Late Night Litter.

Well, today's search for the Word of the Day is a late one, but that's because I had a fairly nice and reasonably productive day without feeling I had to hurry. Read that again, please, if you're someone who knows me a bit: I didn't feel I had to hurry. That's right.. RENE TOOK IT EASY TODAY ! And Hell froze over. And pigs flew. No, really, I did take it easy today.

So now I'm taking it easy and bring you a few candidates for the Word of the Day. They're not spectacular, but they're notable. So I'm noting them for you.
- 'pausverkiezingen' (pope elections). Media label ! Easily solvable with a combination of two or three words, but no, it just sounds better this way and goes down smoother. Meanwhile there's another fairly useless and way too contemporary word added to the Dutch language. Nominated.
- 'leerplichtambtenaren' (civil servants who oversee compulsory education). I'm not entirely sure about this one: it's not in the dictionary but I can just see the type of man in this job who'd actually call himself that. Weak candidate, admitted. But still. Nominated.
- 'cannabismedicijn' (cannabis medicine). This is a medicine based on cannabis but it might as well mean it's a medicine FOR the PLANT cannabis. Unclear word, plus Sativex, the medicine discussed, is so far the only cannais medicine, as far as I understood the article. So it's a media label, to top it all off. Nominated.
- 'atoomspion' (atom spy). No, this isn't an atom dressed in a big hat, with sunglasses and a long coat, and a wrist watch that can burn through steel with a laser beam. This is apparently just an Israeli traitor who leaked information to a British newspaper about Israel's nuclear programme. Confusing word, medialabel, all the usual things pretty much apply here. To top it off, the article mentions that this fella was rendered 'paspoortloos' (passportless) which really isn't a word, folks. Just say he's not allowed to leave Israel. Geez. Is it that tough ? He in fact DOES still have his passport, it just doesn't allow him to cross any borders. Two nominations !
- and finally: the Amsterdam edition of Metro pays off.. a candidate from that edition that wasn't in the 'the rest of the Netherlands' edition. 'Wapendiner' (weapons dinner). This isn't a dinner where you munch on bullets and handgranates. Nor are there rifles and missiles sitting at the table devouring a nice hot meal. No, this was a special dinner which some institute had planned for some weapons experts. Media label !

And the Word of the Day is: 'atoomspion' !