Vicarishame - 1
A Word You Wish Existed: Unofficial December Challenge
Vicarishame (vi-shame) - feeling of vicarious or secondhand embarrassment a decent person experiences for a wrong action committed not by the person but someone else.
I made up the word because I don't think "secondhand embarrassment" is a good phrase for it and because I've always admired the German language ability to come up with precise compound words. So this is my attempt to model the German compound word approach, putting together "vicarious" and "shame."
This story, written from a female student's perspective, illustrates the concept.
I'm taking this cool film class, like really cool, where we watch a lot of movies from all over the world and like talk about them. I really love the professor, because he is young and cool. I'm learning, like, a lot.
In this class, we have two dumbasses. They always like sit together, laugh, and disrupt the class by saying something like unbelievably stupid or out of place and never liking any "artsy" or "olden" movies. They are like very pin-headed about it, too, like, "I don't like this movie just 'coz I don't like it and why do I have to explain why I don't like it? It's a movie, people can like it or not. And I don't!"
Yesterday one of them brought in a fast-food meal because like he was hungry and it's like a night class. He ate and poured the salt remaining in the packet like right onto his buddy's head, from the back. Salt got on his buddy's neck and under his sweatshirt. It travels like really fast, so the salted one jumped and screamed, flailing his arms like crazy and shaking off the stuff from his clothes. "Spiders, tiny spiders!" he yelled, and we all thought that he like really had spiders running, like, up and down his body.
When he finally figured out it was salt, he almost punched the eater, who was laughing at him like crazy. I felt so much vicarishame for like both of them! Felt bad for the prof, too, who's too nice to like scold them. Like, how old are they, four?
***
This is my earlier story, slightly changed for WOA's unofficial challenge:
About the Creator
Lana V Lynx
Avid reader and occasional writer of satire and short fiction. For my own sanity and security, I write under a pen name. My books: Moscow Calling - 2017 and President & Psychiatrist
@lanalynx.bsky.social
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Ditched - Index
This index is just for my subscribers. I finished and published this long story or short novella of 6,000 words recently. I tried to link all previous parts of the story in the next one, so if you went along you shouldn't have been lost. This index is just put everything in one place.
By Lana V LynxExclusive โข 3 months ago
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By Bilal Mohammadiabout 4 hours ago in Fiction
Comments (20)
Congrats on your top story!๐๐๐
Oh, Lana...I hope this is fiction and not really your classroom. The female who wrote this described the disruptors aptly :) Congratulations on the Top Story!
Creative work, Lana. The situation you described for the word and the character voice you used, fit perfectly. Happy belated congrats on the TS! And Happy holidays!
Well, we talk a lot about vicarious trauma - vicarishame I think makes A LOT of sense.
It's a great word. I'm on board if you want to see if we can get it used enough to get into the dictionary? Congrats but also great story. I liked your evocation of the girl's voice. Very real.
Congrats on your top story, Lana! ๐๐๐๐ฅณ๐๐ฅณ๐๐ฅณ๐๐ฅณ
A cool use of the word and a fabulous TS, Lana! And yes. We all know those students!
Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! ๐๐๐๐๐๐
Ha! Great word! You're right, the Germans do come up with splendid words. Think the Americans don't do too badly though - sidewalk! Anyway, this was great and well done on your top story too.
Ha ha great word and super characterisation. Well done and congratulations on the TS
Gotta say I still love this word, Lana.
Back to say 'congratulations' on the Top Story recognition! Well done.
Congratulations on Top Story
A+
Woah, Vicarishame is genius! A+ wordsmithing, and that story? Absolute chaosโcanโt stop laughing at the spider-salt fiasco. Nailed it! ๐ Well deserving top story! Congratulations ๐
Future writers of America, to be sure. This was a great one!
Hahahahah, great story!
I remember vicarishame!! But I can't recall if this is the same story you wrote for that challenge. You wrote a few if I'm not mistaken
OMG, Lana, this had me roaring with laughter. Like you know, it was just so funny how you put all that stuff in there like how the guy poured the salt you know like down the other oneโs neck.๐น๐น๐น But the comment that begins with the paragraph the two dumbasses that sounds like Bill and Tedโs Excellent Adventure ๏ฟผ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
Hahaha this was both hilarious and relatable! I can feel the awkwardness of the situation! Outstanding, Lana! ๐