"But what's evolving here isn't the agents" -- the speakers -- "but the language itself. It has its own evolutionary imperative. It wants to be passed on, and finds ways of doing that. We're its hosts."
According to Dictionary.com, this is synonymous with ninny, but it's also a nonsense word that appears in hundreds of traditional British songs and poems. I was surprised to find it in Sh-boom, by the Chords. (See jibboom.)
Ah. I wasn't aware that there was a shirt called that. What an unfortunate appellation. It kind of looks like an undershirt worn by... Oh. Okay. I get it now.
It's like this, bilby. When a subject and an object love each other very much, they might get together to form a sentence. It's called "conjunction," and it's a very beautiful act. And if conjunction works, pretty soon a little dependent clause may come to live with them.
You can get a fairly good idea of who tagged what by going to their profile and clicking on their Tags. If "ridiculous" has been used two times total and two times by sionnach then it's pretty obvious who done it...
From the male perspective, it would be nice to have little tiny spigots that you could turn on or off as needed. Although I'm not sure where you'd put them.
Hi John, sir. I apologize for ever calling you a slack bastard, if, in fact, I ever actually did that.
On my profile page are multiple listings of two lists ("Technically It Means" and "To Busy to Scratch Myself") and one word (whippersnapper) that I did not favorite. I rarely use that feature of Wordie. What gives?
Interesting, bilby. I didn't favorite any of the lists above It Has a Name?, nor did I favorite whippersnapper. I'm going to speak to John about this. Reverentially, of course.
Besides being a beautiful (if somewhat redundant) word, it seems that it underscores additional support for chained_bear's assertions that intelligent people need to reproduce in ever-increasing numbers. From Planetsave:
"Notch up another one for the members of the Idiots Anonymous who have apparently been camping out in Bellingham, Washington. Apparently, rainwater doesn’t actually belong to individuals, but to the state as a whole. Therefore, all the wonderful efforts of communities to collect water are actually illegal.
Not just frowned upon, or morally unethical, or shifty – all of which water collection is not – but actually illegal, so much so that in the future such legalities could be used in a court of law.
It comes down once again to the simple fact that humanity is doomed to an ever continuing cycle of idiot and misanthropic events and situations that will, eventually, simply wear down those of us with half a brain, and leave planet Earth populated by half-wits and mimes (often the same thing)."
A paved road, dontcry! At least the part of it in that photograph.
Speaking of which, here's my favorite Alaska fact: There are more miles of roads in Rhode Island than in all of Alaska. Our highway system is pretty simple. There's Highway 1, Highway 2, and Highway 3.
Of course, you can't drive to our capital city since no roads go there.
I'm the photographer, reesetee. No room in that band for a guitarist. Or bass player. No keyboards, flutes, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, dulcimers or sitars either. You'd think there'd be something I could play in there somewhere...
The tendency of Wordie comments to increasingly stray from the original topic as they become more numerous. As an example, see...oh, hell, see just about anything on Wordie.
It's like a time line, but without any dates. Sort of...
"US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact, the White House said."
I may change my mind on Marmite before it deteriorates completely:
"In a study lasting three years, Jane Durga, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and her colleagues found that people taking such supplements did better on measures of memory, information-processing speed and verbal fluency. That, plus evidence that folate deficiency is associated with clinical depression, suggests eating spinach, orange juice and Marmite, which are all rich in folic acid."
Of promite, vegemite, and marmite, the only one that sounds vaguely edible is vegemite--and that's only by comparison to the other two. They all sound like laxatives to me.
Growing up in the South during the 50s and 60s was a unique cultural experience, yarb. We had separate "white" and "colored" store entrances, drinking fountains, theaters, and waiting areas--all clearly marked as such.
An illiterate and somewhat vitriolic blog post I read today, in which the author calls Jesse Jackson an "uppity busybody," reminded me that I have rarely heard this word when it didn't apply specifically to African-Americans. Growing up in the US south, I was taught that there were two kinds of African-Americans--uppity ones and those who knew their place ("humble" being the code word that was most often used).
Interesting post, coming from a blog that describes itself as "A conservative journal of social, cultural, and ecclesiatical affairs grounded in a realistic Catholic Christian worldview. It is my hope that this site will be a reflection of Christ, the teachings of His Holy Church, and of the basic vision of a Christian social morality."
One and the same, sionnach. You can listen to the original broadcast here.
Regarding the myriad "*mites" that could adorn my crumpet, I'm standing by gooseberry jam and ricotta cheese. Barring that, cream cheese and sliced peaches.
"In a press conference today previewing a House Republican trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that’s meant to promote drilling, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) doubted the existence of actual wildlife in the refuge. “We’re going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I’m hoping to see some wildlife,�? said Boehner. “But I understand there’s none there.�?
This comes as a great surprise to most Alaskans, not to mention the bears (polar, brown, and black) wolves, foxes, musk oxen, wolverines, moose, Dall sheep, hares, marmots, pika, fish, and countless native and migrating bird species that live there. Oh...and the 600,000 caribou in the Porcupine herd.
"A Minnesota National Guard helicopter lost a door while in flight around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. While flying over the Maplewood-Oakdale area, the door was lost and has not yet been recovered."
Here are a couple of videos made by an absolutely brilliant mentee of mine, a young man from Fairbanks named Wade. He's a guitarist who had this ukulele for about 3 weeks when he recorded these:
You know, it would be fun to substitute some of these colors for the ones used by the NSA in their threat advisories. "The current threat level was raised from Evening Hush to Atomic Tangerine today due to increased chatter on Islamic web sites..."
I'm surprised and sorry that you didn't see more ravens on your cruise, ofravens. They are more plentiful in the rest of the state than they are in Southeast. Like the ones nesting near my house--the fledglings can make an incredible racket.
That's crazy. I've watched Wile E. Coyote experience a sort of cinematic death several times an episode, and never once was I reminded of Eisenstein.
Kant is another matter, of course. Kant via the categorical imperative would hold that ontologically anvils dropping from cliffs exist only in the imagination.
Still, I love it when that anvil smashes Wile E. into the pavement.
We tend to leave the god work around here to John. The rest of us take care of the less godly work, such as making up new words and applying the Wordie Treatment.
What was the...I mean, someone had to think this up, right? What motivates someone to, on seeing some ram testicles, decide to press them into blocks, boil them, and cure them?
And that's after you've already decided to eat them in the first place.
When I was growing up in NC, a short film of military jet flights with this poem as a voice-over was used by a local TV network to sign off each Saturday night, right after Shock Theater with Dr. Paul Bearer.
1. Of, or contributing to, an involuntary or unanticipated hork on the part of a witness to a disgusting event (see puke bowl) or food substance (see Foods That Shall Not Be Named);
2. Describing an action resembling a hork--e.g., throwing up in your mouth when you laugh too hard or gagging at the site of someone else's vomit.
You have to wonder about a food described this way:
"There is no more certain way of putting anyone off tête de veau forever than to serve it undercooked. And the second is that once you have finished cooking it you must allow it to cool completely otherwise it will explode."
Regarding #3, arby--gherkin is the name of a variety of small cucumber grown for pickling. It's a gherkin before it gets pickled. So, are "gherkin" and "pickled gherkin" synonymous? This is so confusing...
Edit: Oh, and many thanks for the reference to Steve's site. It's twisted and disgusting. I love it!
I yield, Asa. I hadn't considered pickled pigs lips, or even head cheese.
