anticipointment: translation
n.
A state of mind produced after having overly-anticipated a particular event or purchase, thus creating unreasonably high expectations, and then been disappointed after the event or purchase has taken place because the expectations were not met.
Example Citation:"Chinatown" has been praised for so long as one of the best films ever made, that this sequel was bound to be an "anticipointment." That word might not exist, but it perfectly describes a film that's disappointing only because it was anticipated so much.
—Michael Dare, "King Of N.Y.' Reigns Among Gangster Pix," Billboard, February 9, 1991
Earliest Citation:When launching a new news anchor, experts offer one golden rule — a don't.
"You should never promise," says Bob Casazza, vice president for marketing at Washington's WJLA-TV. "Let the audience pass judgment for itself.
"If you try too hard to force a perception through the use of promotion, there may be a backlash."
Consultant Frank Magid, of Marion, Iowa-based Frank N. Magid Associates, says his company has its own term for it: "Our vice president for research calls it 'anticipointment.' Stations have overpromised in introductions to the point that the expectation is never lived up to.
—Eric Mankin, "A few rules on how to launch a news anchor," Electronic Media, June 6, 1988
Category:Sociology (General)