History Main / PersonalDictionary

%%% No Examples, please. For some reason, they just devolve into complaints. This just defines the term.

[[quoteright:242:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dictionary.png]]
[[caption-width-right:242:[[WebComic/TheOrderOfTheStick The ''five'' of us never left our cells. That is, everybody but me snuck out.]]]]
->''"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less."''
-->-- '''[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There]]'''

Pretending that a word means something it does not; not in an attempt to help a language evolve, but in a LastStand defending [[HonorBeforeReason your words and your honor!]].

Wait ... That's just ''their'' definition of fascism, not yours. Of course it's the ''label'' of fascism that is bad, and not the actual definition, [[RefugeInAudacity so you just make the label apply, and make everyone believe you]]. And maybe if you do it for long enough, it will catch on [[IRejectYourReality and they'll fix the dictionary]]!

# [[AssPull Just make something up.]]

Naturally, making this one’s main argument is among [[DirtySocialTricks the dirtiest of social tricks]], since it all but forces your interlocutor to accept your StrawMan if they want to converse with you at all.

That said, Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad still applies, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance. (Dictionaries, we should remember, simply record the ways words are commonly used, not necessarily the ways any prescriptivist groups think they "should" be used.) Attempting to create a new meaning by yourself, however, is a good way to prove you have DelusionsOfEloquence.

Compare {{Malaproper}}, NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense, NoTrueScotsman, MetaphoricallyTrue, and UnusualEuphemism. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries. TwistingTheWords is when someone applies this trope to a word someone ''else'' used, and SeparatedByACommonLanguage and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch is when they are using the word correctly- with a different dictionary.

When someone literally makes up an actual dictionary for their personal amusement or art, that's ConLang or PerfectlyCromulentWord.

Wait ... That's just ''their'' definition of fascism, not yours. Of course it's the ''label'' of fascism that is bad, and not the actual definition, [[RefugeInAudacity so you just make the label apply, and make everyone believe you]]. And maybe [[YouKeepUsingThatWord if you do it for long enough]], it will catch on [[IRejectYourReality and they'll fix the dictionary]]!

%%% No Examples, please. For some reason they just devolve into complaints. This just defines the term.

Keep in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance. (Dictionaries, we should remember, simply record the ways words are commonly used, not necessarily the ways any prescriptivist groups think they "should" be used.) Attempting to create a new meaning by yourself, however, is a good way to prove you have DelusionsOfEloquence.

See also: ArtisticLicenseLinguistics

Keep in mind that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance. (Dictionaries, we should remember, simply record the ways words are commonly used, not necessarily the ways any prescriptivist groups think they "should" be used.) Attempting to create a new meaning by yourself, however, is a good way prove you have DelusionsOfEloquence.

Keep in mind that TropesAreNotBad, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance. (Dictionaries, we should remember, simply record the ways words are commonly used, not necessarily the ways any prescriptivist groups think they "should" be used.) Attempting to create a new meaning by yourself, however, is a good way prove you have DelusionsOfEloquence.

Contrast AccidentalInnuendo, and UnfortunateImplications when someone uses a word ''strictly'' by the dictionary definition ignoring important colloquial meanings, and JiveTurkey and TotallyRadical for when dictionaries finally catch up with past vernacular a few years late. HaveAGayOldTime and {{hilarity ensue|s}} when the alternate slang meaning becomes the primary meaning, and GetTheeToANunnery occurs when a slang meaning is lost to time.

Compare {{Malapropism}}, NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense, NoTrueScotsman, MetaphoricallyTrue, and UnusualEuphemism. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries. TwistingTheWords is when someone applies this trope to a word someone ''else'' used, and SeparatedByACommonLanguage and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch is when they are using the word correctly- with a different dictionary.

Say you're trying to convince people on a message board that a [[{{Complaining}} politician you don't like]] is a [[GodwinsLaw fascist]] (this could apply to just about any major political party). They aren't buying it. Well, the dictionary is irrefutable, so you look up fascism.