I guess what I should have said is that it is the vilest shadow of the real thing that exists in the world of comestibles. Pickled pigs lips are supposed to be pickled pigs lips. Casu marzu (I'm still having nightmares over that one) is supposed to be decaying cheese with live maggots. But canned asparagus in no way resembles the fresh item.
But--I love your idea of a list of the vilest substances on the planet.
Thanks for the new items for the list, Asa. I'm not sure how candlefish and hooligan were left off the list, but they sure fit. (Although I believe they are also harvested as far south as California.) Candlefish are staples of most southeastern and southwestern Alaska subsistence diets.
Pro--you can see Ester in part of a morning. It's a small community of artists, progressives, intellectuals, aging hippies, and assorted ne'er-do-wells outside of Fairbanks. It is the essence of laissez-faire living. I feel right at home. Some interesting history and demographics here.
If you ever visit, you've got a place to stay. Bring pictures of Italy...
"City Alaska" is Anchorage. Everywhere else is Alaska Alaska.
Into the Wild has produced an interesting upswing in people trying--usually in vain--to recreate McCandless' journey into the wilderness north of Denali. The irony is that Alaskans go there all the time--usually late in the fall or during the winter when the Teklanika River is calmer--for hunting trips. Now "outsiders" are trying to work it into their summer vacations, which is the worst possible time to visit that area.
We also got a big kick out of Grizzly Man. What a dweeb...
This is the name of an annual bike ride put on by the Fairbanks Cycle Club. You bike out to Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn and back (about 50 miles) and have a weenie roast at the end of the ride.
See the discussion on the Real Names list for a bit more about Skinny Dick and his roadhouse.
Canned asparagus the the most vile substance on the planet--completely inedible and bearing absolutely no resemblance in any way to the real thing. I'd sooner starve than eat it.
But I do sometimes wonder if it makes your pee smell funny...
Pro, someone from Michigan would tell you that U.P. means the Upper Peninsula--that part of the state that's separated from the rest of it by Lake Michigan. I'd suggest it feels more like Canada than the US, eh?
So, how do you refer to New Jersey? I used to favor "the nation's armpit," but that was before I spent a delightful week in Cape May earlier this spring.
"Outside" means anywhere that is not Alaska, not just the lower 48. Asativum is correct in that "down south" usually refers to going to Seattle, since you typically have to go there to get anywhere else.
I had a wonderful knish in a little dive called Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery, on the lower East side of Manhattan a few weeks ago. Stop by if you get the chance...
Gawrsh, ptery--it's nothing. No, really...it's nothing. Just surf on over to the Unicode section of FileFormat.info and have a field day. (I have better results using the decimal HTML entity. All will be revealed when you visit the site.)
Water under pressure percolating up through a bed of sand--an unfortunate occurrence on some Midwest levees as a result of the tragic flooding there. Some interesting images.
Most commonly used in medicine to describe a wound that is (or should heal) closed--e.g., "The agent changes the molecular structure of the inside of the offending vessels so that they coapt or heal closed."
Oh. Hi guys. I was just practicing for the contest when you...wait...I can leave Hoboken? I'm kissing the contest goodbye and starting reconnaissance with Major Palooka for an open list with a tempting invitation.
Sir--I would be derelict in my duty not to go in when provoked so aggressively. I mean, come on--things I say to people? I surprised no one went in before me.
Speaking of which--thanks for the cover, reesetee... :-(
It sounds like you're mixing up words from the refrain from Bryan Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," probably the greatest earworm ever produced.
Well, that explains why you rarely see anyone younger than 60 use it. We can't catch the disaprovees (aka "young whippersnappers") any longer and actually beat them with a stick, so we have to pantomime it.
Shaking your index finger at someone while simultaneously frowning to indicate your disapproval of what they are doing. Onset of FoD in humans seems to occur at about age 60.
The practice of sailboats traveling south along the US Atlantic coast to travel close to the shore to catch the southerly Labrador current and avoid the northerly Gulf Stream current farther offshore.
"Coasting" has an interesting double sense here--to coast along with a current and to stay close to the coast.
"Yes, a hat. A lion taming hat. A hat with 'lion tamer' on it. I got it at Harrods. And it lights up saying 'lion tamer' in great big neon letters, so that you can tame them after dark when they're less stroppy."
I can't find a reference to it anywhere, so let's just use Wordie to officially coin it. Those little bubbles need a name, and "wulm" has a nice collective ring to it--e.g., "That's a very active wulm you have going there, bard. Get the teabags ready."
I don't understand, Pro. When I added pimiento load, a downy woodpecker flew past my window. Then, when I added phthisical, it started to rain. Maybe you're not looking hard enough.
Or maybe you're not using enough exclamation points!!
Not to be too contrary, but I'd opt for just the opposite of gangerh's suggestion for expanding the "Most Citations..." and other lists pertaining to specific Wordies. Why not eliminate them altogether and focus solely on words?
You know, we have the makings of a very good list here--something having to do with, ummm, interesting bodily accretions. We already have toejam, fromunda cheese, earwax, pus, and smegma. Jolly!
If ever there were a word that sounded exactly like what it is, it has to be smegma.
If you wanted to feed cats what they really craved, those cans would be filled with live mice and dead birds with those mysterious little entrails that are always left at your door already removed.
Which, as far as I'm concerned, is far less disgusting than Tuscan dinners for cats.
You know, what we need here is a good Uranus joke. Like "There are strange radio signals emanating from Uranus," or "We need to send a probe deep into Uranus," or "I'd like to explore Uranus more once we've safely touched down."
When I am improvising (and not simply playing from muscle memory), I "see" landscapes with different configurations and textures. Going in a certain direction causes me to play one way, going in another direction results in something different. I can "hear" what it will sound like before I go there. It sometimes takes me while to reach that zone where I perceive landscapes. On a good night, I get there very quickly.
As in "Y'all quiet'n down so I can listen to General Hospital." Commonly used throughout the southern US.
Actually, I'm not at all sure how this should be spelled. I've always assumed it was a contraction of "quiet on," but I don't recall ever seeing it written. It is pronounced like triton (or chiton, for mollusque's benefit).
Hello, ofravens. My little part of Alaska is in the Interior, near Fairbanks in a small community named Ester--so it's not likely that you'll pass closely by on your cruise. Unfortunately, it's also not very likely that you'll see an aurora since there is so much daylight in June. You can read a book outside at 2:00 am in June at my house. (And I often do, in my hammock...) In the Southeast on your cruise, it gets dark enough for a couple of hours that you might see them. Come back in November if you want to live under them every night.
Annette Funicello; one of the original Mouseketeers. My infatuation ended when she started making beach movies with Frankie Avalon and with the advent of Elke Sommer...
I just couldn't let this phrase go unWordied. Found at Blender.com.
"How sure was MCA that slinky Irish teen Carly Hennessy was going to be a gargantuan pop star? So sure that in 1999 they staked the former Denny’s sausage spokesmodel with a $100,000 advance, $5,000 a month in living expenses and an apartment in Marina Del Rey, California, spending roughly $2.2 million in all on her 2001 debut, Ultimate High."
These were also popular in the 50s for boys due to a brief national infatuation with calypso music (and Harry Belafonte in particular.) They had fake rope belts and stripes down the outside of the leg. I have some embarrassing pictures of myself in them on the first day of school in about 1958. And no, I won't share them...
There's a war going on, but Dick Cheney valiantly finds a better way to serve his country through a series of five student deferments and a carefully planned pregnancy.
