Are you computarded?

When reading this blog today, I noticed a interesting word in the comments on one of the posts – computarded. It was used in the following sentence: “I made it up to the basic internet skills era (email! google search! social network site! PubMed! etc…) and beyond that I’m computarded.”

This is an example of a portmanteau word or blend. It works better than computer illiterate, I think, though only if you’re talking about yourself. If you used it to describe someone else, it might be considered pejorative.

A possible antonym is compudextrous. Can you think of any others?

Comments (6)

PollyAugust 7th, 2007 at 10:31 pm

LOL! @ “computarded”

“Computerate” or “compuliterate”

Of course we already have old words for this: Geek, Nerd, Poindexter.
I like portmanteu neologisms but they tend to have a short shelf life. Who says “yuppie” – young-urban-professional – anymore?
Isn’t “blog” itself one? So, is “Wintel.”

(Has anyone else noticed that the word “geek” is now morphing into a meaning sort of like “savant”? A sports trivia enthusiast can be considered a “geek” now!)

StuartAugust 8th, 2007 at 10:01 am

Poindexter isn’t used in Britain at all, I has a very American feel to me. Is it used anywhere else other than North America (e.g. in Australia, New Zealand)?

PaulAugust 8th, 2007 at 11:43 am

What’s the derivation of poindexter?

StuartAugust 8th, 2007 at 1:30 pm

It comes from a character of that name in the comic strip Felix the Cat, and comes from the 1950s. The character was a scientist dressed in a white coat and he wore big thick glasses.

Self Help ZoneAugust 8th, 2007 at 2:03 pm

Well who knows oxford may consider this word and include in dictionary??? :) sounds ok to me… Computarded..lol

JamesAugust 12th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

yuppie is still alive in Chilean spanish… was obviously borrowed and no-one told the chileans it´s not cool any more ;)

J