Malamanteau Mania!

Malamanteau: merticular

2017-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

- Definition: Used to describe a person who functions at a higher level of pickyness than a particular person.
- Portmanteau: meticulous + particular
- Malapropism: meticulous?
Source: The horror and pleasure of misused words: from mispronunciation to malapropisms

From the source:

I recently heard a sparkling new malamanteau, “merticular”, used to describe a fussy person. It appears to combine “particular” and “meticulous”. When I questioned this and suggested that “meticulous” would do, the speaker said: “No. A merticular person functions at a higher level of "pickyness” than a “particular” person". I recently heard a sparkling new malamanteau, “merticular”, used to describe a fussy person. It appears to combine “particular” and “meticulous”. When I questioned this and suggested that “meticulous” would do, the speaker said: “No. A merticular person functions at a higher level of "pickyness” than a “particular” person".

Roses are Red, Malamanteaus are ?

2012-10-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

Floating Sheep came up with the fun idea to create a poem out of some of their favorite Wikipedia items, and Malamanteau mad the list!

Malamanteau and the Floatingsheep tribute to Wikipedia

Here's our list. Bonus points to anyone that can combine them all into a poem.
Malamanteau
Zorbing
Global Orgasm
Infinite Monkey Theorem
Accessory breast

Factoids and Realities

2012-10-09T16:03:00.001-04:00

Blogger AUTONERD had some funny comments about the Malamanteau on their blog post: Shadows of Inner Self - Malamanteau: Factoids and Realities

Neologistic Factoids:

- Every time you say, Malamanteau, God kills a Wikipedia editor.

- If you say a malamanteau three times in a row, Bloody Malamary will appear and link you to the Wikipedia page on portmanteaus.

- Bloody Malamary wears a Mala Manteau jacket, and enjoys sandwiches made with a specific mix of marmalade and marmite, known as Pacifimite.

- During 2010, investigators managed to make significant breakthroughs in their attempts to track down and apprehend Bloody Malamary, due to reference information about malamanteaus that was published on Wikipedia.

Too funny!
Keep an eye out for those wild malamanteau(s/x) and let us know if you see any!

Malamanteau: refudiate

2011-10-07T17:20:00.000-04:00

- Definition: suggesting a general sense of reject
- Portmanteau: refute + repudiate
- Malapropism: repudiate?
Source: OUP USA 2010 Word of the Year: Refudiate

The word gained national attention when Sarah Palin used it from her Twitter account, saying "Ground Zero Mosque supporters: doesn't it stab you in the heart, as it does ours throughout the heartland? Peaceful Muslims, pls refudiate"

Because of it's popularity it was named Oxford American Dictionary's 2010 Word of the Year.

Malamanteau: squawk-dagon

2011-07-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

- Definition: A squawk-octagon?
- Portmanteau: squawk + octagon
- Malapropism: sqoctagon
Source: xkcd.com / forums

xkcd user Natty writes:
The malamanteau "Squawk-dagon" is a neologism for a portmanteau created by incorrectly combining the onomatopoeia "squawk" (that was a malapropism for "square") and the neologism for an MMA ring "octagon".

Malamanteau: Merlot Propism

2011-06-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

Over at the Whitebored blog, someone came up with clever funny artwork regarding the malamanteau

Malamanteau: squirmish

2011-04-21T13:06:00.000-04:00

- Definition: A skirmish that is uncomfortable and makes you want to squirm
- Portmanteau: squirm + skirmish
- Malapropism: skirmish, squirm
Source: Elkridge Patch / Dictionary Battles: The Fight to Find Meaning in Doublespeak

Malamanteau: Absatively

2010-09-30T17:45:00.001-04:00

- Definition: A car crash between absolutely and positively
- Portmanteau: absolutely + positively
- Malapropism*: absolutely, positively

Source: XKCD Wiki / Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys

* Note: Unless this portmanteau is used incorrectly towards it's listed malapropisms, it would not qualify as a malamanteau.