Another example to add on to yarb's and john's comments--the words on my Body Metaphors list are now tagged with anatomy, colloquialism, metaphor, body metaphors, and slang. The tags don't have to be literal--they can link your lists to other lists with even tangentially similar content. I'm anxious to see what other words have been tagged with "metaphor," for example.
It depends on where you look, mollusque. The "e" version is from Spanish but it's the version many climbing books use. I thought it might make a nice monovocalic...
My pleasure, ofravens. I love your username. I live in Alaska where ravens are common. They loom large in Athabascan lore. Some of them nest near my house. It's astonishing how many sounds they can make, and how intelligent they are. I never pass up a chance to watch them.
Hey, John...could you provide a way to bulk-tag existing lists? For example, there are currently 187 untagged entries on one of my lists. I'd love to be able to apply a tag (or set of tags) to one of my lists--or other folks' lists, for that matter. I'm far less likely to open each of those entries to apply tags, but if I could do it all at once...
Tags can be an enormous benefit in tracking down words and conversations. I'm as guilty as anyone in terms of forgetting to provide them, but if we all took tags a bit more seriously we'd all benefit.
An artificial channel with riffles along the bottom, set in a stream and fed with dirt or alluvium so that the dirt and lighter materials will wash away and the heavier gold will be trapped in the riffles. Commonly used by recreational miners.
Sharp ice peaks formed when sunlight reflects off of small depressions in the snow cover, melting the snow unevenly and forming tall peaks. Typically found when traveling on a glacier. When these refreeze at night, they can become quite hard and sharp, making travel difficult. Climbers usually call them neve penetentes. Nice image here.
Interesting, c_b. I would have guessed that usage would be much older. Now I'm wondering about hippopotamus. Must go look up when that came into common usage...
Edit: About 1300, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.
My guess is that it and Mesopotamia have something in common. :-) My other guess is that since Potomac comes from an Algonquin Indian word, any similarity is probably just a coincidence...
I can't stand golf, but I've always loved this term since I learned it from a golf-playing friend. From the Golf Rules dictionary:
Any temporary accumulation of water on the course (other than a water hazard) visible before or after the player takes his stance. It includes:
-snow and ice
-overflow from a water hazard if outside the hazard
-a pitch mark filled with water
It does not include:
-soft mushy ground
-water which appears when pressing a footmark down -dew and frost
-manufactured ice
-water on the putting green which was not visible when taking stance but which became visible when approaching the ball.
The player is entitled to relief when his ball lies in or touches casual water or when it is on the course and interferes with his stance or area of intended swing (or if the ball is on the putting green, his line of putt).
I'm delighted to know that rozzer is a vetted term. I remember a piece from Mad Magazine from a very long time ago that dealt with slang, and one of the example sentences was "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide." (Translation: "It's crazy to pay off a cop in phony money.")
Why I can remember that and not some of my students' last names from last semester is a puzzle to me. (Do you want to know my 7th grade locker combination? I've got that...)
Since seque basically means a way to transition from one segment (of a topic, scene, etc.) to another, it's logical that you'd think it would be spelled segway. I learned the term in film school, back when we actually used film...
My son recently told me about a game that he and his friends call "The Game." The only rule is that if you think about the game, you lose. You're supposed to say "Oh crap" (or something appropriately similar depending on your surroundings) when this occurs, and everyone is on the honor system.
From ananova.com: "A New Zealander ended up in court after punching a man over a breach of urinal etiquette."
I have always suspected there was such a code. It would have helped me during an incident in which I once peed right next to Ted Kennedy in the Salt Lake City airport. I was going to make a pun about Chappaquiddick (there are just so many possibilities there) but I refrained.
That reminds me of an HP Lovecraft story in which the protagonist, having acquired the ability to peer into the future, sees himself lying helplessly in a vegetative state. To prevent this from happening, he decides to take his life by shooting himself in the head. The attempt is not successful, though--his wounds put him into a vegetative state...
But during the noon darkness of Svalbard's winter, observers should be able to see the dayside aurora, which enter our atmosphere directly. Without the extra slingshot magnetic kick, these particles are less energetic, so produce a fainter, reddish glow.
I've never seen this. Must start looking. Full article here.
HA! I had forgotten all about our spam-bot friend. I just love his lyrical (and LONG!) account of the difficulties of reading while trying to get a tan. You've got to hand it to a guy who takes the initiative in solving some of the great problems of our time.
It shouldn't, but it does. I can't think of another word that affects me like this. I suspect it's a product of my upbringing. It was always associated with hate or prejudice.
C_B--I just spent a very pleasant hour rummaging through these old conversations. I had completely forgotten about dork out and several others. Thanks for collecting them in one place.
Hebrew for "holocaust" or "disaster." Quoted in the news recently as a threat from Israel regarding what will transpire in Gaza should Hamas continue shelling Israeli territory.
A truly...unique version of vagina dentata appeared in a 1959 Soviet science fiction film called Nebo Zovyot, a pioneering film that garnered some critical respect until Roger Corman bought it, recruited a young Francis Ford Coppola to rework it, and released it to American audiences as "Battle Beyond the Sun." That film is pretty awful, but when the battle between two monsters begins it's pretty difficult not to understand why "vagina dentata" is a keyword for this movie on IMDB.
Heard this morning on NPR. Said of a child who had not learned to regulate his own behavior. I suspect that his hair was discombed and he was disdressed as well.
Gangerh, I'll trade you stories. Here's mine. I grew up with the Taylors in Chapel Hill (where papa Ike was the dean of the med school) and played in bands with most of them. Livvy and I were in the same grade. A few of us were over at their house during Christmas holidays and decided to go Christmas caroling. Word was that James and his "girlfriend" were around somewhere and might join us. They did. It was a fun evening...
Gangerh...THE Brian Jones? With the teardrop Vox? He was my ultimate hero back in the day.
I once went Christmas caroling with James Taylor and Joannie Mitchell, but I'd trade it for a day with Brian Jones. (Or would have, when he was alive...)
You may be interested to know that Cold Bay (pop. 87) is the third option for landing the space shuttle should FL or CA not work out due to weather. It has a huge lighted airstrip left over from a WWII air base. Occasionally, international flights that develop mechanical problems stop there.
In theoretical physics, a membrane, brane, or p-brane is a spatially extended, mathematical concept that appears in string theory and its relatives (M-theory and brane cosmology). The variable p refers to the spatial dimension of the brane. That is, a 0-brane is a zero-dimensional pointlike particle, a 1-brane is a string, a 2-brane is a "membrane", etc. Every p-brane sweeps out a (p+1)-dimensional world volume as it propagates through spacetime.
An increasing problem on social networking sites such as Facebook; unsolicited spam generated by applications that require you to invite friends to try the application before you can use it. I'd also apply the term to jokes that have been forwarded so many times that the message indents take up most of the page...
Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who don't smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar rifts with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands signature, black square rimmed glasses, and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 ths of the face at an angle.
Note: I do realize that the word "rifts" should be "riffs," but I think I might invent a new guitar method employing rifts--you know, respecting the silent spaces between sounds, or whatever...
A word my son uses to describe things that are worthless. From the Urban Dictionary: "broken; unnecessarily redundant, superfluous, or meaningless; stupid or ridiculously moronic; bootleg or of questionable quality."
Typical usage: "My teacher made us read the whole chapter. It was so jank."
I've been thinking about a comment mollusque made the other day on euryvocalic. He was able to remember an epiphanic moment at which words took on a new meaning for him. I think mine came from much more lowly circumstances. At about age 7 or 8 I read a little comic included in a Bazooka Bubblegum package that posed the question "What is the longest word in the world?" The answer, of course, is smiles, because there is a mile between the two s's. I remember thinking about that for days--it changed the way I thought about words and language in ways that are still with me today.
