Word of the Week - 21

-AHOLIC / -OHOLIC

This week's word is a suffix which is added to words to mean that someone is unable to stop doing or taking something. Most students are familiar with the word 'alcoholic' which describes somebody who has a dependency on alcohol, but they are not aware that the same suffix can be added to other words. For example;

My mother is a shopaholic! She spends all week window shopping on her lunch break and then she spends a fortune at the weekend on new clothes and accessories.

This cake is perfect for chocoholics! It is made up of layers of chocolate sponge sandwiched together with chocolate spread and then smothered in chocolate icing!

My father never stops working, he is at the office for twelve hours a day and then he comes home and goes straight to his study to continue working. My mother says he's a workaholic.

These are the most common and accepted words using this suffix but new words are being coined all the time. On Google I found hits for danceaholic, sleepaholic and readaholic!