A way of singing popularized in the southern United States whereby some syllables were vocalized by breathing inward. Often used as a gerund (i.e., Eefing)
Thanks bilby, I know I'm kinda lazy, treating this place like a wiktionary with live operators (not that my queries are generally heeded) LOL.
That said, I doubt I could find a decent Wolof translation of 'Leprechaun'. But stranger things have happened.
When I lived in Kalamazoo (Woolloomoolloo's much colder sister city) I had the opportunity to experience snowfall again for the first time with a Senegalese exchange student named Mamadou. I still get a chuckle remembering that giant of a man taking tentative baby steps trying to avoid a pratfall on the slippery cobblestones of Academy street.
Everything I know of Wolof I learned from Senegalese cab drivers and sidewalk vendors in my city. I can't spell anything, as it was all transmitted orally, but I'm partial to an uncommon response to "How are you?" (nan ga def) "I'm walking around in circles".
I'd love to know how to write them. Can the author of this list provide some original spellings (or anyone else for that matter)? Also, I'd love to know how to tell a Wolof speaker that they make me feel like a leprechaun because they're generally so tall and statuesque. Really lovely people, in my experience.
I imagine the infinitive would be "to outstick," which sounds less organic than "outstuck". Does anyone (e.g., qroqqa) know the term for words that are generally most accepted in an alternate tense?
A cocktail consisting of tequila, cherry juice and buttermilk reputed to have been favored by Janis Joplin. She was also afraid of toilets, enjoyed eating live cats and had knees that bent in the wrong direction. That is, if you believe Frank (Judah Friedlander)'s Wikipedia article.
I remember seeing references to this in Camille Paglia's magnum opusSexual Personae. I think she used the "orobros" spelling. But I can't for the life of me find it. The book is nearly 1,000 pages long. Does anyone remember the context?
Side-splitting. Asativum's matter-of-fact, conversational tone cinched it for me. I remember a story from Alan Lomax's ethnomusicological adventures in the Hebrides wherein he described the songs women would sing to keep rhythm while stretching wool soaked in urine. I had the same sort of question: who was the first to add urine to the recipe? Did they get their own holiday?
A few years ago I took an Italian course and was picking it up fairly easily, because it is so close to Spanish. I decided to head over to a park in Brooklyn where there is a bocce court and see if I could join the old Italian men in a game. My hope was to practice Italian and maybe even pick up some juicy, non-textbook words in the process. It didn't pan out too well. The men themselves were extremely nice, but the Sicilian and Calabrian dialects they spoke were so far removed from what is considered to be "Standard Italian" as to be unhelpful for my purposes. They told me to take heart as they often had to substitute English words even among one another because, as they put it, Sicilian Italian changes from village to village -- sometimes drastically. Still, it's a nice memory. Some of those guys were amazingly accurate players for septuagenarians.
"Now you and I know that a woman's foot, which had been twisted and scarred by the binding, would not be something you and I would find especially sexy. But for the men of China, for almost a thousand years, there was something precious about this, the lowest part of the body, shrunk down to two or three inches, done so in such a way that is was useless for walking, for moving about. Feet that were twisted and torn, exuding their own peculiar smell, and the men were struck with passion. They called it the golden lotus, in honor of the flower before it bloomed.
The feet were carefully hidden, so that when men were finally allowed to see it, to touch it, to kiss it, to caress it, to suck nuts from between the twisted toes (often the whole dipped in tea) --- they would go bananas."
Mostly, I busted up prostitution rings. Ah, another life. *sigh*
In related merkin news -- and in an attempt to remain true to this list -- the Spanish have separate words for head lice (piojos) and pubic lice (ladillas). Do lice count as fauna?
Should I be worried that most of the discussions I've participated in today have quickly devolved into talk of bodily functions and afflictions?
Either way, I still wind up feeling inadequate. Plus, I can't sleep now because the ugly head is trying to convince me to accompany it on a killing spree.