Tommy Boyce and bobby Hart were the songwriters responsible for much of the early Monkees' material, including their theme song. They also played the instruments on early Monkees' tracks before the Monkees were allowed to play them themselves. History may forgive them someday.
Heaven's Just A Sin Away is the only country and western song I have on my iPod. Any song with a title like that has to be good. They also had an interesting tune about cheating on your spouse called "Pittsburgh Stealers."
Deep, uselessness. We don't usually think of race and, say, hair color in the same way, but essentially having blonde hair is no different than being ethnically Chinese--they're both just results of genetic adaptations. We're still all the same species...
It was used mostly derogatorily. My parents were livid when they found out I was listening to race radio. (They would have been more upset if they had ever found out I was in Durham watching James Brown and Percy Sledge...)
Rufus and Carla Thomas, a father and daughter duo who recorded for Stax records. Best known for "The Night Time is the Right Time" and "Do The Funky Chicken." Each was a successful solo artist as well.
The name used throughout the South to describe music (soul, beebop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, etc.) produced by African-American musicians. When I was growing up, I used to listen to "race radio"--those stations that played race music from Stax, Motown, Chess, and others. There were also "race theaters"--small venues that booked African-American acts. (I was usually the only white face in those theaters, but I got to see some incredible performances.)
Not to be confused with Ian and Sylvia (or with Mitch and Mickey), Mickey and Sylvia had a hit with the wonderful song Love Is Strange. Loved the guitar riffs in that one...
Established many recording studio techniques that are now standard, including multi-tracking of vocals and instruments. Several number one hits in the fifties.
a.k.a. The Fluorescent Leech and Eddie when they were with The Mothers of Invention, and as Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan when they were with the Turtles. Talk about two extremes...
Creators of one of the very worst songs ever, so vile that it will not be referenced here. My day has already been ruined with a severe case of earworm...
From the late 1700s to the late 1800s, flat barges (known as flatboats) were built in the north country to float crops and other goods down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Since they could not be floated back upriver, the barges were disassembled and recycled for use in constructing houses. An interesting example can be found here.
I don't really know, c_b. I can't find any evidence one way or the other. The dreadnought shape was larger than the then-predominant parlor guitar shape and it was much louder and clearer than previous shapes, so perhaps there is a connection there.
This word has a very different connotation to a guitar player. It's the standard shape of most modern acoustic guitars, having been designed by the Martin company in 1931.
John, this is a minor point, but it would be nice if there were a "past comments" link at the bottom of the Recent Comments and Citations section as well as the top so that you wouldn't have to scroll all the way back up to the top of the comments to get to the next section.
(Why do I always feel like Dorothy approaching the Wizard when I ask for things like this?...)
Ska always makes me think of Skiffle, not because of the music but because of the association with the Beatles and beat music and because the names are somewhat similar. See Free Association.
Also called mirepoix in classic French cooking, the aromatic vegetables are generally considered to be onions, celery, and carrots. In Cajun cooking, the trinity consists of onions, celery, and peppers.
Well, I can't let that slack bastard get ahead of me. Thank you, reesetee. Only ten thousand more and I'll be in your ballpark, assuming you stop contributing immediately.
John's new image search feature is particularly informative and entertaining for most of the words on this list. See rattlesnake grass, for instance. For an example of a WeirdNET-worthy non sequitur, though, see prairie satin.
I have, Treeseed. It was a cathartic experience for me--one of those times that you look at something in a completely different and transforming way. It's not just grass...
My favorite was about a prince looking for the best thing in life and finding it in a loaf of brown bread hidden inside a tree. I'd love to find that one again...
Seeing undulant immediately reminded me of this word, possibly because I was watching a moose cross my driveway just a few minutes ago... See Free Association.
Living in Seattle in the mid/late seventies, we were just beginning to see bumper stickers saying "Don't Californicate Washington." Sadly, no one paid attention...
April Stevens' use of sotto voce on Teach Me Tiger got her banned from many radio stations because her whispered moans were considered too "suggestive."
An amusing song that should have been banned simply because it was so bad.
Hot Rod Lincoln by Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. I guess you could also count lincoln even though neither actually refers to a boy's name...
I love that song, c_b, as well as just about every other song they ever recorded. Listening to the Everly Brothers was like the proverbial light bulb for me in terms of understanding what vocal harmony is.
A cover band that plays songs and usually affects the appearance of a specific band. My favorite tribute band name is "Hell's Belles," an all-female AC/DC cover band.
Essentially a living jukebox, cover bands play music made popular by other bands, thereby assuring the audience that there is no chance that they will hear anything original.
It can work both ways, reesetee. When the vendor didn't give the patron his change back, the patron complained about it. The vendor replied "Change comes from within."
You never know how close you may be to true enlightenment. The other day, I saw a guy walk up to a hot dog vendor and say "Make me one with everything."
Wow. That word could do with a few well-placed apostrophes, as in fo'c's'le. Of course, that would destroy the compoundiness, replacing it with apostrophism.
Too cool! I was not aware that Zappa took the lyric from an earlier song. Freak Out probably influenced me more than any other album. Should I admit that?
I'm now off on a quest to locate Teddy and His Patches.
One of my most enduring memories is of exploring the dunes along North Carolina's Outer Banks and finding partially buried wooden shipwrecks, which we were certain were pirate ships. See Free Association.
I thought you might be interested in this article from Mental Floss on the backstories of many classic toys, including the The Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder, now known as the Erector Set. The article also includes the lowdown on Mr. Potato Head, the Slinky, and Lincoln Logs, which, it seems, were not named after Abe.
Treeseed, I'll read anything Larry Niven writes--although I'll have to admit that the Ringworld series got a bit bogged down in details toward the end. If it has, in fact, ended.
You might not be aware that Delightful Ejaculations is a public list. You can enter your own words there. I hope you claim Mama Pajama! I love that one--the only place I have ever heard it used is the film Mystery Men, which I adore. (And Paul Simon's Me and Julio Down By the School Yard.)
"It has been covered by Blues Project, Cactus, Michael Chapman, Blue Cheer, Ray Condo, Rick Derringer, Georgie Fame, The Kingston Trio, John Mayall, Johnny Winter and others."
I wouldn't generally expect to see Johnny Winter and the Kingston Trio in the same list.
Comments by skipvia
Show previous 200 comments...
skipvia commented on the list psychedelicatessen
Already feeling pretty mellow...
July 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lamington
Wordievolution...
July 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lamington
Sheik Yerbouti. A classic for the title alone--not to mention Crisco Wristwatch.
July 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word evolution
Interesting article in this Wired Science article about the evolution of language. My favorite notion:
"But what's evolving here isn't the agents" -- the speakers -- "but the language itself. It has its own evolutionary imperative. It wants to be passed on, and finds ways of doing that. We're its hosts."
July 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cuil
Gaelic for wisdom or knowledge; also the name of a new search engine. Pronounced "cool," according to the trades.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crappo
Crapeaux are really bad French hats, n'est ce pas?
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ash-hole
Send her over to Real Names, trivet.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordievolution
See currently.. plenilune.. or spelunk.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the list shake-it
like a finger of disapproval
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordievolution
There's always pollywog...
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word scaturient
I'd vote for brouhaha.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nonny
According to Dictionary.com, this is synonymous with ninny, but it's also a nonsense word that appears in hundreds of traditional British songs and poems. I was surprised to find it in Sh-boom, by the Chords. (See jibboom.)