Contrast AccidentalInnuendo, and UnfortunateImplications when someone uses a word ''strictly'' by the dictionary definition ignoring important colloquial meanings, and JiveTurkey and TotallyRadical for when dictionaries finally catch up with past vernacular a few years late. HaveAGayOldTime and [[HilarityEnsues hilarity ensue]] when the alternate slang meaning becomes the primary meaning, and GetTheeToANunnery occurs when a slang meaning is lost to time.

Compare {{Malapropism}}, NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense, NoTrueScotsman, and MetaphoricallyTrue. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries. TwistingTheWords is when someone applies this trope to a word someone ''else'' used, and SeparatedByACommonLanguage and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch is when they are using the word correctly- with a different dictionary.

Keep in mind that TropesAreNotBad, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance. Attempting to create a new meaning by yourself, however, is a good way prove you have DelusionsOfEloquence.

Wait ... That's just ''their'' definition of fascism, not yours. Of course its the ''label'' of fascism that is bad, and not the actual definition, [[RefugeInAudacity so you just make the label apply, and make everyone believe you]]. And maybe [[YouKeepUsingThatWord if you do it for long enough]], it will catch on [[IRejectYourReality and they'll fix the dictionary]]!

# [[SelectiveObliviousness Selectively use just one part or application of the definition]]

-->--'''[[Literature/AliceInWonderland Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There]]'''

Pretending that a word means something it does not; not in an attempt to help a language evolve, but taking a LastStand defending a {{Malapropism}} and your [[HonorBeforeReason honor]].

Wait ... That's just ''their'' definition of fascism, not yours. Of course its the ''label'' of fascism that is bad, and not the actual definition, [[RefugeInAudacity so you just make the label apply, and make everyone believe you]].

# Selectively use just one part or application of the definition, so that it's just people you want to fit the definition, not anyone you don't want to, when they fit the actual definition better.

Keep in mind that TropesAreNotBad, and the dictionary meaning of words can and do change over time- many dictionaries now include some variation on "derogatory term for a disliked politician/political group seen as dictatorial" as one definition of fascism, for instance.

Compare Malapropism, NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense, NoTrueScotsman, and MetaphoricallyTrue. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries. TwistingTheWords is when someone applies this trope to a word someone ''else'' used, and SeparatedByACommonLanguage and DidNotDoTheBloodyResearch is when they are using the word correctly- with a different dictionary.

See ArtisticLicenseLinguistics

Pretending that a word means whatever you want it to mean. This isn't just trying to help a language evolve. It's outright acting like a word's definition only should be what you want it to be.

Wait ... That's just ''their'' definition of fascism, not yours. Of course [[YouFailLogicForever people think the label of fascism is bad, and not the actual definition]], so you just make the label apply, and you magically make everyone believe you.

Compare NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense, NoTrueScotsman, and MetaphoricallyTrue. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries.

Wait ... That's just their definition of fascism, not yours. Of course [[YouFailLogicForever people think the label of fascism is bad, and not the actual definition]], so you just make the label apply, and you magically make everyone believe you.

Compare NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense and NoTrueScotsman, FromACertainPointOfView. Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries.

%%% No Examples, please. For some reason they just devolve into complaints. This just defines the term.

-->--'''[[AliceInWonderland Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There]]'''

->"''It would seem that, as used, the word 'Fascism' is almost entirely meaningless. In conversation, of course, it is used even more wildly than in print. I have heard it applied [[YouKeepUsingThatWord to farmers, shopkeepers, Social Credit, corporal punishment, fox hunting, bullfighting, the 1922 Committee, the 1941 Committee, Kipling, Gandhi, Chiang Kai-Shek, homosexuality, Priestley's broadcasts, Youth Hostels, astrology, women, dogs]] and I do not know what else."''
-->--'''GeorgeOrwell'''

You're trying to convince people on a message board that a [[{{Complaining}} politician you don't like]] is a [[GodwinsLaw fascist]] (this could apply to just about any major political party). They aren't buying it. Well, the dictionary is irrefutable, so you look up fascism.

