Tord creation is a natural function of language. You could not stop it if you tried. All language academies have learned this, in spite of themselves, and SamuelJohnson recognized it too, as has every lexicographer since. Given that neologism is an integral part of our linguistic competence, one might consider it surprising that there is so much emotion tied to newvocabulary. But the truth is that without the energetic efforts of the dictionary marketers on the one hand (celebrating the new, with a view to selling dictionaries) and the language gurus and style handbooks on the other (usually deploring the decline of standards), most new usage would pass unremarked. These days, however, with the help of the news media, our collective linguistic radar seems to be trained on neologism, even within lexicography. Apart from commercial considerations — new words are the most obvious elements of a new dictionary edition with which to try to catch the buyer's attention and edge out the competition — this fascination with neology on the part of dictionary makers as well as their public perhaps reflects the cultural and social milieu of the 20th and 21st centuries, especially in North America. The new is highly valued, and it seems reasonable to expect that that preoccupation should also manifest itself in the area of language. Like everyone else, I love finding new words and meanings, and thinking and talking about them all — the inspired, the odd, and the lame. Lexicographers have feelings too, even negative ones, however mild (usually) . I recently ran across an annoying example of a new term in a home-design magazine: French oven. Two cooking utensils were shown, which looked virtually alike, from two different manufacturers,