You know yarb, I think it may be the only spelling. That's why I had to define it myself, without citations from 19th century novelists. Please don't mention this to dontcry -- she already called me a dullard.
Dullard?! How dare you, you culture vulture! And I thought for sure -- judging from the "more about:" section of his profile -- that qroqqa would be the first to use that word to describe me.
My parents kept an extensive library when I was growing up. I found the smell of the older, musty, yellowed books to be the most intoxicating.
There's a company called Demeter that makes strange fragrances some might find inspired, while others might place them in the same box as mandles. They have a cologne called paperback that I found uncanny in its ability to evoke such immediate, gleeful nostalgia.
OMFG, I'm totally gonna employ that as a slur against Wordies who poo-poo my affinity for neologisms, folkspeak, netspeak and vocab derived from oral language and television sitcoms.
Butterfly? Is that an Aussieism? Here in Mer'ca we calls 'em 'Lardwasps.'
On another note, the word for the 'monarch butterfly' has an almost invariably equivalent meaning across the board in European languages. Some examples:
Portuguese - Barboleta-monarca
Spanish - Mariposa monarca
Czech - Monarcha stěhovavý
Dutch - Monarchvlinder
German - Monarchfalter
Italian - Monarca
Polish - Monarcha
Hungarian - Pompás királylepke (the latter word meaning 'monarch')
I don't recall ever hearing this song. Although the title rings a bell. Should I YouTube it or leave my ears worm free?
You know, a co-worker actually yelled at me when I told her I'd never seen The Godfather or On The Waterfront. Jeez, I seem to be doing my damndest to reveal my appalling lack of culture. Did I mention I majored in anthropology?
*ponders peddling his Godfather virginity on ebay for a quick buck*
Castilian Spanish word for ladybug (known as 'ladybird' in the English-speaking world outside of North America). It is also a mildly offensive term for gay men. In certain contexts it can be meant affectionately.
In Catalonia, they are known as 'marietes' or 'poriols,' while in Galicia they are called 'xoaniñas' as well as 'maruxiñas' and 'reirreis.'
I must confess, I have no television, but rent Netflix. When seasons 1 and 2 of 30 Rock became available to watch online, I got addicted. Now I just incessantly play them in the background on my computer while doing housework and have subsequently memorized A LOT of the dialogue. Lame, I know. Meh.
Nycanthro is NYC (because I live in Brooklyn) plus ANTHRO (because I was an anthropology/ethnology major many moons ago). I checked your Flickr link. You're a Brooklynite too?! Awesome. Small world. What 'hood are you from?
P.S. that Sailor Moon list is hilarious. The mere IDEA is funny enough. I think I might change my story regarding the derivation of my name now. Also, why did you choose to name yourself after a defunct branch of the rabbit family (I had to look it up, obviously).
Susurrar. A beautiful Spanish word meaning "to whisper." It can also be applied to the lazy ebb and flow of ocean tides, rustling leaves or a velvety springtime zephyr. Mmmmmh.
Any time I've heard this word uttered, it was as a playful insult suggesting that a person of English (i.e., non-Celtic) extraction was somehow 'lesser than'. I've always found it weird how sometimes a word for what a person is, can be transformed into an epithet by mere tone or context without needing to be qualified by an adjective. For example, "Jew," "goy," and, ever increasingly, "American." LOL.
There's a bakery/restaurant near my campus with decent coffee and overpriced, delicious pastries and breads called Le Pain Quotidien, which, of course is from the French meaning "daily beating." Reminds me of my childhood in the 1980's New York City school system.
How about "wocka wocka wocka"? I guess it would be more aptly attributed to Fozzie Bear, but the Seinfeldian 'yada yada yada' sense is purely Savage's. So glad to see this list. It's the first column I flip to when I pick up The Village Voice. Now that the newspaper has fired almost all of their writers, it's often the only thing I flip to. *sigh*
I realized that a bit later. Still learning the ropes around here and trying not to drown in this logophilic wellspring. I'm guessing now that you're Aussie? Anyhow, it's a pleasure to make your cybernetic acquaintance.
