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We continue to add definitions to the Glossary of the Sloan Network. Perhaps you’ve read about the term “cloudworker” in a previous blog, but here are some of my other favorite recent additions:

1. Playcheck: “Many retirees take temporary or part-time work to fund the hobbies and trips they want to enjoy during retirement. Take my sister, who is retired from a warehouse job and wanted to go skiing in Colorado. Her husband was concerned about the expense, so she went back to work at the plant for eight weeks during the pre-Christmas rush. No worries about the cost of the ski trip–her playcheck covered it.” (Hulett, 2009)

2. Staycation: “Staycation is the new “too broke to go anywhere.” According to Wikipedia, “staycation” may have its origins in a hit Canadian TV comedy called “Corner Gas,” which premiered in 2004. Ben Zimmer, executive producer for the Visual Thesaurus cites an earlier use–a 1999 online review of a trip on the Celebrity cruise line. “It’s difficult to predict what staying power the term will have beyond the current trend,” says Zimmer, “since it could be the type of word that is promoted heavily in the media and just fades away.” (Frolick, 2008)

3. Exurbia: A spatial pattern of settlement that differs from suburbia in that it is located farther from urban centers and features a different mix of land uses and population (Exurban Exchange Program, n.d.). Exurbia is characterized by low population density, high population growth, and commuting to urbanized areas for work.  It is often associated with rural gentrification, as people willing to commute long distances move to rural places, raising the cost of living there while also transforming those places socially. (Berube, Singer Wilson, & Frey, 2006; Salamon 2003a; Salamon 2003b)

4. Jhobby: “This is the phenomenon of turning your hobby into a job during your retirement. Did you collect model trains or Hot Wheels cars? Now in retirement, you are an eBay power seller whose electronic storefront sells such trains and cars. Or, more typically, you are the scratch golfer who works part time at the pro shop or maybe even does a little caddying.” (Hulett, 2009)

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