Word of the Week: Glamma

Definition: Stylish, fashion-conscious grandma.

Sample usage: "I remember my grandmother with wire-rimmed glasses and gray hair in a bun. Now you got these glammas who make Helen Mirren look like Mrs. Claus."

Popularity: Doomed. Without extensive context, no one grasps the word when they hear it. It might work in fashion mags, but even on the page it looks like some kind of radioactive ray. Nonetheless, the Oxford English Dictionary is considering it for inclusion — something that says more about the OED than the word's chance of success.

JAMES LILEKS