Since the launch of the likes of Kindles and Kobos, people don’t use bookends as much in the literal sense. However, in recent times you might come across the word “bookend” on social media apps. This article is going to explain exactly what bookend means in slang and how it suddenly became popular again. Let’s get straight to it!
What is a bookend? Literally and as a metaphor
In the literal sense, bookends are objects placed at the beginning and end of a row of books to hold them upright. Bookends come in all kinds of designs and are seen as ornaments. The only criteria for an object to be a bookend is that it has to be flat on both its bottom and on one side, and able to hold paperbacks or hardbacks upright on a shelf.
However, the word “bookend” can also be used in a figurative sense, to describe anything that marks the beginning and end of a sequence or event, kind of creating a frame around something. Bookends, in the sense, may or may not be similar or matching.
Origin of the word “bookend” as a metaphor
While the word “bookend” has been used as a noun since the 1900s, its use as a metaphor and a verb came much later, with the earliest evidence for this dating back to 1956, in Indiana (Pennsylvania) Evening Gazette, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
What does bookend mean on Tiktok?
On TikTok, and in BookTok especially, the word “bookend” means something quite different. It refers to the narrative technique where a story begins and ends with similar or matching scenes, often creating a frame around the main plot.
It can be quite a useful technique for authors, for example to highlight character development, highlight the irony of the story, or simply to provide better closure for the reader.
This technique is often used on social media platforms among the book reading communities in analysis or review of books, to enhance their own content.
How to use the word “bookend” as slang - featuring examples
Here are a few examples of the slang in use in different contexts:
- The climate crisis conference was bookended by keynote speeches from leaders in the energy industries.
- The Prime Minister’s term in office was bookended by crises.
- The annual stakeholders meeting is always bookended with a summary of the what topics are to be covered and which topics were covered.
- In literature, recon often takes the form of bookends, in which there are similar passages at the beginning and the end of a novel, usually adding an extra layer of meaning at the end.
- In Alcoholics and Addicts Anonymous, all potentially triggering events should be bookended with a call to your sponsor to assist you and to encourage you to stick to your guns and help you process what you’re going through.
Final word
So, in short, when the word “bookend” is used in slang, it is being used in a metaphorical sense to describe anything that marks the beginning and end of a sequence or event.
