Should suffix be prefix?

How the prefix “franken-” took on a life of its own. . .
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As Halloween quickly approaches, Frankenstorm is sneaking up on the East Coast. Forecasters are calling the hurricane headed for New York, New Jersey, and as far inland as Ohio, “Frankenstorm” because (like the monster in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein or The New Prometheus) this storm is stitched together from three different weather systems, Hurricane Sandy from the Caribbean, a western early winter storm, and a cold influx of Arctic wind from the north.

But in this case, the application of the “Franken-” prefix, might not be the right name for this blustery monster. In Shelley’s novel, Dr. Victor Frankenstein never names his creation. Instead he disowns the monster by refusing to name it, referring to it as “demon,” “thing,” “wretched devil,” and a long list of awful aliases.

Fear not meteorologists: you are not alone in the inaccurate ‘Franken-’ ascription! With terms like ‘Frankenbike’ (a bicycle pieced together from scavenged parts), ‘Frankenfood‘ (slang for genetically modified crops), ‘Frankenbite,’ (a sound bite that’s been synthesized from many disparate quotations), or even Tim Burton’s film Frankenweenie about a dog brought back to life with electricity, the public loves to ‘Frankenize’ words. But whether or not Mary Shelley is turning in her grave, the fictional Dr. Frankenstein is definitely turning in his. Regardless of accuracy, the media has chosen to ignore the good doctor’s wishes and now Frankenstein’s monster bares his family name in popular culture, sewing the prefix onto the vernacular like the creature’s salvaged limbs.

So grab a copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and a mug of hot cocoa. Let’s weather this Frankenstorm with the source.

What words would you like to Frankenize? Tell us here.