[X]ohol
So what is this "chocohol" I keep hearing about? What about "shopohol"? "Workohol"? And so on.
Implicitly, they're things that one can be addicted to, just as an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. At least, that's what I assume is the implication when I hear people referring to workoholics, shopoholics, and so on. But as a form of word retroconstruction, this "[X]oholic" really doesn't make a lot of sense when one is describing a compulsion for [X]. An alcoholic isn't addicted to alc.
Please: "shopping fiend". "Chocolate fanatic". "Compulsive worker".
I have the same twitch reaction to "[Y]gate" being used to refer to "a scandal involving [Y]". The Watergate scandal had nothing to do with water; it's the name of a hotel.
Implicitly, they're things that one can be addicted to, just as an alcoholic is addicted to alcohol. At least, that's what I assume is the implication when I hear people referring to workoholics, shopoholics, and so on. But as a form of word retroconstruction, this "[X]oholic" really doesn't make a lot of sense when one is describing a compulsion for [X]. An alcoholic isn't addicted to alc.
Please: "shopping fiend". "Chocolate fanatic". "Compulsive worker".
I have the same twitch reaction to "[Y]gate" being used to refer to "a scandal involving [Y]". The Watergate scandal had nothing to do with water; it's the name of a hotel.