Compare NewSpeak, ImplausibleDeniability, ChewbaccaDefense and NoTrueScotsman, FromACertainPointOfView.

Not to be confused with {{Neologism}} which is making up words to ''add'' to current dictionaries.

!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Fictional Examples]]
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Deconstructed in ''The Unbearable Lightness Of Being'', where a few chapters, labeled "A Short Dictionary of Misunderstood Words," center around the different connotations and meanings certain words have to certain characters, and how these slightly different meanings lead to relationship problems.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* In a rare example of using this other than as a logical fallacy, there's an episode of ''{{Friends}}'' in which Monica gets angry at Chandler for describing their relationship as "just goofing around" and he placates the argument by saying what that means in ''his'' dictionary.
* In the ''[[BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' episode "Voices of Authority", PoliticalOfficer Julie Musante claims that Earth has no problems with homelessness, unemployment, crime, or prejudice:
-->'''Sheridan:''' And when, exactly, did all this happen?
-->'''Musante:''' When we rewrote the dictionary.


[[AC:WebComics]]
* Webcomic/EightBitTheater: Temple's a kind of castle. Everyone in the world knows that. [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2008/04/24/episode-983-a-clear-goal/ It's in the Sardapedia]].
-->'''Sardapedia''': castle ('''tem'''-puhl) - noun: Where the goddamn Light Warriors are going.
-->'''Thief''': That's all this book says. [[{{Railroading}} Over and over, for hundreds of pages.]]
-->'''Sarda''': Yes. I know.
* ''ElGoonishShive'': Grace has her ''own'' [[http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2006-05-12 dictionary]].

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* ''{{Futurama}}'': 'Odelay' ''is'' a word! Just look it up in the Becktionary! ... No, the ''rhyming'' Becktionary!
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Non-Fictional Examples]]
[[AC:People]]
* Terry Goodkind (author of ''{{Sword of Truth}}'') thinks the definition of "{{fantasy}}" is [[SciFiGhetto a lack of philosophical discussions and ideas]], when all the rest of us thought that such a lack defined "light fiction", while "fantasy" defined a setting. Now while some definitions combine the two, fantasy has not been automatically light fiction since ''TheLordOfTheRings''.
* [[MadMathematician Paul Erdös]], though it was simply his idiosyncratic word choice rather than an attempt to obfusicate matters. For a sampling:
** Children are "epsilons," women "bosses," men "slaves."
** People who leave mathematics "die," while those who die "leave."
** Giving mathematics lectures is "preaching," while oral exams are "torture."
** The USA was "samland," the USSR "joedom," and Israel "israel."
* In ''Future on Ice'', OrsonScottCard said that although IsaacAsimov didn't believe in God, he wrote some very religious stories. From the context, Card was apparently using "religious" to mean "philosophical," which [[HollywoodAtheist has some interesting implications]] if he's not the only one to use the word that way.
** Alternately, he might have been using "religious" to mean "about religion" rather than "expressing belief in religion". That's not exactly the same as the usual meaning of the word "religious", but it's probably too close for this trope. "I, Robot" alone includes a story where hyperspace actually causes a near-death experience (with one astronaut seeing a brief vision of the afterlife), and another where robots worshiped the hardware they maintain like a god.
* Freud's works are notoriously difficult to translate: given his fondness for neologisms, and for using other words to mean just what he chose them to mean.
* StephenieMeyer and "chagrin".
** Also, "vegetarian".
* Before 2006, the word "planet" referred to any nonluminous, spherical celestial body that is orbiting a star. After 2006, the IAU came up with a new definition for "planet": a large celestial body that is completely spherical, is orbiting a star, and has cleared its vicinity of any foreign debris. As a result [[PlutoIsExpendable one planet]] had to be removed from the official roster...
* While they still referred "princess" as a female authority figure that is either the daughter of a king or queen or the wife of a prince, starting in 1985 Disney actually came up with their own definiton of that same word: a female authority figure that is either the daughter of a king or queen or the wife of a prince, has animals for companions, is the star of a musical, and must be a financial success.
** Fortunately, Disney does not have its own definition of "villain."