Thanks for the research Chained_Bear! Oh, and thanks for the warm welcome, too. I actually rated on the "most comments" list, at a mere 152 comments less than bilby (is he gainfully employed?) By the by, I did in fact mean Acadian. And my Kentuckian co-worker had no idea what I was talking about, even when I threw in the 'nuts' reference.
True story: I recently hosted two beautiful women visiting from the Netherlands. They went out to a movie while I was at work. We planned to meet up afterwards at an old Irish pub to have a pint and discuss the day's events. I got there about a half hour before they did and downed a pint of Guinness, looking a tad pathetic surrounded by merry couples.
When they finally did arrive we grabbed a table and started talking about all of the new vocabulary they were picking up during their trip. They thanked me for introducing them to the phrase "chick flick" and inquired about another word they heard in the movie.
"What does 'fez' mean?" Katrien asked.
"What, like the hat?"
"No, it's a word that I think means sperm," she said in a hushed voice.
"You mean jizz?" I asked.
Their faces lit up with glee.
"Jizz! YES! Jizz!" they exclaimed in unison.
All heads turned in our direction. Then, a minute or two later, a man got up to leave and patted me on the shoulder on his way out without saying a word.
Question -- and I may be on a completely different wavelength here -- but did the hypothermia reference elicit your "I want to go there" quote? Are you American, even?
Working for attorneys, I've often marked the definitions section of a document with the phrase "please transpose (these words) to retain alphabeticity." It's supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek comment on legalese, but no one gets it. I'm such a rebel.
Interesting article. I love how it concludes with the story of "a middle-aged Australian woman had no idea she was leaving her house at night and having sex with random strangers." Wonder what finally tipped her off.
I place my American tongue in the R position, but at the speed of sound it rarely if ever comes out more intelligibly than Feb-oo-erry. I've given in. Excetera is next. Like hypothermia, it's a lot more pleasurable if you just let yourself go limp with acceptance. The numb comfort of knowing that March is just around the corner. Although, even March is not without its ides, so beware.
Nice word. Never heard it before. I will attempt to use it nonchalantly with a Kentucky-born coworker and let you know how it turns out (cus direct askin ain't no fun no how, shoot). Merriam-Webster says it comes from the French 'galimafree' meaning a type of stew; hence the hodgepodgey notion. Could it be Arcadian in origin?
(Alt. Aristoblack) I first heard it used to describe Andre Leon Talley, the African-American Vogue editor-at-large, but have subsequently heard it used to refer to very wealthy black people, especially older men and women associated with 'high culture'.
In Spanish, it means "affectionate" (feminine form). It's used to describe a dog who nuzzles or licks a lot, for example. The verb "mimar" means to pamper or spoil. But I think the drink is related to the Brazilian Portuguese word for a tangerine-like citrus fruit. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm no help. Had one too many mimosas tonight.
Bilby, what's the difference between Doric and Scots? I mentioned Scots because my mother is from Aberdeen and she used the word 'quine' to mean a young girl (the male equivalent being 'loon'). My mother referred to her language (when she wasn't speaking American English) as Scots. I've never heard people refer to themselves as speaking "Doric".
This is more of a Scottish Gaelic or Irish word. I think it comes from their word for "Saxon". Can someone confirm this? My Googling finger has gang agley. Ta.
In Brooklyn, New York (and other parts of the metropolitan north Atlantic region) the verb 'to scumbag' means to mislead, betray or fool another person. It is synonymous with the equally colloquial 'fuck over.' Often used in the past tense.
Ex. I got scumbagged by a couple of Israelis running blow by Coney Island. Half that shit was corn starch."
or
The car service tried to scumbag me. $27.50 from Flatbush to Stillwell! I took the train.
