My indolence is fast becoming net-famous, with my rationale for choosing 'locavore' over 'localvore' ("reasons of simple laziness: it's easier for me to pronounce") being quoted by Language Log and Daylife. It seems locavore is still winning even though some folks fret about its unfortunate resemblance to 'locovore.' Which critics might use to imply we were crazy.
Really, is it any less likely critics will turn localvore into locovore? If people want to make fun of us I doubt they're going to stop and say, "Oh, but I can't turn 'localvore' into 'locovore.' There's an extra letter in there! Damn. So close."
The coiner of the term, Jessica Prentice, explains her reasons for choosing locavore over localvore here, noting that "if journalists wanted to question me on (the association with 'loco' as in crazy), it would be an opportunity to explain that what is really crazy is the amount of unnecessary importation and exportation of food that currently happens in our globalized food system."
I got taken to task by a lexicographer in the comments of my locavore post, to wit:
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By the way, I particularly appreciate your recent post on coffee, because sometimes you just need to consume things that don't exist locally!
Locovore... Hmm... Sounds like we eat moving things. Or maybe we eat trains engine's! :) Locomotivavore! Wow, a smooth word with beautifully alternating consonants and vowels. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteMatthew, hey! Minor national celebrities are reading your blog! Way cool. Actually, I'm glad he posted -- the NPR word show sounds pretty cool. Although on doing a search, I didn't find any indication they'd ever discussed the word locavore.
ReplyDeleteWalter, or perhaps it sounds like we eat while moving. Or maybe that would be voromotoring. Or vorambulation?
"Vorambulation," may I say, just sounds cool!
ReplyDeleteIt's also dangerous while driving!
localvore is the more intuitive and less self-conscious, so i prefer it, but locavore is cool too.
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