[[AC:Politics]]
* Politicians. And journalists. And pundits. Basically, everyone involved in political commentary in any way. And they wonder why so many people are apathetic. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment Do not go into anything specific someone said.]]
* The political denotations "right" and "left" tend to mean "against my views" or "for my views", interchangeably, depending on who is using them.
** Similarly, if you ask people in Europe what "right" and "left" mean, you'll get a vastly different answer than someone from the United States.
* The way a lot of people--on either side--talk about "tolerance", you'd think the root word was "accept" or "agree," not "tolerate."
* The 1967-74 Greek military junta [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_the_Greek_military_junta had one so extensive and consistent, it got its own Wikipedia article]].

[[AC:Religion]]
* Is Christianity a religion or not? It depends on who you ask. Many Christians insist that it's not a religion, and that they are not "religious", but instead are "spiritual" or "faithful". This has actually resulted in online arguments between Christians and other faiths, with Christians saying things like "You follow a religion. I follow the word of God" or "As a Christian, I follow no religion."
** When it comes to freedom of religion, though, suddenly all Christians can agree, it's a religion.
** Even worse: discussing whether atheism is a religion.
*** Protip: It's a lack of religion. Or a negation of it.
**** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion#Secularism_and_irreligion That's ''irreligion'' that's a lack or negation of religion, technically speaking.]]
**** In 1961, ''Torcaso v. Watkins'', the [[WeAllLiveInAmerica US Supreme Court]] defined secular humanism as a religion, and did likewise in 2005 for atheism, ''Kaufman v. [=McCaughtry=]''.
-> re·li·gion
->noun /riˈlijən/ 

-->1. The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods
-->
-->2. Details of belief as taught or discussed
-->
-->3. A particular system of faith and worship
-->
-->4. A pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance

* Right now, a group of people in Oklahoma are arguing that Islam is a political philosophy, not a religion, and therefore a mosque that's about to be built should not get the tax-exempt status afforded to religion.
* Creationists have a surprisingly large Personal Dictionary that contains definitions you'd never find in a peer-reviewed scientific publication. And their use of more common words is just as abysmal. As IsaacAsimov put it: "Creationists make it sound as though a 'theory' is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night."

[[AC:Internet]]
* Have you ever been on a message board, and corrected someone on a definition, and they use this trope and end with "I would call that X,"? Well they "would call" the sky green, but it's not going to magically change it.
* Never, for any reason, in any situation, start a discussion of the definition of "atheist" versus "agnostic". Unless you want to [[InternetBackdraft reduce the Internet to radioactive vapor]].
* [[http://www.engadgethd.com/2009/07/18/toshiba-launching-bd-18-blu-ray-player-by-years-end/ This post]] from engadget about Toshiba making a blu-ray player: "Japan's own Yomiuri is reporting today that Toshiba is expected to finally admit defeat". How the hell does ''discontinuing the rival product'' the previous year not count as admitting defeat?
* What's a [[CasualVideoGame Casual]] or [[HardCore Hardcore]] game, what even qualifies as a game to begin with? Who's [[NoTrueScotsman a "Gamer", who isn't]]? Heck, even at lower levels, what's [[RPGElements a "real" RPG]]?
* Don't bring up the topic of what is or isn't an {{Otaku}} online.
* What is meant by "{{Geek}}" and "{{Nerd}}", and their differences (or lack thereof) differs widely for whoever uses the words.
* Extends into the real world as well, but "irony" at this point has the same meaning as pretty much every adjective.
* When a fan-film or parody is put up online and becomes popular, someone will inevitably declare that it's more "original" than X amount of Hollywood's output. Despite the fact that a parody or fan-film is derivative by definition.
** There's also the gamer definition of "original", which involves decrying game series like ''CallOfDuty'' as cookie-cutter, lauding series like ''{{Battlefield}}'' as innovative, and saying whatever hit indie game has a [[ShadowComplex deliberately retro aesthetic or mechanics]] [[VideoGame/MeatBoy this week]] as refreshing, often insisting that more mainstream games should be as original as it, which is a ''double'' contradiction in terms.