1888, "motion picture theater," from nickel "five-cent coin" (the cost to view one) + -odeon, as in Melodeon (1840) "music hall," ult. from Gk. oideion "building for musical performances." Meaning "nickel jukebox" is first attested 1938. (From etymonline.com)
Comments by nycanthro
nycanthro commented on the word eef
A way of singing popularized in the southern United States whereby some syllables were vocalized by breathing inward. Often used as a gerund (i.e., Eefing)
April 25, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list the-list-who-cried-wolof
Thanks bilby, I know I'm kinda lazy, treating this place like a wiktionary with live operators (not that my queries are generally heeded) LOL.
That said, I doubt I could find a decent Wolof translation of 'Leprechaun'. But stranger things have happened.
When I lived in Kalamazoo (Woolloomoolloo's much colder sister city) I had the opportunity to experience snowfall again for the first time with a Senegalese exchange student named Mamadou. I still get a chuckle remembering that giant of a man taking tentative baby steps trying to avoid a pratfall on the slippery cobblestones of Academy street.
You make great lists.
March 9, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list the-list-who-cried-wolof
Everything I know of Wolof I learned from Senegalese cab drivers and sidewalk vendors in my city. I can't spell anything, as it was all transmitted orally, but I'm partial to an uncommon response to "How are you?" (nan ga def) "I'm walking around in circles".
I'd love to know how to write them. Can the author of this list provide some original spellings (or anyone else for that matter)? Also, I'd love to know how to tell a Wolof speaker that they make me feel like a leprechaun because they're generally so tall and statuesque. Really lovely people, in my experience.
March 9, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word atoll
It's the only Maldivian word in English (that I know of).
March 6, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word fingertip
As an adjective it could connote the "ultramodern" sense of having all imaginable forms of human knowledge within the breadth of a few keystrokes.
Ex. "I thoroughly enjoy the fingertip accessibility of Wordie vocab."
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word bedazzle
See also: The Bedazzler.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word outstuck
It's a word!
"Gently places mini-cupcake on sarra's outstuck tongue."
--Chained_Bear
For full convo click here.
I imagine the infinitive would be "to outstick," which sounds less organic than "outstuck". Does anyone (e.g., qroqqa) know the term for words that are generally most accepted in an alternate tense?
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word marabou slipper
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word the frank schlong
A cocktail consisting of tequila, cherry juice and buttermilk reputed to have been favored by Janis Joplin. She was also afraid of toilets, enjoyed eating live cats and had knees that bent in the wrong direction. That is, if you believe Frank (Judah Friedlander)'s Wikipedia article.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word ouroborus
I remember seeing references to this in Camille Paglia's magnum opus Sexual Personae. I think she used the "orobros" spelling. But I can't for the life of me find it. The book is nearly 1,000 pages long. Does anyone remember the context?
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word dirty-white-collar
Thanks for the hyperlink, Whichbe.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word súrsaðir hrútspungar
I haven't had any complaints :>P But I require that you dress like an Indian, policeman, construction worker or cowboy.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word fried baloney hole
Or should it be "bologna"?
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list suzyg-s-words
I agree. Nice list. Runs a strange and wonderful gamut.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word windershins
Compare with deasil.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word súrsaðir hrútspungar
Side-splitting. Asativum's matter-of-fact, conversational tone cinched it for me. I remember a story from Alan Lomax's ethnomusicological adventures in the Hebrides wherein he described the songs women would sing to keep rhythm while stretching wool soaked in urine. I had the same sort of question: who was the first to add urine to the recipe? Did they get their own holiday?
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list conversations-for-the-ages
Great list. Favorited. I had a good laugh this past week with mariquita, culture vulture and febuary. May just be me, though. I'm new here.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word luddite
Then there's Culluluddite, for those who fiercely believe cellulite diminishes attractiveness.
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word urban fervor
See "the rural juror."
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word the rural juror
Yes! And then, of course, there was the sequel to this Kevin Grisham (John Grisham's fictitious(?) brother) novel "Urban Fervor."
I've added your words to the list, C_B. Thanks!
