick of planning for my book signing on June 18th at Border's West End in Nashville.  I'll be signing copies of my book from 6:00-7:00 p.m. If you're in the Nashville area, I'd love to see you there!  Thought I'd talk about word coinages this month.  You know, sometimes the words who reside within the covers of dictionaries, God love 'em, just don't do justice to the right ambience at the right moment.  Therefore, I have taken great pleasure in creating my own words to name, describe and show action, when recognized words just don't do the trick.  Here are a few of my favorites:  Leave your own in the comment section:

Gingersnap - (noun) A breakdown suffered from having watched too many "Gilligan's Island" tv reruns.

Proboscimony - (noun) Using one's alimony check to purchase a nose job.

Siliconimony - (noun) Using one's alimony check to purchase a breast enhancement.

Spraycation - Using funds saved up for a trip to pressure-wash the house.

Youtubular - (adjective) "You oughtta be on television.

X-it - (verb) As the great Paul Simon once said, "Get yourself free."

As you can see, coining your own words can provide stress relief.  Try it. . . .and share some of them with me...

As I said, come and see me on June 18th, and by the way, giving credit where credit is due, if you need a publicist, Chuck Whiting is the best.  Everything good that has happened with my book, I owe to him.  

In wordly love,

"Word Woman"