Illustrator Rinee Shah is attempting to form a definitive catalogue of the words we share with family and friends.

A few years ago, I did an illustration project called Seinfood, and my favorite part about it was that people were sharing it with their friends and family because of a shared nostalgia from watching the show together. I was recently watching an old episode of The West Wing, and one of the characters said a strange word and then said he realized that it was probably just a word his mother made up, and it occurred to me that that probably happens to people all the time.

Gotchies.

Underwear. (noun) ghot-chees. "He stripped down to his gotchies"

- Maura M., Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania

Rinee Shah / madeupwordsproject.com

The Quincy.

A small defect in our bathtub. Like a small brown burn mark (noun) kwin-zee.

Somehow, it became known as "The Quincy." We tried to avoid touching it. I remember sitting in the tub terrified of it. My mom would say "It's just The Quincy, it won't hurt you."

- Robbie W., Riverside, California

Rinee Shah / madeupwordsproject.com