March 5, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word kalamazoo
I lived there for two non-consecutive years. It comes from a Native American language meaning "boiling cauldron". Some thing to do with the river.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word bacci set
A few years ago I took an Italian course and was picking it up fairly easily, because it is so close to Spanish. I decided to head over to a park in Brooklyn where there is a bocce court and see if I could join the old Italian men in a game. My hope was to practice Italian and maybe even pick up some juicy, non-textbook words in the process. It didn't pan out too well. The men themselves were extremely nice, but the Sicilian and Calabrian dialects they spoke were so far removed from what is considered to be "Standard Italian" as to be unhelpful for my purposes. They told me to take heart as they often had to substitute English words even among one another because, as they put it, Sicilian Italian changes from village to village -- sometimes drastically. Still, it's a nice memory. Some of those guys were amazingly accurate players for septuagenarians.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word comí la placenta de mi hija a la naranja
Gross. But kinda cool. Did he add garlic?
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word idiotarod
We actually have an Idiotarod here in the U.S. Go figure.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word guiltar
Can she play "my heart bleeds for you"?
I've got one:
How many Jewish mothers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
It's O.K. Bubbe, I'll just sit here in the dark.
TB your portmanteaux are tres amusants! Are they of your own creation?
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word bibliosphresiophilia
That should've narrowed down the list of potential culprits. I suspect an angry Swede with a bone to pick and a love of symbolism.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word knock-off
In noun form it signifies an imitation product, generally of lesser quality.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
I'm allergic to lion down. I use the knock-off, made from buzzard feathers. It's actually quite haute couture. Brand name: Culture Vulture.
And so here we are.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word marchitamiento
I think it can also have the sense of "fading" -- like a memory or an old photograph.
Me estan gustando bastante tus palabras, Sionnach.
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word triangle graph
That's a thing, right?
March 4, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word osphresiophilia
"Now you and I know that a woman's foot, which had been twisted and scarred by the binding, would not be something you and I would find especially sexy. But for the men of China, for almost a thousand years, there was something precious about this, the lowest part of the body, shrunk down to two or three inches, done so in such a way that is was useless for walking, for moving about. Feet that were twisted and torn, exuding their own peculiar smell, and the men were struck with passion. They called it the golden lotus, in honor of the flower before it bloomed.
The feet were carefully hidden, so that when men were finally allowed to see it, to touch it, to kiss it, to caress it, to suck nuts from between the twisted toes (often the whole dipped in tea) --- they would go bananas."
Wang Ping
(University of Minnesota)
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list gil-blas
Hilarious. Is that a real word or are you just poo-pooing me?
If it has a name I can get a doctor's note and take a much-needed vacation to the Library of Congress.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mariquita
CODE NAME: Harry A. Merkin.
Mostly, I busted up prostitution rings. Ah, another life. *sigh*
In related merkin news -- and in an attempt to remain true to this list -- the Spanish have separate words for head lice (piojos) and pubic lice (ladillas). Do lice count as fauna?
Should I be worried that most of the discussions I've participated in today have quickly devolved into talk of bodily functions and afflictions?
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word poo-poo
Unfortunaately I can't delete the term, as I only added the "definition". That stinks. LOL
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
Either way, I still wind up feeling inadequate. Plus, I can't sleep now because the ugly head is trying to convince me to accompany it on a killing spree.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
That's really sweet, Lea. Not at all creepy. :>P
*locks closet door*
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word lavatory
David Sedaris has a hilarious story about his adventures using the Stadium Pal. Yes people, the future is now!
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
Oh, I thought she meant it was an antonym of bookish. And my intellectual inadequacy rears its ugly head once again.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word poo-poo
You know yarb, I think it may be the only spelling. That's why I had to define it myself, without citations from 19th century novelists. Please don't mention this to dontcry -- she already called me a dullard.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
Dullard?! How dare you, you culture vulture! And I thought for sure -- judging from the "more about:" section of his profile -- that qroqqa would be the first to use that word to describe me.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list gil-blas
My parents kept an extensive library when I was growing up. I found the smell of the older, musty, yellowed books to be the most intoxicating.
