“Nag”

Dictionary.com defines “nag” as a verb: “1. to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands.

2. to keep in a state of troubled awareness or anxiety, as a recurrent pain or problem:

–verb (used without object)

3. to find fault or complain in an irritating, wearisome, or relentless manner (often fol. by at): If they start nagging at each other, I'm going home.

4. to cause pain, discomfort, distress, depression, etc. (often fol. by at): This headache has been nagging at me all day.

–noun

5. Also, nagger. a person who nags, esp. habitually.

6. an act or instance of nagging.

With a definition this… definite, I do not believe any further example is in order.

“Nag-ative”

Now, let’s add the first suffix and see where it leads us:

Suffix -ative 1. of, related to, or associated with the thing specified.

Example: Nagative – “If I don’t get this column written on time, it will surely become a nagative”, meaning “something that i will be nagged about, or something that will add to the nagging I receive”.

A nagative might also be something that gets added to your “honey-do” list, or even something that you burden yourself with, such as an added responsibility that you are having trouble meeting. Example: “I’m having a hard time scheduling that appointment I promised to make. It is becoming a real nagative.”

“Nagativity”

Finally, let’s combine yet another suffix and see where it leads us.

Suffix -ity 1. Used to form a noun from an adjective; especially, to form the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.

Are you with me still? Then you MUST be bored! But please, read on!

Nagativity must, by these clear and simple definitions, mean, “the state or characteristic of an action or idea that reflects the potential for nagging of that action or idea.”

Example: Nagativity – “The negativity of my yardwork went way down this weekend when it started raining on Saturday morning… thank you Weather Channel!”

Okay, so I elaborated there at the end. I think you get the picture.

Therefore, chores or other responsibilities can all be measured by their “nagativity” – there potential for bringing about nagging of any sort.

Beware Of Misuse

Nagativity is often misused in place of the word “NEGativity”, but sometimes the grammatical lines between the two are not so definite!

Mom: “What is wrong with you? You haven’t cleaned out the garage in years!”

Son: “Whoa! Why such nagativity all of a sudden? Like you said, it HAS been years...”

Ah, the subtleties of language.

If you have any Palmisanoisms you would like to offer, I would be happy to review them and include them in future columns… if this one makes it past the editor!

“Words ought to be a little wild for they are the assaults of thought on the unthinking.”

John Maynard Keynes (1883 - 1946)