Balderdash & Piffle

While channel surfing I came across 'Balderdash & Piffle' on BBC2. The presenter Victoria Coren is quite cute and she was exploring the origins of words. Fairly interesting stuff for the writers or aspiring writer or those with a healthy interest in what things mean.

Did I mention she is cute as well, I think I might be developing a small crush on her.

Anyway last night's edition was an exploration of words around madness including 'bananas' 'one sandwich short of a picnic' and 'bonkers'.

One of the interesting segments was when comedian Jo Brand met the organisers of Bonkers Fest ,who not being representative of what might be considered normal, were objecting to the definition of the word normal and wanted it redefined as a person who was unable to display emotions that might not be considered sane. They had a point after all to be human is to at times do crazy things, normal people aren't really normal people at all. The new definition was rejected on the grounds that the definition did not really define how the word was used in society.

Fair enough, time to corrupt the word and create a new word.

Norm: (n) Commonly a derogatory term referring to people (especially in a work environment) who in an attempt to gain favour act in a manner conforming to the social and political norms of the organisation. They do not show or exhibit any behaviour outside of those norms to the extent that they are not exhibiting or are suppressing normal human behaviours such as compassion or a sense of humour.

Variants:

sub-norm: a subordinate colleague who mimics the behaviour of his boss, a norm, in order to gain favour.

uber-norm: a super norm.

ultra-norm: environmental description representing an organisational environment where behaviour is restrictive, forcing employees to conform in order to be promoted or rewarded.

anti-norm: a work colleague who seeks out norms and destroys them

ab-norm: possibly a corruption of 'abstaining norm', an employee who refuses to play political games and does not pretend to be anything other than themselves at work.