There's a company called Demeter that makes strange fragrances some might find inspired, while others might place them in the same box as mandles. They have a cologne called paperback that I found uncanny in its ability to evoke such immediate, gleeful nostalgia.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word culture vulture
OMFG, I'm totally gonna employ that as a slur against Wordies who poo-poo my affinity for neologisms, folkspeak, netspeak and vocab derived from oral language and television sitcoms.
What's the antonym of "bookish"?
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word poo-poo
In its hyphenated form, this is a verb meaning 'to thumb one's nose at,' 'scoff,' 'mock' or 'treat with derision.'
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mariquita
Butterfly? Is that an Aussieism? Here in Mer'ca we calls 'em 'Lardwasps.'
On another note, the word for the 'monarch butterfly' has an almost invariably equivalent meaning across the board in European languages. Some examples:
Portuguese - Barboleta-monarca
Spanish - Mariposa monarca
Czech - Monarcha stěhovavý
Dutch - Monarchvlinder
German - Monarchfalter
Italian - Monarca
Polish - Monarcha
Hungarian - Pompás királylepke (the latter word meaning 'monarch')
Finnish - Monarkkiperhonen
Swedish - Monark
Romanian - Fluture Monarh
Danish - Monark
and so on.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word me and you and a dog named boo
I don't recall ever hearing this song. Although the title rings a bell. Should I YouTube it or leave my ears worm free?
You know, a co-worker actually yelled at me when I told her I'd never seen The Godfather or On The Waterfront. Jeez, I seem to be doing my damndest to reveal my appalling lack of culture. Did I mention I majored in anthropology?
*ponders peddling his Godfather virginity on ebay for a quick buck*
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word cuentos sin plumas
Sounds like it means "unembellished stories." Literally, "tales without feathers." Am I right?
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mariquita
Castilian Spanish word for ladybug (known as 'ladybird' in the English-speaking world outside of North America). It is also a mildly offensive term for gay men. In certain contexts it can be meant affectionately.
In Catalonia, they are known as 'marietes' or 'poriols,' while in Galicia they are called 'xoaniñas' as well as 'maruxiñas' and 'reirreis.'
Anyone know the Basque term?
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user kewpid
Feel free to add words and phrases to the list.
I must confess, I have no television, but rent Netflix. When seasons 1 and 2 of 30 Rock became available to watch online, I got addicted. Now I just incessantly play them in the background on my computer while doing housework and have subsequently memorized A LOT of the dialogue. Lame, I know. Meh.
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user Prolagus
Nycanthro is NYC (because I live in Brooklyn) plus ANTHRO (because I was an anthropology/ethnology major many moons ago). I checked your Flickr link. You're a Brooklynite too?! Awesome. Small world. What 'hood are you from?
P.S. that Sailor Moon list is hilarious. The mere IDEA is funny enough. I think I might change my story regarding the derivation of my name now. Also, why did you choose to name yourself after a defunct branch of the rabbit family (I had to look it up, obviously).
March 3, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word susurrant
Susurrar. A beautiful Spanish word meaning "to whisper." It can also be applied to the lazy ebb and flow of ocean tides, rustling leaves or a velvety springtime zephyr. Mmmmmh.
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word sassenach
Any time I've heard this word uttered, it was as a playful insult suggesting that a person of English (i.e., non-Celtic) extraction was somehow 'lesser than'. I've always found it weird how sometimes a word for what a person is, can be transformed into an epithet by mere tone or context without needing to be qualified by an adjective. For example, "Jew," "goy," and, ever increasingly, "American." LOL.
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word werewolf bar mitzvah
Available here if you're interested. Sung by Tracy Morgan as his character Tracy Jordan.
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word portmanteau
I rather like "chillax". Reminds me of languid summer nights on my friend's rooftop listening to Marley and drinking gin&tonics.
Feminazi is pretty deplorable. And way too broadly applied.
Any opinions on infotain, imagineer or Blacksploitation?
