Pseudocide is the new BuzzWord this week on Macmillan Dictionary.
The word, formed from a combination of adjective/prefix pseudo (meaning ‘not genuine’) and suffix –cide (denoting the act of killing), describes the act of faking your own death because you want to start a new life.
The concept is not terribly new. You’ll recall the famous example of a failed pseudocide with a tragic outcome, from one of the Bard’s best known plays Romeo and Juliet.
If you happen to be tempted by the possibility of disappearing and later returning with a new identity, you may find some food for thought on these pages:
Wikipedia – Notable faked deaths
It’s hard to believe but there is even a self-help book, called How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, available which gives information about how to commit a pseudocide.
Watch Reggie Perrin’s famous pseudocide in the title sequence of the BBC series.
Read last week’s BuzzWord. Fancy living off the grid?
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