The Week contest: New Word - August 6, 2010

Welcome to The Week's "What Next?" contest, an invitation to test your powers of imagination with challenges inspired by current events.

Click here for results of last week's contest: Cover Line

Results: In light of Sarah Palin’s coining of "refudiate," we asked you to come up with a new word that politicians might find useful.

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FIRST PRIZE: Sexplanation

Peggy Mills, San Francisco

SECOND PLACE: Mypartisanship

Russ Morton, Eagle River, AK

THIRD PLACE: Lobbislation

James Gaffney, St. Paul, MN

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Fictorious

Stan Colona, Plano, TX

Obfoxcate

Ira Gunning, Penn Valley, CA

Hollyticians

Jacques Hadida, Carlsbad, CA

Graftsmanship

Kristin Borsenik, Northville, MI

Skimulus

Joe Butterworth, Clarkdale, AZ

Governmentally Ill

John Walsh, Conifer, CO

Cashtigate: To censure a fellow member of Congress for taking bribes you would have taken, if you had the chance

Susan Zivich, Munster, IN

Apolligize: To express regret for an action after seeing approval ratings tank

Jeffrey Contompasis, Ashburn, VA

Prevenge: To get them back before they get you

Ben Curtis, Glendale, CA

Sinnocent: Legally, if not morally, blameless

Patricia Burns, New York City

Campromise: The inability to carry out one’s campaign promises

Roxanne Perez, Twentynine Palms, CA

Promaffle: To promise, then waffle

Alan Stallings, Holladay, UT

Mediacracy: Government of the media, by the media, for the media

Bruce Brobman, Santa Cruz, CA

Misreprehensible: Taking opponents remarks out of context to make them look terrible

Bethany Wheeling, Finksburg, MD

Crimigrant: An undocumented immigrant

Ken M. Radziwanowski, East Windsor, NJ

Conswervative: A Republican who veers far right for political gain

Mary Nemnich, San Bernardino, CA

Telepalmter: The writing of talking points on one’s hand

Ashley Ryan, Catonsville, MD

Selectorate: Specific group of constituents to which a politician is pandering at the moment

Keith R. Patterson, Sanford, ME

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Dyslethics: Disability that impairs a public office holder’s ability to act ethically

Craig Vivian, Monmouth, IL

Misbedded: To have accidentally cheated on one’s spouse

Russ Witmer, Paris, IL