 But combining words is nothing new. In Carroll's 1871 classic "Through the Looking-Glass," we find Humpty Dumpty telling Alice about such terms as "slithy," a combination of lithe and slimy. And "mimsy," which blends flimsy and miserable. "You see," Mr. Dumpty eggsplains, "it's like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word." (A portmanteau is a suitcase that opens into two equal parts.)
Twenty-five years later, the writer Guy Beringer noted in Hunter's Weekly, "To be fashionable nowadays we must ‘brunch.' " That artful combination of breakfast and lunch was early portmanteau perfection.
Linguists in the business world point to a benchmark in 1925 when a California architect named Arthur Heineman built a hotel on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo, catering to motorists heading north from Los Angeles. He called it a "motor hotel" and then shortened it to "motel," and his property became known as The Motel Inn.
So many such terms have entered the English lexicon over the past century that it's easy to forget that they are, in fact, blends. Look no further than smog (smoke and fog) or botox (botulism and toxin). Dignitaries travel in a motorcade (motor plus cavalcade). Farmers now grow such foods as pluots (plum and apricot) and broccoflower (broccoli and cauliflower).
Dog breeders are fond of portmanteaus, which explains the Cockapoo, Pekapoo and Labradoodle (poodles bred, respectively, with Cocker Spaniels, Pekingese and Labrador retrievers).
Tabloid editors and publicists love such blended names as "Bennifer," invented for the celebrity couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Or "Brangelina," used to identify Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Or "Kimye," as many in media called Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
Meanwhile, there remains disagreement on the internet over whether the current term of art is "Barbieheimer" or "Barbenheimer" or "Boppenheimer" or some other mash-up of the titles.
This much we know: The glitterati, along with fanzine writers and masters of the blogosphere are in awe of the freakonomics created by two films and a single word. That's advertainment!
(c) Peter Funt. This column originally appeared in The Wall Street Journal.
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