Hi!
I'm John and I'm spifftacular. Or at least I try to be.
I know I'm not the only person to use the word "spifftacular"--in fact someone else already registered "spifftacular" on Blogspot (hence this blog is "Spifftacularity"). I had never heard it before I came up with it, so for my purposes, it's my own word.
Technically, it's called a portmanteau, which is a kind of suitcase with two sections. In linguistics, a portmanteau is two words combined to make a new word. Humpty Dumpty explains this to Alice in Through the Looking-Glass regarding some of the words in "Jabberwocky", such as "slithy" (slimy and lithe).
Spifftacular is, obviously, "spiffy" and "spectacular" in one. I use this word sometimes when asked how I am. Sometimes I just say it. Sometimes I'm just being funny. Sometimes I'm just trying to cheer someone up. Sometimes that person is me.
Yesterday, I went to the cleaners to drop off my shirts. I've been using that cleaners since they opened around 2006. I drop off my shirts every Friday and pick them up every Tuesday. The staff there know me and always greet me with a big smile. When the customer before me is difficult and it stresses the staff member out, I always wait for that customer to leave and then I let them vent to me. Having worked with the public for most of my adult life, I know that it can be very difficult. They know this and know it's safe to talk to me. As I said, I usually pick up my shirts on Tuesday, but I often will ask for them to be ready to pick up on Monday, just in case there's a problem and they need an extra day. The young lady behind the counter asked when I would like my shirts back. I told her Monday was fine. Her reply was "Spifftacular!"
I guess I've been a good influence.
