Updated 5:08 p.m., May 27th–
By Mike Hazlip— May 28 is set to officially become “Orbisculate Day” in Citrus Heights.
If you haven’t heard “orbisculate” before, you’re not alone. The word was first coined by Neil Krieger while he attended Cornell University in the late 1950s. It refers to the juice of a fruit accidentally squirting in someone’s eye, like when using a spoon to scoop out a section of grapefruit.
Krieger passed away from COVID-19 complications in April of last year, and his family is pressing on in his memory to get the word officially added to the dictionary. A website set up by the family lists 78 goals they hope will give orbisculate a wider circulation. The fifth goal on the list is for the word to be used “in a tribute from the city of Citrus Heights.”
Apparently not wanting to leave the family with a sour taste of the town, the Citrus Heights City Council has squeezed the item into Thursday’s agenda where an official proclamation will be made. It is unclear if the Krieger family has ties to Citrus Heights, or if the term’s reference to “citrus” is the only connection with the city.
An email inquiry sent in March through the website www.orbisculate.com was forwarded to city spokeswoman Nichole Baxter. She confirmed the city has been working with the Krieger family to create a tribute and said the family lives on the East Coast and will be participating remotely.
New words become part of the official lexicon if they are used widely enough. To that end, Krieger’s family would like to see orbisculate used by CNN anchor Don Lemon, fictional television character Liz Lemon, or the mascot for Syracuse University, Otto the Orange.
CNN reported on the story February, lending more credibility to the word and meeting the second goal listed on the website: to have the word used in a story from a major news site. The first goal has also been met: to have orbisculate used in a crossword puzzle.
Thursday’s proclamation by the City of Citrus Heights will mean orbisculate will be used in an official capacity, and the Krieger family can slice one more item from their goals list.
For more, visit: www.orbisculate.com.
*Note: The initial version of this story referenced May 27 as “Orbisculate Day,” based on the date listed in the City Council’s agenda packet. After publication, City spokeswoman Nichole Baxter notified The Sentinel the date was “a typo” in the agenda packet and confirmed the date of May 28 as “Orbisculate Day.”
