Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1978
Dramedy
drama comedy
- Meaning
- A work blending dramatic and comedic tones roughly equally.
- Source words
- drama + comedy
- Coined by
- collective
- Year
- 1978
Background
Emerged in TV Guide writing about *M*A*S*H* and *Lou Grant*. Academics later coined "seriocomedy" to sound more respectable; "dramedy" won on rhythm alone.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.