Sigh no more, ladies, sigh nor more;
Men were deceivers ever;
One foot in sea and one on shore,
To one thing constant never;
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you blithe and bonny;
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into. Hey nonny, nonny.
-Much Ado about Nothing
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jibboom
Also a great song by the Chords, which opens with the unforgettable lyric:
"Hey nonny ding dong, alang alang alang
Boom ba-doh, ba-doo ba-doodle-ay."
You remember--
"Oh, life could be a dream (jibboom)
If I could take you up in paradise up above (jibboom)
If you would tell me I'm the only one that you love
Life could be a dream sweetheart
(Hello hello again, jibboom and hopin' we'll meet again)..."
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word font
"Fonts are the clothes that words wear."
From this article at nationalpost.com.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the list identify-the-wordie-2
OK. As the defending champion, I shall give no quarter.
asativum: bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk
bilby: psychasthenic
chained_bear: wabe
darqueau: mojo
dontcry: hunky-dory
frogapplause: relaxed
gangerh: cred-herring
john: clinchpoop
oroboros: thoughtful
palooka: chainsaw
plethora: ingenue
prolagus: cavalier
pterodactyl: sunflower
rolig: esemplastic
seanahan: irreverent
sionnach: zoetrope
skipvia: wouldn't you like to know?
whichbe: sigh
yarb: gravlax
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gravlax
See also stinkhead.
July 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the list identify-the-wordie-2
Do we get a list of who actually entered?
July 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
Welcome to the fold, B_c!
July 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
HA! Now that's a simile!
July 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
*Still having a difficult time coming up with a clever rejoinder, though*
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
Ah. I wasn't aware that there was a shirt called that. What an unfortunate appellation. It kind of looks like an undershirt worn by... Oh. Okay. I get it now.
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
I'm afraid I don't quite follow you, bilby...
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the list psychedelicatessen
Oh man--I've got a serious case of the munchies. Know a good delicatessen?
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the list psychedelicatessen
Oh wow. I'm going to...what were we talking about?
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the list psychedelicatessen
Let's do it right after the be-in in the park. Bring your incense and finger cymbals.
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
So, metaphorically, the human genome is a stained T-shirt?
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simile
The worst simile I have read in quite some time:
"Over time, DNA accumulates random mutations, just as the front of a white T-shirt tends to accumulate spots."
Where is Human Evolution Heading?, US News and World Report
July 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word saginaw
Indeed! A wonderful song on a transcendent album.
"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh,
"Michigan seems like a dream to me now."
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've gone to look for America.
America, from Bookends
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word psychedelicatessen
I'm pretty sure they'd have hash browns, dontcry.
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pregnant pause
It's like this, bilby. When a subject and an object love each other very much, they might get together to form a sentence. It's called "conjunction," and it's a very beautiful act. And if conjunction works, pretty soon a little dependent clause may come to live with them.
Like the one in the second sentence above.
Now, go ask your mother...
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pregnant pause
A dependent clause?
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list 50-ways-to-leave-your-lover
Up here we might consider a dog sled, depending on the season.
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word far be it for me
You can get a fairly good idea of who tagged what by going to their profile and clicking on their Tags. If "ridiculous" has been used two times total and two times by sionnach then it's pretty obvious who done it...
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word psychedelicatessen
Also the name of a deli in Across the Universe.
July 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rainwater
Wordievolution set in right out of the gate on this one, didn't it?
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word horkfest
It makes a lovely tag, too.
*scurries off to find casu marzu*
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word horkfest
See princess.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word princess
Wow. Major horkfest occurring here.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spunk tanks
And it should come as no surprise who created that list. :-)
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spank bank
*preparing for the worst, hoping for the best*
*realizing that could be interpreted in two ways...*
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cookie monster
Healthy Snacks Monster. Food Pyramid Monster. Low Sodium Monster.
We need a list...
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spank bank
Hey. I listed Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn Weenie Ride. How much worse could it get?
Besides, I love spank bank--right up there with spunk tanks.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rainwater
Spunk tanks is the funniest euphemism I have heard in ages. Thanks, yarb.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rainwater
From the male perspective, it would be nice to have little tiny spigots that you could turn on or off as needed. Although I'm not sure where you'd put them.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rainwater
But for a vasectomy some years ago, I'd be all over it!
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bugs
Hi John, sir. I apologize for ever calling you a slack bastard, if, in fact, I ever actually did that.
On my profile page are multiple listings of two lists ("Technically It Means" and "To Busy to Scratch Myself") and one word (whippersnapper) that I did not favorite. I rarely use that feature of Wordie. What gives?
*backs away slowly, bowing repeatedly*
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the user skipvia
Interesting, bilby. I didn't favorite any of the lists above It Has a Name?, nor did I favorite whippersnapper. I'm going to speak to John about this. Reverentially, of course.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the list identify-the-wordie
Thanks, yarb, but--you know--you winsome, you lose some.
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rainwater
Besides being a beautiful (if somewhat redundant) word, it seems that it underscores additional support for chained_bear's assertions that intelligent people need to reproduce in ever-increasing numbers. From Planetsave:
"Notch up another one for the members of the Idiots Anonymous who have apparently been camping out in Bellingham, Washington. Apparently, rainwater doesn’t actually belong to individuals, but to the state as a whole. Therefore, all the wonderful efforts of communities to collect water are actually illegal.
Not just frowned upon, or morally unethical, or shifty – all of which water collection is not – but actually illegal, so much so that in the future such legalities could be used in a court of law.
It comes down once again to the simple fact that humanity is doomed to an ever continuing cycle of idiot and misanthropic events and situations that will, eventually, simply wear down those of us with half a brain, and leave planet Earth populated by half-wits and mimes (often the same thing)."
July 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wheter you want it or not watermelon
I have plenty of my own misspellings, thank you very much. Typos. I mean typos...
July 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cookie monster
Couldn't we just name him Low Carb Monster? Or maybe Balanced Diet Monster? Ohhh...Atkins Monster!
July 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word red hackle pipe band
A paved road, dontcry! At least the part of it in that photograph.
Speaking of which, here's my favorite Alaska fact: There are more miles of roads in Rhode Island than in all of Alaska. Our highway system is pretty simple. There's Highway 1, Highway 2, and Highway 3.
Of course, you can't drive to our capital city since no roads go there.
July 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word red hackle pipe band
That's what GarageBand is for, reesetee--playing with yourself. In the musical sense.
July 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spelling
Sadly ironic video in which Fox News misspells the word "education" during its newscast.
July 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the user reesetee
But check out the cool news features that John has god worked for us.
July 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word red hackle pipe band
I'm the photographer, reesetee. No room in that band for a guitarist. Or bass player. No keyboards, flutes, mandolins, banjos, fiddles, dulcimers or sitars either. You'd think there'd be something I could play in there somewhere...
July 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word asperger's syndrome
Very well put, bilby, and an excellent guideline for all of us.
July 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word back stand back
I think this is also a line from
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordievolution
The tendency of Wordie comments to increasingly stray from the original topic as they become more numerous. As an example, see...oh, hell, see just about anything on Wordie.
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the list yosemite-samite
I am smitten with this list. Hey...wait--smite!
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word time horizon
It's like a time line, but without any dates. Sort of...
"US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki have agreed to set a "time horizon" for US troop withdrawals as part of a long-term security pact, the White House said."
