What is Geriacryolism?
1.
Geriacryolism - ger⋅i⋅ ak-ir-o-l-ism
Pronounced "jer-ee- uh-krol- iz-uhm"
- noun
1. Ludicrous misuse of a word by the elderly, especially by confusion with one of similar sound.
2. An act or habit of misusing words after the age of 40 in ridiculous ways, esp. by the confusion of words, sometimes confusing names not similar at all, and often blanking on a word entirely.
3. An idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar. In the case of Geriacryolism, “Half-Timers Disease” for Alzheimer’s disease also is a synonym.
Examples:
Intercourse (Intersection)
Strategery (strategy)
Mandolin (Mandarin)
Interwebs (Internet)
Such misuse of words could be classified as Freudian slips, improper grammar or
Bushisms , or as an “eggcorn,” except when these errors occur due to aging. Symptoms of Geriacryolism typically begin in the 40’s, and increase over time in equal proportion to bowel problems. Geriacryolism may be associated with dyslexia, though this remains only theory to date.
