Budweiser - An Inaugural Attempt at Wordplay?

Spotted this Budweiser ad on the back cover of this week's Newsweek magazine.

I really got a kick out of the wordplay. I was impressed with the creativity and simplicity of adding the letter "E" to inaugural to change the word both phonetically and semantically. Actually, inaugurale could also be thought of as a portmanteau word (a blend of inaugural and ale), and this is likely one of the messages Budweiser's ad agency was hoping to promote...new president, new beginning, try a new beer. But, was this new word really coined by Budweiser's ad agency's or did someone else come up with the idea first?

Upon doing a bit of research I came across the above beer bottled by Schlafly Beer of the Saint Lewis Brewery. Additionally, according to washingtonpost.com, Capitol City Brewing has been offering InaugurAle since shortly after the Nov. 4 election. And, last but not least, washingtonian.com ran an article on January 13 about a Mount Pleasant, Michigan homebrewer, Sam Chapple-Sokol, who had a friend print labels with an “InaugurAle Edition” emblem modeled after Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Regardless of who first came up with the idea, I still enjoy the wordplay.

Staycation, All You Ever Wanted?

Last week's Newsweek had an article about summer travel and rising gas prices. The article suggested that, because of gas prices, many people may choose to take a "staycation" this summer. I had never heard the word staycation prior to this article and I think it is a very descriptive and appropriate word for what it refers to - a vacation spent at home. A staycation can involve hanging out in your own backyard or exploring places in or close to your hometown. The word staycation is actually another example of a portmanteau word (which I have previously discussed) and according to WordSpy, the word was first used in The Myrtle Beach Sun-News on July 11, 2003.

2nd Question of the Week Poll Results: Is that snirt or a portmanteau I see there?

The majority of voters this past week were correct in saying that snirt is a noun. Snirt is found in the Midwest at the end of winter. It is the combination of snow and dirt found on the side of roads and in parking lots. The word (snirt) itself, which is a combination of the words snow and dirt, is what is considered a portmanteau word. Portmanteau words are those that are formed by combining the sounds and meanings of two different words. They are considered a linguistic blend.


The reason this type of linguistic blend is called a portmanteau word comes from the meaning of the word portmanteau. A portmanteau is a type of bag or suitcase used in Europe that carries mixed items. Thus a portmanteau word carries a mix of words.

Slithy (lithe and slimy) and mimsy (flimsy and miserable) are some well known portmanteau words created by Lewis Carroll that appear in "Through the Looking Glass."