Word Fugitives

In the July/August issue, we sought a catchall term for the heap of stuff new parents suddenly find themselves toting around along with their baby. As it turns out, many parents already have their own words for this. For instance, Dennis Fortier, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., wrote, “In my home, we refer to these items as parentphernalia.” In fact, dozens of readers suggested that word.

However, a few mentioned it in order to explain why, after it came to mind, they ruled it out. James Olski, of Appleton, Wis., presented the usual objection succinctly. Parentphernalia unfortunately seemed to grasp the concept from the wrong end,” he wrote, adding, “Wouldn’t parentphernalia include vodka?” Readers of a similar turn of mind suggested alternatives such as babyphernalia, pedephernalia, heir­aphernalia, pueriphernalia, and paraphernatalia. Clare Conway, of Arlington, Mass., wrote, “We always called it our baby safari, but on the face of it, this phrase ...