You're listening to Away with Words, the show about language and how we use it.

I'm Grant Barrett.

And I'm Martha Barnett.

We got an email from Julie and Harv Busta, who think that they've identified a whole in the English language that needs to be filled.

They just moved to Duluth, Minnesota, and they write,

We've been searching for a word that describes the migration of grandparents to the location of their children and grandchildren.

We and many of our friends have begun this migration.

None of us knows a specific word that describes this event.

Many folks we know have moved far away,

such as from Minnesota to New York City.

And if there's not already a word for this, we propose grandate.

It's a combination of migrate and grandparents.

So for example, you'd say there's been a significant

grandation to the Midwest or are you grand dating to be closer to your kids?

And they end the email by saying, what do you think? Let's make this a word.

Maybe.

Let's just call it what it is, free babysitting relocation.

Yeah?

I think the term needs to be cuter, reflect the fact that you're going there for adorable children, right?

Baby magnets, baby satellites, pudge migration, I don't even know, but you're going for the little cuties.

So the the verb would be pudge migrate to them.

Yeah pudge migrate. That sounds naughty or something dirty.

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