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word marmite
I may change my mind on Marmite before it deteriorates completely:
"In a study lasting three years, Jane Durga, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and her colleagues found that people taking such supplements did better on measures of memory, information-processing speed and verbal fluency. That, plus evidence that folate deficiency is associated with clinical depression, suggests eating spinach, orange juice and Marmite, which are all rich in folic acid."
-Economist.com
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Nothing, Prolagus. They're cute and cuddly. And voracious.
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pink torpedo
"My baby fits me like a flesh tuxedo
I'd like to sink her with my pink torpedo."
-Spinal Tap, "Big Bottom"
July 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vulvarine
I believe their main prey is arctic ground squirrel. See, first they grind them...
*rim shot!*
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vulvarine
Distant relative of the marmite and the pooka. See, of all things, crumpet.
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
In Asativum's world, yes. They're distantly related to the quite stroppy vulvarine.
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
That's right, Asa. They're often found in the same habitat as the much larger pooka.
*And they're off!*
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Of promite, vegemite, and marmite, the only one that sounds vaguely edible is vegemite--and that's only by comparison to the other two. They all sound like laxatives to me.
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word stimthought
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said "faster horses." -Henry Ford
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word uppity
Growing up in the South during the 50s and 60s was a unique cultural experience, yarb. We had separate "white" and "colored" store entrances, drinking fountains, theaters, and waiting areas--all clearly marked as such.
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word uppity
An illiterate and somewhat vitriolic blog post I read today, in which the author calls Jesse Jackson an "uppity busybody," reminded me that I have rarely heard this word when it didn't apply specifically to African-Americans. Growing up in the US south, I was taught that there were two kinds of African-Americans--uppity ones and those who knew their place ("humble" being the code word that was most often used).
Interesting post, coming from a blog that describes itself as "A conservative journal of social, cultural, and ecclesiatical affairs grounded in a realistic Catholic Christian worldview. It is my hope that this site will be a reflection of Christ, the teachings of His Holy Church, and of the basic vision of a Christian social morality."
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tuppence
Any light you could shed on bobs, guineas, and farthings would be greatly appreciated as well...
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
One and the same, sionnach. You can listen to the original broadcast here.
Regarding the myriad "*mites" that could adorn my crumpet, I'm standing by gooseberry jam and ricotta cheese. Barring that, cream cheese and sliced peaches.
July 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Aren't we all related, bilby?
*starts to hum "it's a small world after all..."*
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Well...I...ummm...I'm trying to cut down. Yeah, that's it.
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Thanks, bilby. Don't mind if I do. But I think I'll pass on the vegemite.
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wildlife
"In a press conference today previewing a House Republican trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that’s meant to promote drilling, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) doubted the existence of actual wildlife in the refuge. “We’re going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I’m hoping to see some wildlife,�? said Boehner. “But I understand there’s none there.�?
-ThinkProgress.
This comes as a great surprise to most Alaskans, not to mention the bears (polar, brown, and black) wolves, foxes, musk oxen, wolverines, moose, Dall sheep, hares, marmots, pika, fish, and countless native and migrating bird species that live there. Oh...and the 600,000 caribou in the Porcupine herd.
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Did I forget to mention gooseberry jam and ricotta cheese? I was caught up in the moment.
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crumpet
Empress Hotel, Victoria, BC. Mmmmmm...
July 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word a good day ain't got no rain
"I know a woman
Became a wife.
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Ain't got no rain.
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been."
-Paul Simon, Slip Slidin' Away
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word you've taken me for granted
"She was physically forgotten
Then she slipped into my pocket
With my car keys
She said you've taken me for granted
Because I please you
Wearing these diamonds."
-Paul Simon, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
"Laughing on the bus
Playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said be careful his bowtie is really a camera."
-Simon and Garfunkle, America
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word it's really not my habit to intrude
"She said it's really not my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning wont be lost or misconstrued
But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover."
-Paul Simon, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the problem is all inside your head
"The problem is all inside your head, she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
Id like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover."
-Paul Simon, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word yeah
"She said yeah, dum deedle dee dum dum
She said yeah, dum deedle dee dum dum
She said yeah, yeah yeah yeah
Come on baby I want to make love to you."
-The Rolling Stones, She Said Yeah
Not exactly "She Said She Said," is it?
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word i like the night life, baby
Let's Go; the Cars
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word she would never forget
"Though we kissed through the wild blazing nighttime,
She said she would never forget.
But now mornin's clear,
It's like I ain't here,
She just acts like we never have met."
-Bob Dylan, I Don't Believe You
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dangling participle
"A Minnesota National Guard helicopter lost a door while in flight around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. While flying over the Maplewood-Oakdale area, the door was lost and has not yet been recovered."
-Fox News, Twin Cities
July 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the list bookmarks
The Awesome Words!!!!!!!! list has a conversation worth noting.
July 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ukulele
Here are a couple of videos made by an absolutely brilliant mentee of mine, a young man from Fairbanks named Wade. He's a guitarist who had this ukulele for about 3 weeks when he recorded these:
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Wind Scene/Chrono Trigger
And here's a guitar video for good measure:
Bach, Inventions 9 and 15
I love it when students surpass their teachers.
July 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wafer kidnapping
I love the fact that the wafernapper in sionnach's link received threats to his afterlife.
July 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the user chained_bear
Hi, c_b. You're okay. :-)
July 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the list behr-paint-colors
You know, it would be fun to substitute some of these colors for the ones used by the NSA in their threat advisories. "The current threat level was raised from Evening Hush to Atomic Tangerine today due to increased chatter on Islamic web sites..."
July 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the user ofravens
I'm surprised and sorry that you didn't see more ravens on your cruise, ofravens. They are more plentiful in the rest of the state than they are in Southeast. Like the ones nesting near my house--the fledglings can make an incredible racket.
July 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prime
Oro--you can use the <pre> and </pre> tags to recreate that grid; e.g.:
July 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordiependancy
There. See? I stopped.
July 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordiependancy
I can stop any time I want. Watch.
July 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word word war
I nominate Prolagus as official Wordie Historian.
July 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the list she-she-she
Sheesh, what a list!
July 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the user mollusque
She--you might enjoy the discussion on verbing. Or try nouning...
July 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word red hackle pipe band
They may not be Grade 1, but they're ours.
July 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word merkin
HA! (I've called him worse, though...)
July 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word she
I don't know, bilby--a schlock list has a lot of appeal. Go for it!
July 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word she
Great movie, too--if you like pre-1940s schlock. "She Who Must Be Obeyed..."
July 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list stupid-drumming-terms-that-run-through-my-tiny-brain
A Motown fan would have to add "papa cita papa cita" to this list.
July 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mouton enragé
I'm reminded of the list Vicious Sheep.
July 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word chimney sweep's cancer
Why would they be rubbing their testicles on the inside of chimneys?
July 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word film theory
I believe Renior is from St. Loius.
July 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word film theory
That's crazy. I've watched Wile E. Coyote experience a sort of cinematic death several times an episode, and never once was I reminded of Eisenstein.
Kant is another matter, of course. Kant via the categorical imperative would hold that ontologically anvils dropping from cliffs exist only in the imagination.
Still, I love it when that anvil smashes Wile E. into the pavement.
July 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word garniture
A decoration, adornment or embellishment.
July 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nebraksa
Hey! Isn't that where St. Loius is located?
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pescatarian
A vegetarian who eats fish.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
Ummm, there may be a typo or two in there somewhere, sir.
It's Prolagus' fault...
