This is from The Atlantic Monthly's Word Fugitive column. Basically they ask readers for new play-on-words to describe a situation that needs a word.



"It’s not that carma, carcissism, carmraderie, esprit de car, and autobond weren’t good ideas—they were. But they were such good ideas that hordes of people thought of each of them when asked, in May, to put a name to “that happy feeling of kinship one feels for the driver of a car of the same make and model as one’s own.”

A few individualistic readers’ thoughts turned to the particular rather than the general. Christian Ruch, of Hopkins, Minn., wrote, “The first term that came to mind for me was Civic pride, because I felt such a strong bond with anyone driving a Honda Civic hatchback during the more than 10 years I drove one.” Rachel Ward, of Rochester, N.Y., wrote, “I experience a feeling of Corollallinthistogether when I see people driving a Corolla S, as I do.” Kristina Graber, of Three Rivers, Calif., wrote, “As a hybrid-vehicle owner, I have come to recognize a certain smugness hybrid ownership brings. Owners of such vehicles share a feeling of hybris.”

A few other readers’ thoughts turned to Kurt Vonnegut, who died in April. Among them was Alan Feuer, of Brookline, Mass., who wrote, “In Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut coined granfalloon for the grand concept of a happenstance group. The special-case group of same-make purchasers might logically be a brandfalloon, and the nutty behavior it induces brandfalloonery, sometimes contracted to b’f’oonery.”

David McGarvey, of Lake Bluff, Ill., argued that the word sought should be “the opposite of fender bender: fender friender.” Julie Marshall, of Leona Valley, Calif., and Jean-Yves Thuret, of Paris, France, suggested vroommate; David Sergenian, of Los Angeles, jaloppelganger; Doug Slaten, of Fallbrook, Calif., me-toot; and Alexander Rolfe, of Newberg, Ore., vehic-hilarity.
Charles Slat, of Monroe, Mich., had actual information to share. He wrote, “Around the Motor City, cars are known as ‘Ford-badged’ or ‘GM-badged’ or ‘Chrysler-badged’ if they sport the logos or emblems of those automakers. Same-vehicle kinship is known as badger*aderie.” If that’s industry jargon, it’s good jargon—and besides, it’s fun to say. Slat takes top honors.

The other word sought in May was for “that guy (or girl) who, once he starts dating someone new, abandons all of his friends.” A complimentary term was not wanted, and none was received. According to a few readers, such a person might be called an affair-whether friend. Jacob Hibel, of State College, Pa., came up with disapparamour; Micheal Hickerson, of Erlanger, Ky., sexpatriate; Ralph Protsik, of Brookline, Mass., the deary departed; and Nancy Friedman, of Oakland, Calif., romantisocial. Eric Avery, of Gansevoort, N.Y., takes top honors for his coinage hiberdater."

 

Well, my husband likes to call it The Cult...

 

How about Twistieissim for us whom like to drive the twisties in our MINIs

 

I thought "MINInac" was the word for us MINIers?

 

Jay, do you mean "Twistie-ism?" That's cute!

And from the earliest days of the new MINI, many of us have referred to ourselves as "MINIacs."

I often refer to our subculture as "The MINI Cult." We have some great wordsmiths in this cult...let's hear some more suggestions. Great idea for a thread, rooandren.

 

How about "MINIsm"?

 

The Wife unit refers to us as a cult as well. "I see you are confering with the other cult members."

MINIac seems as good as thing as any.

 

Perhaps:

MINI + animal = MINImal
MINI + animal + civilization = MINImalization


or not

Bill

 

I'm a MINIac and proud member of The Cult.

 

It's a cult--pass the KoolAid...

 

MINIac of course takes the cake for the name of the member of the group!

The original question actually asked (buried within that column), "that happy feeling of kinship one feels for the driver of a car of the same make and model as one’s own.”

So the feeling or experience, rather than a descriptive noun.

 

MINIac obviously fits for most of us.

Those of us who aren't happy just enjoying our own bliss, but who actively work to draw others into The Cult (and eschew the evil Hummer, root of all society's problems), could be known as MINItologists.

 

Mini-Mob. Rolls off the tongue easier.

 

I think it was Bamatt who used the term NAMily to describe our NAM community. Kinda like that. MINIac of course for the MINI community in general. A MINIologist would be one that studies all things MINI. A MINIthusiast would be one that is enthralled or otherwise enthusiastic about their (or other's) MINI(s).

 

Among members of the general public I just refer to my MINI-buddies and leave it at that.