Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Contemporary (2000–) ·1948
Ginormous
gigantic enormous
- Meaning
- Extremely large.
- Source words
- gigantic + enormous
- Coined by
- RAF slang
- Year
- 1948
Background
First attested in a *New Statesman* glossary of RAF slang. Stayed colloquial until the 2000s, when it appeared in children's books and general US usage. Added to Merriam-Webster in 2007.
Contemporary (2000–)
Faster coinage, faster canonisation. Brexit and podcast both reached the OED within a decade of first use — historically rapid. Social media has made visibility, not invention, the rate-limiting step.
Two words, one coinage.
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