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A blend of the nouns glamour and grandma, the colloquial noun glam-ma designates a glamorous grandmother, especially one who is relatively young or fashion-conscious. This noun is also used as a form of address.
The noun glam-ma occurs, for example, in a review of the U.S. comedy film Mack & Rita (2022)—review by Bruce R. Miller, published in the Sioux City Journal (Sioux City, Iowa, USA) of Friday 19th August 2022 [page D2, column 1]—Diane Keaton (née Hall – 1946-2025) was a U.S. actress:
If you learn anything from “Mack and Rita,” it’s just how little influencers do.
In the course of fostering a second career, Rita (Diane Keaton) agrees to be a “glam-ma” for companies, showing up at openings, taking a Pilates class and, basically, existing. In exchange, she gets upwards of $100,000.
These are, in chronological order, the earliest occurrences of the noun glam-ma that I have found:
1-: From an advertisement for De Merini Jewelry, published in the Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA) of Thursday 3rd May 2001 [page D1, column 2]—however, here, glam-ma designates a glamorous mother:
Flowers for mom are nice, but jewelry lasts longer!
But while diamonds might sound like a universal Mother’s Day gift, there is more to consider: Is she a red-hot mama, a Donna Reed-type, a soccer mom or a “glam-ma”?
De Merini Jewelry offers the following guidelines to help find the appropriate gift:
[…]
[…] The glamorous gal might appreciate Venetian-inspired “briolette-style” earrings and coordinating necklace.
2 & 3-: From interviews of the British actress Stephanie Beacham (born 1947):
2-: From an interview by John Highfield, published in the Wigan Evening Post (Wigan, Lancashire, England) of Friday 6th July 2001 [page 10, column 1]:
It may be hard to imagine but Stephanie Beacham—she of the Dynasty shoulder pads, lip gloss and big hair—is actually now a grandmother.
“Not so much a gramma, more a glamma,” she laughs, proving that leading ladies don’t give up their glamour status easily, even if they do thoroughly enjoy having a new baby in the family.
3-: From an interview by Ian Midgley, published in the Telegraph & Argus (Bradford, Yorkshire, England) of Saturday 14th July 2001 [Weekender section, page 1, column 4]:
She said: “One of the reasons I decided to come back and do theatre was my grandson. I’m now a Glam-ma, you get that? A Glam-ma not a Grandma. And I don’t want to miss him growing up.”
4-: From Experience sharpened at Rosenhaus bris, by Dwight Owen Schweitzer, published in The Jewish Star Times (Miami, Florida, USA) of Wednesday 7th November 2001 [page 4, column 1]:
I went to my first bris last week. […] My revered columnist and dear friend Jill Rosenhaus has had a difficult month. The loss of her father was coupled with the birth of her first grandchild, Maxwell Aaron Swickle. She was kind enough to invite Mary and me to his bris. […]
[…]
However much I enjoyed the afternoon and meeting her family, friends, and new grandson Maxwell, the capping event was my wife’s capturing Jill’s new status with a word that could only belong to her. From now on she will be known as “Glam-ma.”
5-: From the column Showbiz, published in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo (Northampton, Northamptonshire, England) of Saturday 17th January 2004 [TV week section, page 3, column 5]—Goldie Hawn (born 1945) is a U.S. actress:
24-year-old KATE HUDSON […] gave birth to her son a few days ago […].
Hudson’s stepfather, KURT RUSSELL tells me he’s over the moon that she named her baby after him. He’s called Ryder Russell. […]
The actor, who plays Olympic coach Herb Brooks in a new film, Miracle, says he and GOLDIE HAWN are delighted about becoming grandparents. But little Ryder won’t be calling them ‘Grandma and Grandpa’. “Our son Oliver thinks he should call Goldie ‘Glam-ma’ and I’m going to get him to call me Mr President.”
6-: From the caption to the following photograph, published in the San Antonio Express-News (San Antonio, Texas, USA) of Sunday 22nd February 2004 [Express-News Star, page 14, column 4]:
No dowdy grandmas here! Glam-ma Goldie introduced herself at longtime love Kurt Russell’s ‘Miracle’ premiere.
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