From the Editor

by Stacey Paretti Rase

Sniglets

Well, the dog days of summer are definitely here! If you’re a parent like me, the months of July and early August are devoted to keeping the kids busy and are jam-packed with vacations, swim meets, summer camps and trips to the movies just to get in out of the heat. In an effort to occupy and hopefully amuse my kids the other day, I introduced them to sniglets. Do you remember those? They were invented and made famous back in the 80s by a comedian named Rich Hall who starred on HBO’s “Not Necessarily the News.” A sniglet is defined as a “word that should be in the dictionary, but isn’t.” I began to recall some of the catchier sniglets that I learned as a child and thought it would be fun to share them with my kids—words like “cheedle,” the orange residue left on your fingers after eating Cheetos or “pajangle,” the odd condition of waking up with your pajamas turned 180 degrees.

From there, my mind began to wander and I’ve found myself making up my own sniglets. I think they’re kind of humorous, but then again, it could just be the heat making me crazy. Take a look and see if you identify at all with these summer-themed sniglets. And if you start making up some of your own, drop me a line—I’d love to hear them!

The Summer 100 The added cost of each grocery bill now that the kids are around all day and eating you out of house and home. (Add another $50 to that number if you actually have to take your kids with you to the store.)

The Summer 200 Ditto above, except this refers to your electric bill.

Carlineamnesia A sudden loss of memory when pulling up to a camp carline, leading you to wonder, “Now just which neighborhood kids am I responsible for picking up today?”

Gratis Gravel Sand that gets brought back from the beach and remains on the floor boards of your car until at least October.

Huckleberryfinnaphobia Terror and dread brought on by your child’s looming summer required reading deadline.

Bedtime Boot Camp The two to three days just before school begins when your children (and you!) must readjust your sleep patterns so that you can function at 6am. (Don’t you always promise yourself that you’re going to start weaning the kids from their midnight bedtime weeks before school starts?)

Khaki Conniption That moment of hysteria in early August when you realize your child has grown two inches over the summer and his school pants no longer fit.

Mead Madness The foolish notion that you will be able to walk into Target, Wal-Mart or your local drugstore and actually find each item on your son or daughter’s school supply list on that one visit.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Congratulations to Linda Sandidge of Abita Springs, winner of last issue’s Word Search!