Pardonfuck

Okay, the story behind pardonfuck.com is a little weird.

As a product designer, I have a weird obsession with seeking to understand the process behind how different things are made. I see this “making process” as an art form itself. One of these interests is dictionaries.

Lexicography is the work of defining words. I first became interested in the mechanics of dictionary entries and dictionary building from Kory Stamper’s excellent Word by Word.

How is any of this relevant to your silly single-serving website, Alex? Well, I quickly fell into a trap where I wanted to try my hand at writing some entries.

I think that English is what we—e.g., greater society—make it to be. While respect for good grammar should exist for precise and clear communication, we should appreciate the creative advancement of our language. English evolves over time and with use. If we find new words that can succinctly convey ideas we want to express, let’s use them.

Pardonfuck is possibly one of my favorite words that’s not currently recognized by any dictionary. (You can read my definition of Pardonfuck on the website). I use it when appropriate. But, I also try not to overuse it, since it would diminish the overall meaning and intent of the word. Pardonfuck.com is built to catalyze my idea and definition and can serve as a reference for anyone who objects to my use for it not being a word. (Yes, I’ve sent it to people for that. Yes, I’m that annoying, at times.)

(Also, lexicographers out there, if you happen across this post—let’s chat! I’m super curious of what your tools look like to build dictionaries.)