[[AC:Advertisement and Sales]]
* Car manufacturers indulge in this a lot; "Hatchback" sounds cheap and basic to "Generation Jones"? "Wagon" reminds 35-50-year old women of vinyl-upholstered, wood-paneled Country Squires? "Minivan" makes young women fear they've turned into the very "suburban yuppie soccer moms" they've loathed all their life? Then let's try "crossover", or maybe just "five-door".

[[AC:Tropes]]
* The phrase "MarySue" tends to have a shifting [[PersonalDictionary Personal Definition]] that covers just about any character that [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike somebody feels like complaining about]]. Uses as per its original meaning are rare.
** Check out the page for a full discussion.
* {{Wangst}} is also a highly subjective label. While some can listen to LinkinPark without feeling the slightest annoyance, others see a StoicWoobie like [[FullMetalPanic Sousuke]] and immediately pounce on them for whining about their situation (whether there was actual whining or not).
* {{Egregious}}. Which probably doesn't look like a word anymore to most Tropers - we have an article on it for a reason.
[[/folder]]
----

* Before 2006, the word "planet" referred to any nonluminous, spherical celestial body that is orbiting a star. After 2006, the IAU came up with a new definition for "planet": a large celestial body that is completely spherical, is orbiting a star, and has cleared its vicinity of any foreign debris. As a result [[PlutoisExpendable one planet]] had to be removed from the official roster...

** There's also the gamer definition of "original", which involves decrying game series like ''CallOfDuty'' as cookie-cutter, lauding series like ''{{Battlefield}}'' as innovative, and saying whatever hit indie game has a [[ShadowComplex deliberately retro aesthetic or mechanics]] [[SuperMeatBoy this week]] as refreshing, often insisting that more mainstream games should be as original as it, which is a ''double'' contradiction in terms.

** There's something similar with racism and sexism. The sociological definitions of both generally refer to a ''system'' of privilege that may ''include'' race- or sex-based prejudice. The practical definition generally refers to just that last bit. Some people harp on the sociological definition, and use it to say that people from non-white ethnic groups ''can't'' be racist against whites, nor can women be sexist against men, and will insist that the general populace's definition is the wrong one. This is ignoring things like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Denny_incident the Reginald Denny incident]], or the statistically verifiable bias in the divorce court system towards mothers[[hottip:*:And the latter is even a systemic bias, so it qualifies]], or the TheUnfairSex trope. Naturally, this sort of thing is often used to defend their own bigotry, often mocking people who point it out. ([[MemeticMutation "Gosh it's so hard being white, middle-class, and male!"]])
** "Intolerance" is now often used as a synonym for "heteronormativity" in the gay rights debate. This essentially means that the people using the term in such a fashion see no fundamental difference between someone beating the crap out of a guy just because he likes men, and someone else who thinks homosexuality is wrong, but is still willing to calmly discuss the matter and doesn't let their beliefs alter their actions towards LGBT people. [[SarcasmMode For some reason]], a few of the latter have protested this...unconventional definition.
* [[PennAndTellerBullshit Penn and Teller]] have blatantly pointed out how anti-porn crusaders throw the word rape around to evoke emotions from the people they are preaching at. Apparently in their world, rape includes any kind of sex they don't like partaking in themselves.
** Notorious radical feminist Allecto (she of the essay declaring ''{{Firefly}}'' to be a rape infomercial) defined "rape" as any act of heterosexual sex. One of the few comments she [[OrwellianEditor didn't delete on sight for disagreeing]] was a rant of utter fury about this... coming from an ''actual'' rape victim.