"Every new word begins as a nonce form."
- John Algeo, The American Dialect Society

is this as obvious as it seems?
-ron o.

No, I don't think so, not if a nonce word is one made up on the occassion with no intent for greater currency. Some words just happen, whether by mistaking some other word or being formed from existing elements. Some are not even intended as words, but merely pronouceable acronyms. Then, some words are intended to be useful words that will exist for some time. Quark was intended as a nonce word by its creator, James Joyce, but got co-opted by physicists. Quasar, on the other hand, was created by astronomers to be a permanently existing part of the lexicon to denote a newly discovered phenomenon.

In other words, not only do I not think that it is obvious, I don't even think that it's right.

I don't agree either; ex. SCUBA/scuba. Also, possibly celebutante, given Faldage's condition of nonce.