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
Agreed, whichbe. Prolagus came threw when we kneaded him.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
Hang in their, Pro. Your going to make it.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word suport you're local's
See spelling.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
This is glorious, comrades! It is a good day to dye!
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the list awesome-words
REPORTING FOR DUTY, SIR! Sorry...I had to fix dinner. Here I go...
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Palooka, sir...awaiting your orders.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
You're making this very difficult, bilby.
If palooka were here, he'd know what to do...
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
*trying not to hyperventilate*
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
We tend to leave the god work around here to John. The rest of us take care of the less godly work, such as making up new words and applying the Wordie Treatment.
Sooo tempted...
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word honi soit
...qui mal y pense.
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word love gun
"My love gun's loaded and she's in my sights
Big game is waiting there inside her tights, yeah"
--Big Bottom, Spinal Tap
July 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word argh!
Google is very specific about the way argh should be spelled.
July 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the list icelandic
But...but...you know everything about Iceland!
Don't you?...
*tears begin to well up*
July 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word casu marzu
Actually, when you compare it to balut, it sounds almost appetizing--larvae and all.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word súrsaðir hrútspungar
*marvels at Asativum's immense knowledge*
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word balut
Wow. Canned asparagus is looking pretty good to me right now.
*still reeling*
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
Anytime between November and April, bilby.
*thinking of some good Scrabble words to drop on bilby*
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word súrsaðir hrútspungar
What was the...I mean, someone had to think this up, right? What motivates someone to, on seeing some ram testicles, decide to press them into blocks, boil them, and cure them?
And that's after you've already decided to eat them in the first place.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wind-swept
When I was growing up in NC, a short film of military jet flights with this poem as a voice-over was used by a local TV network to sign off each Saturday night, right after Shock Theater with Dr. Paul Bearer.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word horkish
adj.
1. Of, or contributing to, an involuntary or unanticipated hork on the part of a witness to a disgusting event (see puke bowl) or food substance (see Foods That Shall Not Be Named);
2. Describing an action resembling a hork--e.g., throwing up in your mouth when you laugh too hard or gagging at the site of someone else's vomit.
3. Cats. (Thanks, arby.)
See also hork-prone.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
"Gherkin" and "merkin" should make for a very...interesting limerick, arby. I can hardly wait.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hákarl
It has a horkish ring to it, doesn't it?
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
You know, we could host some alsome Scrabble games.
*rethinking move*
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word antievolution
Geez. Mood killer...
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
*thinking about moving*
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the list food-that-shall-not-be-named
That should certainly garner the food in question an automatic qualification for this wonderful list, Asa.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tête de veau
Calf's head. Here's a recipe, if you dare.
You have to wonder about a food described this way:
"There is no more certain way of putting anyone off tête de veau forever than to serve it undercooked. And the second is that once you have finished cooking it you must allow it to cool completely otherwise it will explode."
Wow.
July 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word stinkflipper
See stinkhead for a partial description.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
All of them, reesetee. Although you might get some arguments on "intellectual."
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Regarding #3, arby--gherkin is the name of a variety of small cucumber grown for pickling. It's a gherkin before it gets pickled. So, are "gherkin" and "pickled gherkin" synonymous? This is so confusing...
Edit: Oh, and many thanks for the reference to Steve's site. It's twisted and disgusting. I love it!
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word antievolution
More evidence that chained_bear is probably right: How Ignorant Are We?.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word puckerbrush
That has got to leave a mark.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Well, it's not always possible to find a McDonalds in the puckerbrush.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
I yield, Asa. I hadn't considered pickled pigs lips, or even head cheese.
I guess what I should have said is that it is the vilest shadow of the real thing that exists in the world of comestibles. Pickled pigs lips are supposed to be pickled pigs lips. Casu marzu (I'm still having nightmares over that one) is supposed to be decaying cheese with live maggots. But canned asparagus in no way resembles the fresh item.
But--I love your idea of a list of the vilest substances on the planet.
*hint hint*
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
Thanks for the new items for the list, Asa. I'm not sure how candlefish and hooligan were left off the list, but they sure fit. (Although I believe they are also harvested as far south as California.) Candlefish are staples of most southeastern and southwestern Alaska subsistence diets.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
Pro--you can see Ester in part of a morning. It's a small community of artists, progressives, intellectuals, aging hippies, and assorted ne'er-do-wells outside of Fairbanks. It is the essence of laissez-faire living. I feel right at home. Some interesting history and demographics here.
If you ever visit, you've got a place to stay. Bring pictures of Italy...
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word skinny dick's halfway inn weenie ride
You'll probably miss this year's ride, Asa, since it will be held this Sunday (6-Jul-08). It's usually around July 4th.
Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn has some t-shirts for those not easily offended (or those who have no taste).
Personally, I love them...
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the list north-to-alaska
"City Alaska" is Anchorage. Everywhere else is Alaska Alaska.
Into the Wild has produced an interesting upswing in people trying--usually in vain--to recreate McCandless' journey into the wilderness north of Denali. The irony is that Alaskans go there all the time--usually late in the fall or during the winter when the Teklanika River is calmer--for hunting trips. Now "outsiders" are trying to work it into their summer vacations, which is the worst possible time to visit that area.
We also got a big kick out of Grizzly Man. What a dweeb...
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word skinny dick's halfway inn weenie ride
This is the name of an annual bike ride put on by the Fairbanks Cycle Club. You bike out to Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn and back (about 50 miles) and have a weenie roast at the end of the ride.
See the discussion on the Real Names list for a bit more about Skinny Dick and his roadhouse.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Fried okra, prepared correctly, is humankind's loftiest culinary achievement.
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word antievolution
Who needs puppy eyes? You had me at "breeding."
July 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Wow. Talk about counting your blessings...
Thanks for the explanation, ptery. Very interesting.
July 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Never tried pickled asparagus, but I'm game. I do love pickled okra, but it's tough to find outside of the southern US.
For the longest time, I thought gherkins were pickles.
July 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word every time i eat asparagus...
Canned asparagus the the most vile substance on the planet--completely inedible and bearing absolutely no resemblance in any way to the real thing. I'd sooner starve than eat it.
But I do sometimes wonder if it makes your pee smell funny...
July 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word antievolution
Wow. Your place or mine?
July 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word phonundrum
I solved this problem by using 96 Tears for my ringtone.
July 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word finger fumbler
I should mention that I find the practice of aerobic gesticulation a very endearing quality in a culture.
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the list francophilia
And don't forget où est le boeuf? and vous méritez une coupure aujourd'hui. American culture has so much to offer the world.
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word finger fumbler
Q: What do you call a broken arm in Italy?
A: A speech impediment.
*hoping Prolagus takes no offense*
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word antievolution
Here's a good reason to move away from Louisiana if you have children in school. Or not.
Sometimes I wonder if our country doesn't have a collective death wish.
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
Pro, someone from Michigan would tell you that U.P. means the Upper Peninsula--that part of the state that's separated from the rest of it by Lake Michigan. I'd suggest it feels more like Canada than the US, eh?
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
So, how do you refer to New Jersey? I used to favor "the nation's armpit," but that was before I spent a delightful week in Cape May earlier this spring.
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word licchitta
Ha! I wove it!
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gas music from jupiter
Must...resist...gas...from...Uranus...joke...
July 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word diddy wah diddy
I think it means, roughly, "whop bop a loo bop, ba lop bam boom."
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
"Outside" means anywhere that is not Alaska, not just the lower 48. Asativum is correct in that "down south" usually refers to going to Seattle, since you typically have to go there to get anywhere else.
