DID YOU KNOW…nope can be a verb, an adjective and a noun…

…and lots of other things, especially when used online. I discovered the flexibility of this term when reading Sentence First, the blog of an Irish scientist and linguist who has fascinating things to say about the English language.
Nope out can mean “wimp out, especially in a gaming context, or just flee or get the hell away without implying cowardice or timidity.”
Here’s some other examples Stan Carey has come up with:

VERB
The firefighter just calmly noped away.
I noped so much that I quickly tried to change to the next page
ADJECTIVE
I can’t even express how nope this is
Very poisonous. Very beautiful. Very nope.
NOUN
For the sea is dark and full of nopes.
The level of nope is too damn high!

Keeping up with contemporary use of slang can be very useful for writers, but it always makes me feel like Marje Simpson trying to be cool with the kids: by the time I’ve heard of it it’s already way past its sell-by date… That feeling was reinforced when towards the end of this particular blog post someone was quoted as complaining that Nope is so 2011…
And at the very beginning Stan mentioned in passing the use of fail and win in a similar context. Apparently, phrases like bucket of fail and made of win were current five or six years ago but now sound very old fashioned. Completely noped out over that. See, I do sound like Marje.

photo credit: insidethemagic via photopin cc

4 comments on “DID YOU KNOW…nope can be a verb, an adjective and a noun…”

1. Norah

   January 12, 2015

   

   Me too! I never heard of any of those uses or terms. I lead a sheltered life! 🙂

   Reply
2. bridget whelan

   January 12, 2015

   

   Glad I’m not the only one.

   Reply
3. E A M Harris

   January 12, 2015

   

   I don’t think I could keep up with today’s slang – or even yesterday’s. I like reading about it sometimes but without access to talkative teenagers I’ve no hope of understanding or using it.

   Reply
   • bridget whelan

     January 18, 2015

     

     If we tried, we’d get it wrong. You need to use it or, at least have it as the background of your life, to make it sound authentic…

     Reply

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