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word quotidian
There's a bakery/restaurant near my campus with decent coffee and overpriced, delicious pastries and breads called Le Pain Quotidien, which, of course is from the French meaning "daily beating." Reminds me of my childhood in the 1980's New York City school system.
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list savage-love
How about "wocka wocka wocka"? I guess it would be more aptly attributed to Fozzie Bear, but the Seinfeldian 'yada yada yada' sense is purely Savage's. So glad to see this list. It's the first column I flip to when I pick up The Village Voice. Now that the newspaper has fired almost all of their writers, it's often the only thing I flip to. *sigh*
Oh, and Savage has a podcast, too!
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user bilby
I realized that a bit later. Still learning the ropes around here and trying not to drown in this logophilic wellspring. I'm guessing now that you're Aussie? Anyhow, it's a pleasure to make your cybernetic acquaintance.
March 2, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word gallimaufry
Thanks for the research Chained_Bear! Oh, and thanks for the warm welcome, too. I actually rated on the "most comments" list, at a mere 152 comments less than bilby (is he gainfully employed?) By the by, I did in fact mean Acadian. And my Kentuckian co-worker had no idea what I was talking about, even when I threw in the 'nuts' reference.
March 1, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word jizz
True story: I recently hosted two beautiful women visiting from the Netherlands. They went out to a movie while I was at work. We planned to meet up afterwards at an old Irish pub to have a pint and discuss the day's events. I got there about a half hour before they did and downed a pint of Guinness, looking a tad pathetic surrounded by merry couples.
When they finally did arrive we grabbed a table and started talking about all of the new vocabulary they were picking up during their trip. They thanked me for introducing them to the phrase "chick flick" and inquired about another word they heard in the movie.
"What does 'fez' mean?" Katrien asked.
"What, like the hat?"
"No, it's a word that I think means sperm," she said in a hushed voice.
"You mean jizz?" I asked.
Their faces lit up with glee.
"Jizz! YES! Jizz!" they exclaimed in unison.
All heads turned in our direction. Then, a minute or two later, a man got up to leave and patted me on the shoulder on his way out without saying a word.
March 1, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user yarb
My bad. Thought I was on to something.
March 1, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word butta la pasta
Add capers and mwah!
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user yarb
P.S. Biff!
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user yarb
Question -- and I may be on a completely different wavelength here -- but did the hypothermia reference elicit your "I want to go there" quote? Are you American, even?
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word bremelanotide
The only known synthetic aphrodisiac.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word febuary
Yes!! A 30 Rock fan!! Has HULU been worded yet? This is fun.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word libidometer
I found it here and elsewhere on the net. Seems to run dangerously close to the sentiments behind the embarrassing, ill-fated Gay Bomb fiasco.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mating jacket
Chess rates very high on some people's libidometers. Have faith, Bilby! (But hold on to that jacket).
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list mandles-candles-for-men
I nearly plotzed when I came upon manorexia and bromance -- multiple times! Not that I enjoy gossip columns. It's just for research, you see.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word lanai
Always makes me think of Blanche Devereaux carrying a tray of ice tea.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user super-elisa
*discreetly places page in pocket*
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list verbed-2
Great list! I've got "up, near, shadow, case and scumbag" on mine.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mating jacket
Hey Bilby, go grab your jacket, YOU'VE SCORED!!!
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word alphabeticity
Working for attorneys, I've often marked the definitions section of a document with the phrase "please transpose (these words) to retain alphabeticity." It's supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek comment on legalese, but no one gets it. I'm such a rebel.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word oh what a beautiful cervix!
Mittelschmerz!
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word zzz-mailing
Interesting article. I love how it concludes with the story of "a middle-aged Australian woman had no idea she was leaving her house at night and having sex with random strangers." Wonder what finally tipped her off.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word febuary
Actually, he was forced to change his surname as
Hamburger University
has "McLearn" copyrighted and threatened to sue.*ponders adding "Hamburgerology" to his list*
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the user bilby
Wow, thanks for all the helpful hints re: Doric and Scots. You're obviously a major player on the Wordie circuit. And Scottish to boot. Lucky us.
