Saturday, February 28, 2015

Snowmageddon 2015, Episode 3

Earlier this week, we enjoyed Snowmageddon 2015, Episode 3. I'm losing track of which one was which, but Episode 1 or 2 looked like this:


Frightening, yes? It shut down public schools for about a week across several counties. The tail end of Episode 2 had public schools closed on Monday and Tuesday, even though Tuesday was sunny and relatively warm (you can never be too cautious). Then Episode 3 hit,


and kids all across the Piedmont rejoiced.

As Snowmageddon is becoming an annual event in these here parts, I thought it would be useful to research its proper plural form. I believe there is no plural to the seemingly similar word Armageddon, since sources project but one Armageddon in the course of all human existence. It would be simple to assume the -on suffix is Greek and is made plural with addition of an s, thus Snowmageddons, but that's a little boring, so I solicited suggestions from knowledgeable friends. One offered Snowmageddae (rhymes with reggae). Another posited Snowsmageddon, as successive snowfalls combine for a cumulatively destructive effect. This indicates an etymology similar to the word passerby (pl. passersby), which derives from a phrasal verb (noun + BY, from to pass by). Interestingly, passerby dates back to the 16th century, while Snowmageddon dates back to approximately 2014.

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