Talk:Californication (word)

Derivation
Is it actually established that "Californicate" is a portmanteau of "California" and "fornicate"? I've always understood it to be a denominative of just California. The obscene connotation doesn't really make sense; if the bumper stickers said "Don't Californicate with Oregon" it would be more plausible. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.112.43.153 (talk • contribs) 2006-04-30 23:36:58 (UTC).


 * Well I guess it is "original research," but I grew up in Oregon and I always understood it to be a double entendre. As in: "Don't **** Up Oregon. Besides, as a slogan, it wouldn't sound as good with "with". Katr67 20:45, 29 June 2006 (UTC)


 * The word can function as a verb, so "Don't _blank_ with Oregon" does work grammatically. The double meaning of adding the suffix -ation should be mentioned as well. This article needs explansion and references. &mdash;User:Malber (talk • contribs) 12:56, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Meaning
My understanding is that it wasn't the influx of people so much as the California-style construction that was threatening: wide freeways, lots of interchanges, traffic signals, street lights and malls, especially soulless strip malls all at the expense of woodland and forest. The double entendre was that the land was being raped. —EncMstr 23:06, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Well put. This was about the time, however, that it was rumored that governor Tom McCall had said (or had a sign placed at the border that said) "Thank you for visiting Oregon, now leave." Of course, what he really said was "We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don't tell any of your neighbors where you are going." McCall was well known for working to protect the quality of life in Oregon and he certainly understood that more people would not necessarily enhance the quality of life. Though perhaps not specifically about the influx of people, I think the implication was that the influx of people would certain cause all the above to happen. I think the article needs a bit of a rewrite to include what you said about unchecked development, and I'm not sure illegal immigrants figure into this at all. It wasn't a very big issue in the 1970s, as I recall. Katr67 23:37, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Didn't Tom McCall make a State of the State address where he merely questioned whether growth—population growth—was a good thing? The reaction was an intense silence as if to ask, "Are we allowed to question growth?"   Then some wag came out with bumper stickers reading Welcome to Oregon.  Now go home.  —EncMstr 00:57, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

On the lighter side
This article (San Diego Hysterical Society Spoof) aludes that the bumper sticker (for sale here) dates back to the 1920s. At least they got the Californian migration part correct. — EncMstr 18:44, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Meaning
The meaning of the term described in this article may be older, but in modern context, isn't the meaning of the term more akin to Americanization and the exporting of Californian culture throughout the world? — Aiden 14:26, 12 January 2007 (UTC)


 * I guess both work. I wasn't aware of its origin when I first came across it and thought it was merely California + -ation. Although the direct result would have been Californiation, this wouldn't have been the first word to get an added letter for sake of better pronunciation.
 * I only noticed that it had the word fornication in it when someone pointed it out to me. I guess I'm just not used to portmanteaus because they rarely occur in my native language. &mdash; Ashmodai (talk &middot; contribs) 04:44, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Move Californication (album) to this page?
I think the 1999 album by the Chili Peppers is what the vast majority of people are expecting when they search on the term "Californication". Perhaps it would make sense to switch the pages, so that the content in Californication(album) comes here, and this stuff moves to, say, Californication(saying)? --DT —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 64.20.237.230 (talk) 19:59, 11 April 2007 (UTC).


 * Well, the album is not what comes to my mind first, nor anyone I know—even some non-Oregonians who live on the U.S. east coast. —EncMstr 20:11, 11 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I'll second DT - I had never heard the term before the Chili Peppers song. However, the disambiguation link at the top is probably adequate. --Keflavich 17:25, 23 May 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree with DT. Anyway, Californication has sold 15 million copies. The population of Oregon is 3.7 million (source: none other than Wikipedia). Plus, according to the article, the phrase 'Californication' was used in the 70s and 80s, so has kind of lost its relevance now. So I think its a safe bet that when people type 'Californication', they're looking for the album. I know I was. Milstrom 22:29, 29 June 2007 (UTC)


 * So do we put this to a vote? If so, how? -DT

I went ahead and was bold and moved this page to Californication (portmanteau) and have requested that Californication (disambiguation) be moved here. (It will take an admin to complete the move). That should simplify things, I hope. Katr67 18:44, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

Wiktionary
Someone should write an entry on Wiktionary for this. 70.49.127.65 (talk) 11:52, 2 July 2012 (UTC)

Oregon is the most inbound target
Is it me or have I been noticing different type of people here in Oregon? I mean, for all of these years, this state was litter-free up until like 2012. I've been noticing refuse, carts, thrown mattresses, garbage bags, and tents out in urban Oregon cities lately. It might be due to the Oregon Ducks being ranked number one in the nation that triggers people to move here. They also have been making Duck commercials nationwide, so when people witness that they think it's "a better university". I've been hearing that people are moving away from the North East. UO has also been ranked the 'smartest university to graduate' within the couple of years.(Wethar555 (talk) 05:59, 29 January 2013 (UTC))

Citation from 1923
Oxford Irish Quotations (1999) tells me that one James Montgomery is credited with this word. On being appointed the Irish Film Censor, he's quoted as saying "I am between the devil and the Holy See ... [My task is to prevent] the Californication of Ireland".

Montgomery was appointed Film Censor in 1923. Here is a corroborating citation for the 1923 usage. --  Jack of Oz    [pleasantries]   12:40, 18 November 2016 (UTC)