Did you know that “ginormous” has been added to the dictionary as a new word?

Ginormous, by the way, is the offspring produced when “gigantic” and “enormous” are bred. It’s kind of like “Hotlanta.” That’s what happens when you combine your favorite bar in the capital city to the essence of Peachtree Street. Or, it’s what our state legislators yell when the General Assembly convenes.

So today I got an e-mail from someone who told me that “thuggery” is not a real word.

I used “thuggery” in an editorial recently. I just made it up on the spot because it fit what I was trying to say. I think that’s how language first came about. Otherwise we would be limited to “ugh” and “oomgawah.” Can you imagine a political debate with only body gestures and those two words? Okay, maybe that actually would be a good idea, but you get my meaning.

So let me define “thuggery.” It’s the act of being a “thug.” And for those who don’t know what a “thug” is, it is a social malcontent hell bent on breaking into jail. They just go around “thugging” all day.

I don’t fear reprisals if I make up words at my own convenience and discretion. We can do that in America. What I mean is, there is no committee that will put me on double secret probation and force me to watch reality shows if I go willy nilly with word manufacturing.

I also think the word “gazillion” is now officially a word. It had to be coined to describe how much money we are spending blowing up and fixing Iraq. With that in mind for President Bush, “a Brazilian” is not a way to describe how much money oil companies are making.

One of the advantages of being a columnist or one who writes regularly for public consumption is that you can get all sorts of free advice and instruction. Ironically, many of those who would pose themselves as “grammar police” don’t write regularly or ever for public viewing. They indeed know about subject-verb agreement and mixed metaphors from having made good grades in English and critiquing other peoples’ stuff. Suddenly I recall a line from the movie “Dirty Dozen” where one of the renegade warriors was viewing a polished team of “elite” soldiers: “They’re pretty, but can they fight?”

So you can spell, but can you write?

Of course that kind of critiquing is good. It has its place in the course of assuring order in the cosmos and reminding journalists that “ain’t” ain’t a word.

In my many years of newspapering, I have helped train many young journalists. One of the first things I tell them is that when they screw up, it’s out there for everyone to see. By comparison, if your rearview mirror falls off in your lap, the only people who will know about it is you and the car dealer.

I doubt very seriously that many people will actually apply the word “ginormous.” It’s as useless as spare parts for an Edsel. Thuggery, on the other hand, would appear to have a much broader application. But I suppose we could say that we have some “ginormous thuggery” going on these days. But I won’t mention any professional athletes in this reference.

As our populations increase and the course of human events is factored by such human density, I think that the invention of new words is a natural thing to accommodate new experiences.

Last night I went into my utility barn to get my battery charger. As I opened the door and flipped on the light, a bat tried to get out the door past me but ended up in my hair. Now I am not afraid of bats under normal circumstances. But the suddenness of this meeting with little time for analysis and assessment of the moment caused me to flail wildly while making up a plethora of new words. There was no time to conjugate the verbs nor to diagram the sentences. And to borrow a word from President Bush, I will, in the future, consider a new “strategery” for going into the utility barn at night.

(Dwain Walden is editor/publisher of The Moultrie Observer, 985-4545. E-mail: dwain.walden@gaflnews.com)