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Glite Dictionary
spoonie

spoonie

1 9.9
A person with a long-term illness who plans their day around limited energy
  • noun
  • /ˈspuːni/
  • Jargon
translation icon : spoonie
  • You and your chronically ill pals speak in code, using words like: fibro-friendly, painsomnia, Spoonie, ChronicBabe, CA (chronically awesome), and AWAP (as well as possible).

Examples

  • Spoonie, you're on point.

    Dog Soldiers (2002)

  • Right, Spoonie, you're on point!

    Dog Soldiers (2002)

  • I reasoned that he had spoonie issues.

    Blog text (5)

  • It's called Spoonie Gee.

    Keanu (2016)

  • Here you are, Spoonie.

    Dog Soldiers (2002)

  • Spoonie, stop fucking about!

    Dog Soldiers (2002)

  • -[Spoonie]

    American Heist (2014)

  • As a spoonie, she carefully plans her activities to avoid exhaustion.

  • He joined a support group for spoonies to connect with others who manage chronic illnesses.

  • Many spoonies often share tips on how to conserve energy throughout the day.

Surface Forms

spoonie singular
spoonies plural

Morphology

spoonie = spoon (opaque) = spoon + ie

Although formed from 'spoon' + the person-forming suffix '-ie', the sense 'person with chronic illness managing limited energy' is metaphorical (Spoon Theory) and not inferable from 'spoon' alone.

Etymology

The word spoonie comes from the 'spoon theory', a simple idea where each spoon stands for one small unit of daily energy. So a spoonie is a person with a long-term illness or disability who must count their 'spoons' and plan their day carefully, which is why the word means someone managing limited energy.