mikhail epstein's definitions

hibyer

hibyer, n. (hi+bye+suffix er)

a marginal acquaintance with whom "hi' and "bye" are the most typical units of verbal exchange; the vocabulary of a minimal relationship.

Do you know this woman? - Not really, we are hibyers.

They were married for ten years, but now they are only hibyers.

I was surprised when hibyer stopped for a more substantial conversation.

by Mikhail Epstein November 16, 2003

virtonautics

virtonautics n (virtual + nautics, from Greek nautikos, of ships, sailing, like in astronautics) Ð experimental exploration and development of virtual worlds.

Now virtonautics is still in embryo, but in the future it will become as common an occupation as aeronautics and astronautics today.

by Mikhail Epstein November 2, 2003

oneirogenic

oneirogenic adj (from Greek oneiros, "dream" + genic; cf. photogenic, telegenic) Ð having a propensity to appear in somebody's dreams.

Some people are photogenic while others are oneirogenic. These characteristics rarely coincide. A person who is plain and unnoticeable in real life may haunt our dreams and imagination.

Have you noticed that cats are more oneirogenic than dogs?

To surprise your friends at a party, ask them: "Do you find me "oneirogenic"? If the answer is "yesÓ, ask them to recall your adventures in their dreams.

by Mikhail Epstein November 2, 2003

dunch

dunch n (blend of "lunch" and "dinner"; cf. brunch) - a small meal between lunch and dinner in the late afternoon or early evening (about 3- 5 pm.).

This is a more appropriate word for an intermediate meal that once suggested "linner," because it is more similar to lunch than to dinner and is more brief (one syllable). It also follows the model of the neologism for another intermediate (or combined) meal - "brunch."

Dunch usually includes tea or coffee with cookies, sometimes a sandwich.

For tomorrow, I have already scheduled lunch and dinner with my colleagues. Let's have a dunch together.

by Mikhail Epstein November 8, 2003

the booming 1990s, the dooming 2000s

a nickname for our decade

American culture likes to divide itself into decades: the prosperous fifties, the rebellious sixties, the egoistic seventies, the greedy the eighties, the booming ninetees… Finally, the dooming
2000s

by Mikhail Epstein October 8, 2003

netscapism

netscapism n (net + escapism) - an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities into the electronic network, or virtual world.

In the past, the wild nature and remote countries were the favorite refuge for escapists. Now netscapism, especially among adolescents, has grown into a serious social problem.

by Mikhail Epstein November 7, 2003

dreadvertise (verb; dread + advertise)

to advertise by dread, to engage in military propaganda.

There are skilled dreadvertisers in our government.

by Mikhail Epstein October 2, 2003