It was Saint Patrick’s Day – a perfect day to shenanigate!
Is shenanigate a word?
Yes!
Well, maybe not in the dictionary.
But it’s obvious what it means.
Grammar may be the bones of any language.
But wordplay is the personality.
If we all spoke in perfect, formal English all the time, the world would be a dreary place.
Boring, and pompous, and tiresome.
Once, while teaching an online class, I told the group to hold on a second because my mouse wasn’t mousing.
Everyone burst out laughing.
They were surprised to hear an English teacher, a writer, and an editor speak like that.
But they understood me, didn’t they?
Even though “mousing” isn’t a word, in that context, it was perfectly logical.
The golden rule of playing with words is that you still have to make sense.
It’s OK to shenanigate on Saint Patrick’s Day.
You know what it means.
Liz Brenner
Everyone has a story to tell.
Even you.
Especially you.
This post might include affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission from the seller at no cost to you.