February 28, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word ice tea
I'm still fond of the purple stuff. And Sunny D!! *Young group of racially mixed kids with skateboards begins to cheer*
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word febuary
I place my American tongue in the R position, but at the speed of sound it rarely if ever comes out more intelligibly than Feb-oo-erry. I've given in. Excetera is next. Like hypothermia, it's a lot more pleasurable if you just let yourself go limp with acceptance. The numb comfort of knowing that March is just around the corner. Although, even March is not without its ides, so beware.
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word gallimaufry
Nice word. Never heard it before. I will attempt to use it nonchalantly with a Kentucky-born coworker and let you know how it turns out (cus direct askin ain't no fun no how, shoot). Merriam-Webster says it comes from the French 'galimafree' meaning a type of stew; hence the hodgepodgey notion. Could it be Arcadian in origin?
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word imparlibidinous
Don't give up. You can work it out! Marriage is hard, but that's what makes it a valuable institution.
Signed,
Jimmy Singleton
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word bumbaclot
Is this word not of Jamaican origin?
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word aristablack
(Alt. Aristoblack) I first heard it used to describe Andre Leon Talley, the African-American Vogue editor-at-large, but have subsequently heard it used to refer to very wealthy black people, especially older men and women associated with 'high culture'.
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word glósóli
Does it really mean "glowing sole" in Icelandic?
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word mimosa
In Spanish, it means "affectionate" (feminine form). It's used to describe a dog who nuzzles or licks a lot, for example. The verb "mimar" means to pamper or spoil. But I think the drink is related to the Brazilian Portuguese word for a tangerine-like citrus fruit. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm no help. Had one too many mimosas tonight.
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word quine
Bilby, what's the difference between Doric and Scots? I mentioned Scots because my mother is from Aberdeen and she used the word 'quine' to mean a young girl (the male equivalent being 'loon'). My mother referred to her language (when she wasn't speaking American English) as Scots. I've never heard people refer to themselves as speaking "Doric".
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word sassenach
This is more of a Scottish Gaelic or Irish word. I think it comes from their word for "Saxon". Can someone confirm this? My Googling finger has gang agley. Ta.
February 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word quine
A young girl in Scots language.
February 21, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word hij houdt van me, hij houdt niet van me
Uttered, no doubt, while plucking petals from a tulip.
February 12, 2009
nycanthro commented on the list not-quite-as-awful-as-they-sound
I'm a fan of 'niggardly.' It's been known to get people fired.
January 27, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word guarandamntee
Crap, yes, infix. D'oh!
January 21, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word guarandamntee
-damn- is English's lesser known second interfix.
see also guaran-goddamn-tee
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word monkeyshine
Most often used in the plural. (I personally have never heard it used otherwise NorthAtlantic U.S.) Mischief attributed to a person.
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word scumbag
In Brooklyn, New York (and other parts of the metropolitan north Atlantic region) the verb 'to scumbag' means to mislead, betray or fool another person. It is synonymous with the equally colloquial 'fuck over.' Often used in the past tense.
Ex. I got scumbagged by a couple of Israelis running blow by Coney Island. Half that shit was corn starch."
or
The car service tried to scumbag me. $27.50 from Flatbush to Stillwell! I took the train.
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word shadow
Can someone use the last two verb forms of this word in a sentence?
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word up
I dig it in verb form, as in 'stakes,' 'ante,' 'dose,' etc.
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word gigajoule
All vowels used once, plus it sounds cool.
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word nickelodeon
1888, "motion picture theater," from nickel "five-cent coin" (the cost to view one) + -odeon, as in Melodeon (1840) "music hall," ult. from Gk. oideion "building for musical performances." Meaning "nickel jukebox" is first attested 1938. (From etymonline.com)
January 20, 2009
nycanthro commented on the word oneupmanship
Cool, it uses all of the vowels once. I hadn't noticed that. Oneupmanship.
December 30, 2008