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Words That Shaped Last Week: 'Frankenstorm,' 'Richard Mourdock,' and 'Ohio'

For your edification, a look back at the phrases, nouns, and neologisms that have, for better or for worse, shaped the week's national discourse.
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By Juli Weiner, Vanity Fair

For your edification, a look back at the phrases, nouns, and neologisms that have, for better or for worse, shaped the week's national discourse.

Frankenstorm [frank-en-stawrm], noun: A hell of a hurricane that's headed hereabouts on Halloween; a meteorological nickname likely to annoy smug English majors even more than the preceding alliterative sentence.

Richard Mourdock [rich-urg moor-dock], noun: A prominent and confused misogynist whose dreams of representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate may have been, well, aborted owing to horrifying comments he made about so-called "God-intended rape."

Judd Apatow [juhd ap-uh-tow], noun: Excitingly, the co-editor of Vanity Fair's inaugural January Comedy Issue!

Swiftnnedy [swift-ned-ee], noun: The reportedly defunct young celebrity couple whose sudden split is likely to break hearts (and increase Red album sales) from Nantucket to Nashville.

Shuck and jive [schuck nd jyv], noun: A racially tinged and anachronistic phrase commonly found in histories of the post-Civil War South, Sarah Palin's Facebook page, etc.

Ohio [oh-hi-oh], noun: America's best or worst state, depending on its behavior November 6.

The Inferno [thee in-fur-noh], noun: Don Draper's beach read, tantalizingly!

Skyfall [sky-fawl], noun: The excellent, thrilling, funny, and gorgeous new Bond movie, starring Vanity Fair November cover star Daniel Craig. Go see it!

iPad Mini [i-pahd min-ee], noun: A cute, palm-sized new way to measure your hipness and self-worth. Also comes in white!

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