What is a staycation? Musings on portmanteaus.

🤔 Is it just me, or has the meaning of ‘staycation’ broadened recently?

Pretty sure it used to encapsulate the idea of taking time off work, staying at home and going for day trips.

News items this week are using it to mean holidays taken in your home country.

Is that how you’ve always used it? I haven’t. Not least because it takes me a while to start using portmanteaus. I’m usually late to the party! 😆

I’m not saying it is wrong. On the contrary. I’m a descriptivist not a prescriptivist. I find it interesting. 📖

I think the same thing has happened with ‘selfie’. I see it being used to mean a photograph of one person, usually fairly close-up, but not necessarily taken by the person photographed. 📷

❓What says you? Are you an early adopter of portmanteaus (blended words)?

Do you describe yourself as ‘hangry’? (Now, I want to coin one which is *weery — definition: being so desperate for the loo that you snap at people! 😂)

❓Have you noticed the shift in definition of words like selfie?

🤓 Language change fascinates me.

For instance, did you know that ‘meat’ once meant food in general. Hence ‘mincemeat’ in your favourite Christmas treat contains a mix of fruit. 🎄

Would love to hear your language change tidbits.