laborlore

laborlore means folk elements of the lives of workers. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 89 out of 100.

Why “laborlore” is a great word

LABORLORE — [Noun] The informal, expressive culture of workers, comprising their occupational traditions, stories, songs, and shared practical wisdom. From labor (work, toil) + lore (traditional knowledge or wisdom); coined in the 20th century by folklorist Archie Green. Unlike “folklore” (which encompasses the broad traditions of any community) or “labor history” (which charts formal institutions and economic struggles), laborlore is the living, granular texture of the workday itself. It is the rhythmic chant of gandy-dancers driving spikes, the ghost story told to spook the new hire on the midnight shift, and the exact, unspoken pressure needed to sharpen a blade just so—the accumulated, unarchived poetry of necessity, passed hand to hand in the grime.

Etymology

From labor + lore.

noun

Folk elements of the lives of workers.“Returning to college at 40, he began studying what he called laborlore: the work songs, slang, craft techniques and tales that helped to define the trade unions and create a sense of group identity.”