Don’t be a Touron!: New Additions to the Travel Lexicon

Love the lingo, but ‘touron’ is far from new—it’s how we described the visitors to Colonial Williamsburg all the way back in ‘89. Still, good to see it immortalized by Daily Candy…

Indeed, Matt. Looks like your citing predates the 2003 listing in the urban dictionary, too.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=touron

It’s about time that someone gives a shout-out to Touron Nation.

For the past few years I’ve had a newspaper column and a blog based around being a moron tourist.  In fact, my first every published words were, “In the Land of Tourons, I am the Great Touron King.”

You can read the intro column at http://www.travelin-light.com/touronking . 

Here’s a sample:

“There is no such thing as a savvy traveler.

It’s impossible to leave our cultural baggage at the border of a foreign land or experience.  When it comes down to it, we are all tourons.

Travel is humbling, a lesson in humility learned slowly through each finger pointed, glance shot, and laugh guffawed in our direction.”

I also collect “You might be a Touron If…“‘s and post them on my website at http://www.travelin-light.com. 

An example:  You might be a Touron if you’ve set out on a trip over 2 weeks long with 3 pairs of underwear.

I Find the use of the word Touron rather ridiculous in the short form of Moron - Tourist.  Did anyone stop and think to look up whether that word was someones last name! Did they stop and think that maybe the French Touron family would be pretty upset to find their good name slandered in slang!! I cannot believe the stupidity of some people who make up words and believe they are the creator of the next best thing. This is truely moronic in itself.

I have a friend who’s last name is Butt.  If I used the phrase “pain in the butt” or if I said, “That bee just stung me in the butt” or if I said, “That lady has got a big ‘ol butt,” he wouldn’t care.

My apologies to the Touron family, but I will continue to use the phrase.  May they find consolation in the fact that at least their last name isn’t Butt.

Sorry, Lara, that’s not how language works—people don’t pause in mid-sentence to see if the word they’re about to coin might be someone’s name, and thank goodness we don’t have an Academie Americaine to regulate our language!

here is an Online Talking Dictionary

I have need that

This is truely exellent.

yep.