The Rice University Neologisms Database

The crime of petting a forbidden pet. Interpretation of intended meaning The crime of petting a pet not one's own, especially the rival of one's own pet. Presumed reason for coinage There is no legal term for the fictitious offense, and the author sought to make the deed sound like an official crime. Thus, he cleverly concocted a legal-sound word, never mind the etymology involved. Notes PET refers to the prohibited act of petting. The -I- is a filler between the two roots. The -MONY root gives the word an air of legality mainly through evoking an analogy to the word "alimony", a very common legal term. Sadly, -MONY has nothing to do with legality, and nor is it a morpheme in "alimony." In fact, "alimony" came from the Latin word alimonia, meaning nutriment or support, and is essentially monomorphemic. However, the usage of -MONY as a morpheme is not an invalid one since the common cartoon reader knows nothing about the etymology of "alimony" and easily makes the analogy required.