Malamanteau: Irregardless

2010-09-29T16:59:00.000-04:00

- Definition: To be irrespective, regardless?
- Portmanteau: irrespective + regardless
- Malapropism: irrespective and regardless

Source: Language Log - Lingustics in Comics

Malamanteau: Insinuendos

2010-09-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

- Definition: To insinuate an innuendo?
- Portmanteau: innuendo + insinuation
- Malapropism: innuendo and insinuation

Source: The Boston Globe - One-day wonder

Malamanteau: Bewilderness

2010-09-29T16:49:00.000-04:00

- Definition: To be bewildered and in the wilderness?
- Portmanteau: bewildered + wilderness
- Malapropism: bewildered and wilderness

Source: The Boston Globe - One-day wonder

Malamanteau: Overflowded

2010-09-29T16:39:00.003-04:00

- Definition: To be crowded and overflowed?
- Portmanteau: overflowed + crowded
- Malapropism: overflowed and crowded

Source: Metafilter - How to define this language mistake

Malamanteau: Exorberant

2010-09-29T16:39:00.001-04:00

- Definition: To spend too much money and be happy about it
- Portmanteau: exorbitant + exuberant
- Malapropism: exorbitant and exuberant

Source: Metafilter - How to define this language mistake

Malamanteau: Spontanimosity

2010-09-29T16:38:00.001-04:00

- Definition: To hate someone when you instantly meet them
- Portmanteau: spontaneous + animosity
- Malapropism: spontaneous and animosity

Source: Metafilter - How to define this language mistake

Malamanteau: Portmanpropism

2010-09-29T16:37:00.002-04:00

- Definition: Combination of a portmanteau and a malapropism
- Portmanteau: portmanteau + malapropism
- Malapropism: portmantea and malapropism

Source: Metafilter - How to define this language mistake

Note: Again if these portmanteau neologisms are just used correctly, they are not being used as malapropisms and therefore wouldn't be malamanteaus.

Malamanteau: Ambiviolent

2010-09-29T16:35:00.001-04:00

- Definition: To be both violent and unsure
- Portmanteau: ambivalent + violent
- Malapropism: ambivalent and violent

Malamanteau - XKCD Wiki

(Note: ambiviolent would only qualify as a malamanteau if it was used as a malapropism in place of ambivalent or violent, not if it was used intentionally to mean "I can't decide who to kill first")

Malamanteau: Misunderestimate

2010-09-29T16:34:00.000-04:00

- Definition: To both misunderstand and underestimate something
- Portmanteau: misunderstand + underestimate
- Malapropism: misunderstand and underestimate

Malamanteau - XKCD Wiki

Malamanteau: Mal-manteau

2010-09-09T13:28:00.002-04:00

- Definition: The outfit that the character Mal wears on the show Firefly
- Portmanteau: Mal + manteau
- Malapropism: malamanteau

Source: XKCD Forums, user iamed2

Malamanteau: Snowclone

2010-09-03T13:25:00.002-04:00

Snowclone
- Definition: Clone of someone made out of snow
- Portmanteau: snow + clone
- Malapropism: snowcone

Source: XKCD Forums, user blumdude

Malamanteau: Portmantraction

2010-08-27T13:32:00.002-04:00

- Definition: Combination of two words (portmanteau)
- Portmanteau: portmanteau? + contraction
- Malapropism: portmanteau

Sources: Homestar Runner Wiki, XKCD Forums, user csours

Note: Technically a portmantraction might just be a grammatical error, not actually a portmanteau, since it uses portmanteau as the first part of it's portmanteau.
But it's still noteworthy in that it was used incorrectly in the place of portmanteau, and it clearly combines portmanteau and contraction.

Malamanteau: Blogosfear

2010-08-27T13:25:00.003-04:00

- Definition: Fear of blogs
- Portmanteau: blog + fear
- Malapropism: Blogosphere

Source: XKCD Forums, user RabbitWho

Malamanteau: Miscommunicado

2010-05-14T17:11:00.006-04:00

- Definition: To miscommunicate something while out of communication
- Portmanteau: miscommunicate + incommunicado
- Malapropism: miscommunicate and incommunicado

Malamanteau - XKCD Wiki

Malamanteau: Flustrate

2010-05-14T17:08:00.004-04:00

- Definition: To be both flustered and frustrated
- Portmanteau: fluster + frustrate
- Malapropism: fluster and frustrate

Source: Wordnick - Malamanteau

Malamanteau: Masillerterate

2010-05-14T17:00:00.005-04:00

Definition: What the stock market crash did to the economy
Portmanteau: masil + ilterate
Malapropism: obliterate

Source: Personal Money Store: Malamanteau | Defining a new word

Malamanteau: Misconscrew

2010-05-14T16:29:00.000-04:00

- Definition: Misconstrue and also screw up
- Portmanteau: misconstrue + screw
- Malapropism: misconstrue

Source: Wordnick - Malamanteau