The Longest Word in the English Language

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
It's a lung disease. It's 45 letters long. I found it on "AskOxford." They claim, though, that it is one of the many "longest words" which are hardly, if ever, used. Here I am trying to innocently get the word "iconalize" (to make an icon of) into the dictionary and some idiot with a medical degree has gotten a lung disease with the word volcano smushed in before the "niosis" in. I'd like to know the usage rate of that word. No, actually I don't. The last thing I want is a pompous latin teacher to come in with a stack of medical books with highlighted pages full of this word and others like it.

You know what I'd like? I'd like some pompous arse to ask a spelling bee contestant to spell that word. And then? I'd like that spelling bee contestant to shove the microphone somewhere unpleasant. I'm not picky. It just irks me, the competitive nature of humans. And I'm not even talking about a region here. It isn't just in the U.S. that people fight for recognition. Though we, perhaps, perpetuate it more than others. Or maybe not. I don't know.

I suppose it's the result of being a social animal. It is of the utmost importance for humans to gain accomplices in life. Mutual accomplices that gain as much from you as you from them. Without these connections humans are left to fend for themselves, which, if you've seen any Discovery Channel in the last 20 years, means you're lion bate. It's an instinct to form bonds. Unfortunately sometimes this means competition to get the bonds you want or, in this society's case, the bonds that are deemed most popular with other people as well. If three thousand other people like So-and-So then So-and-So must be someone to be liked.

The trouble with all of this competition is that pretty soon though the lion isn't trying to eat you anymore you've become the lion. Which, in the full nature of the thing, isn't bad. Lions are just trying to survive, really. They're trying to protect their pride. Hm, interesting. That's what a lot of competitors are trying to do too, I imagine. Just a different kind of pride.

currently: Oh, for pete's sakes, who cares?

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