Spizzerinctum

While grading AP English college portfolios, one of the college application essays I read today started like this:

My favorite word that I try to include in my everyday language is spizzerinctum. Spizzerinctum means the will to succeed. 

I looked this word up immediately; it totally is a word, even if it sounds gross and fake:

MerriamWebster.com

I told this young lady that this is a very worthwhile college essay and she needs to use it on every application ever.

I’ve read thousands of books and taught English for five years and traveled abroad and married someone possibly more well-read than I am, and I have never heard this word before.  So as Gus Portokalos says in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “There you go!”