Beijing 2008: Defining the Phelpsian Destiny

For the record, I have spent some thinking about the best definition that could be written about “the word” almost all earthlings (and probably some extraterrestrials) are chanting. “Phelps! Go Phelps!” I have a strong foresight that with the glory and honor that Michael Phelps had at the recent XIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the surname “Phelps” will become another common noun or verb as the same root word “phelps” to be added in the Merriam-Webster, Oxford American and online dictionaries or even in Wiktionary and will be passed on by this generation to the next generations to come.

To this date, Michael Phelps officially becomes the greatest Olympian for grabbing 8 gold medals in 8 events in a single Olympics surpassing the record of 7 gold medals in 7 events of another great American swimming superstar, Mark Spitz, at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.

As my very first contribution to lexicography, I attempted an amateurish exploration of definition-writing of a very important name in the Olympic history that gave new consciousness to swimming and Beijing, in general, and raised the viewer ratings of most, if not all, government TV stations all over the world.

What is “Phelps”?

Definition

Phelps [felps]
Noun
1. Phelps – standard achievement of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics (Origin: Beijing 08.08.2008)
2. Phelps - United States swimmer and record holder of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics (born in 1985)
see also Michael Fred Phelps

[Presumptive Origin -- Phelps is a contraction and simplification of Phyllyppes -- Greek: philos (love) + hippos (horse) = lover of horse].

“phelpspower” [counterpart of horsepower] - a measure of the time rate of swimming (1 “phelpspower” = 8.88 m/sec or whatever a great mathematician derives in the future).

Noun
1. phelps - great splendor or glory of 8 gold medals in a single Olympics
2. phelps - a shiny golden shimmer on water

“phelpsuous” adj

“phelpsum” – a category of winning eight gold medals in a single Olympics; a periodic date of in a century at exactly 8:08 a.m. to 8:08 p.m. of 08.08.08

“phelpsian” adj

Noun
1. phelps – Water Cube speedster; swim like a sailfish (believed to be the fastest fish)
2. phelps – Speedo icon [“phelpspeedo”] in the 21st century

“phelpspeedometer”– [noun] a measure a speed and strength in water

Here’s another first attempt to explain the Phelps phenomenon and I came up with 3 numerological analogies why Michael Phelps is destined to get 8 gold medals in 8 events in the Olympics that kicked-off on 08.08.2008 in the heart of China. (The number 8 is believed to be lucky in the Chinese tradition.) They are the following:

I. 08.08.2008 = 8 + 8 + (2+8) = 8+ 8 + 10 = 26 → 2 + 6 = 8
II. Michael (7) + Fred (4) + Phelps (6) = 17 letters → 1 + 7 = 8
III. Michael Phelps won his 1st gold in August 10th (Day 1) and his 8th gold in August 17th (Day 8 ) → 8 gold medals in 8 days for Mr. 8!

Destiny indeed!

Now, I won’t bother myself with the rumors that Michael Phelps is genetically engineered to swim and never will I entertain any tinge of thought that he is a secret government robotics project. Given the fact that sports develops discipline and self-confidence, there is no doubt that the believe-it-or-not! victory of Michael Phelps is a perfect model of successful diversion of excessive energy towards to more productive or even stellar achievements for children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I was never diagnosed with ADHD in my early youth but I begin to self-analyze since my fixation with vacuuming while I re-channel my energy every time I am feeling very stressed and disappointed. (Yeah, I should be on a flight from JFK heading for LHR at this very moment but sometimes the numbers just don’t add up for some reasons!) The result seems to be “stellar” (clean) because I wouldn’t stop until I see the last dust clinging on the floor. My wife calls it obsessive-compulsiveness. Okay, fine! I feel good about it after all. It’s funny because I consider vacuuming an opportunity to exercise. I feel bad though because vacuuming is not an Olympic event and it spoils my going to the gym and forget about the costly membership wasted.

Well, I can’t wait to see more words like phelpsophobia , phelpsnia , phepsism or contraphelps being used and accepted in layman terms. I feel the same of excitement to the next bestsellers ranging from “Phelps Diet” to “Life or Sports Phelpsophy ” not to mention the Phelps Street or Phelps Avenue or Phelps Monument that could soon be inaugurated in the coming months. Do you smell a lifetime of product endorsements? Michael Phelps may opt to not to swim after Beijing but he will definitely retire prosperous.

Discipline, dedication and hard work really pay off in an Olympic dream but destiny makes reality looks natural and effortless. Thanks to the magic of Speedo and most importantly, the miracle of the greatest fan that cheered with the rest of the world, Debbie Davisson Phelps – the mother, the “wind-beneath-my-wings” and the true heroine to another dream come true that is Michael Phelps.