In Alaska, we refer to Hawaii as "Hawaii."
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
Pro--we've suggested that the folks in the lower 48 refer to Alaska as "the upper 1," but for some reason it has never caught on.
Yarb--I wake up every morning wondering about that myself.
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word all i have are sporks and no foons
I had a wonderful knish in a little dive called Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery, on the lower East side of Manhattan a few weeks ago. Stop by if you get the chance...
Edit: Yonah has a web site, of sorts.
Edit 2: I love the sweet potato ones best..
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
Shhh. We're trying to keep it a secret. Most of the folks in the lower 48 don't know we're part of the US, and we like it that way.
It's all a state of mind, anyway.
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fudgsicle
Right next to the banana stalactite, John.
But only in the winter...
June 30, 2008
skipvia commented on the word eggplant
Can you imagine a vegetable name (OK, fruit name) less appetizing than "eggplant" or one more enticingly savory than "aubergine?"
More people would probably eat eggplant if we'd quit calling it that.
June 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ə¿ə
See the list e?e.
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list e-e
Gawrsh, ptery--it's nothing. No, really...it's nothing. Just surf on over to the Unicode section of FileFormat.info and have a field day. (I have better results using the decimal HTML entity. All will be revealed when you visit the site.)
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list e-e
You know, it kind of looks like a character from Doonesbury.
Edit: Mark Slackmeyer.
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list e-e
Why not write it ə¿ə and avoid having to turn your computer (or yourself) upside down?
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word preemptive war
See Projecting Power.
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list absolutely-nothing
"I'm a man of peace."
-G. W. Bush
"Bring it on."
-G. W. Bush
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list absolutely-nothing
So now as I'm leavin'
I'm weary as Hell
The confusion I'm feelin'
Ain't no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
If God's on our side
He'll stop the next war.
-Bob Dylan, With God On Our Side
June 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list aron-s-list
Maybe we need a list of bands that we're trying to forget. I'd start with KC and the Sunshine Band.
Damn...
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list aron-s-list
To wit...
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list aron-s-list
Well, that would explain the vocals on some of their songs.
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list aron-s-list
I'll bet no one remembers these guys.
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordie treatment
See also the list Greetings.
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list animals-as-verbs
Crab, monkey, ram, weasel, hog, parrot, fly, skunk, bear?
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list waldo-s-list
Not...plan #3??!!!
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sand boil
Water under pressure percolating up through a bed of sand--an unfortunate occurrence on some Midwest levees as a result of the tragic flooding there. Some interesting images.
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bumpf
Hee hee. "There's a man in my rheum."
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list waldo-s-list
I'm running out of ammo, rt...
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the list waldo-s-list
Reporting for duty, sir!
June 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word coapt
Most commonly used in medicine to describe a wound that is (or should heal) closed--e.g., "The agent changes the molecular structure of the inside of the offending vessels so that they coapt or heal closed."
June 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pretentious
Which he stole from the incomparable Fawlty Towers, "The Psychiatrist" episode.
June 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tiramisù
Well, there goes that delicious fantasy...
June 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tiramisù
I'm off to the kitchen as soon as I find out what mascarpone is.
June 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
*clears throat*
♩ Doo be doo be doo, be doo be doo bee...
Oh. Hi guys. I was just practicing for the contest when you...wait...I can leave Hoboken? I'm kissing the contest goodbye and starting reconnaissance with Major Palooka for an open list with a tempting invitation.
*adjusts night vision goggles*
June 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word aeaeae
Yarb, aren't those some of the sacred words kept by the Knights Who Say "Ni?"
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
Well...I guess we can hang the banner now:
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word deformed man lavatory
See this Wired article for a fascinating article on the evolution of English in the Far East--and maybe the rest of the world as well.
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
Not...Hoboken! Sir--what about the Geneva Convention?
Hey--they use Compaqs at Wordie?
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
Sir--I would be derelict in my duty not to go in when provoked so aggressively. I mean, come on--things I say to people? I surprised no one went in before me.
Speaking of which--thanks for the cover, reesetee... :-(
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hello kitty scarification
That's so...adorable!
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
Permission to speak freely, sir?
June 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER! I'm going in! Cover me...
June 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
I'm giving it one more day, reesetee. One more day, and then all hell breaks loose.
June 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the list real-names
Bilby, FA and DC--I've made this an open list so that you'll get credit for your wonderful contributions. Have a field day!
The Butt Brothers?
June 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the list greetings
Must...resist...Wordie Treatment...
June 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word double double
John, I was with you right up until I saw this picture of animal style fries. Does it remind you in any way of this image?
June 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the word eentsy-weentsy
It sounds like you're mixing up words from the refrain from Bryan Hyland's "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," probably the greatest earworm ever produced.
Dang it...
June 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spoonerism
I understand the good Reverend once complained of addressing beery wenches each Sunday morning.
June 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word penis bones
The empty links were here, but now they're gone--so we can resume our discussion of penis bones.
Unless we've pretty much exhausted that topic.
June 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word a 2006 calendar
I'm saving mine!
June 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word penis bones
See also oosik.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the list what-the-h
Wow. Catarrh is a new one on me. Thanks kewpid, reesetee and bilby. In your collective honor I've made the list public.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word whippersnapper
Well, I guess if the shoe fits...
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the list something-vishy
I suppose vicious would fit on this list if vitiate does, but I'll leave that up to you.
It's really difficult to come up with possibilities for this list--a good quality in a list, I always say.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dovish
Docile, easy-going, dove-like.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word whippersnapper
Have you ever heard this word used when it was not preceded by "young?"
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word finger of disapproval
Well, that explains why you rarely see anyone younger than 60 use it. We can't catch the disaprovees (aka "young whippersnappers") any longer and actually beat them with a stick, so we have to pantomime it.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fistshake
See also finger of disapproval.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word finger of disapproval
Shaking your index finger at someone while simultaneously frowning to indicate your disapproval of what they are doing. Onset of FoD in humans seems to occur at about age 60.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the list phth
Done, Pro. Many thanks. I think I'll just open this list up.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word diphthong
Thanks for the new fodder for this list, jmp.
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word perry como rocks
That is a joke, right?
*please please please say yes*
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word perry como rocks
Much in the same way that Pat Boone rocks, reesetee?
Have you ever heard Pat Boone's version of Tutti Fruitti?
June 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word glam rock
So that's the source of my heartburn, bilby? :-)
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word coasting
The practice of sailboats traveling south along the US Atlantic coast to travel close to the shore to catch the southerly Labrador current and avoid the northerly Gulf Stream current farther offshore.
"Coasting" has an interesting double sense here--to coast along with a current and to stay close to the coast.
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word glam rock
Someday I'm going to start a list: Mistakes I Have Made on Wordie. I could start with Obstinant Buffaloes. Or maybe pimiento load.
It would be glorious.
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word glam rock
Not related to groceries, folks. Just another embarrassing mistake.
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word glam rock
Interesting description in that it says nothing about the music, only about it's performance context.
That's because the music sucked.
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word enophile
Or of the Eno River in North Carolina, my old stomping grounds.
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word strop
"Yes, a hat. A lion taming hat. A hat with 'lion tamer' on it. I got it at Harrods. And it lights up saying 'lion tamer' in great big neon letters, so that you can tame them after dark when they're less stroppy."
Vocational Guidance Counselor Sketch, Monty Python
June 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word glendaizer
What I'd like is a picketizer--a device that would make me sound like Wilson Pickett.
Or maybe a charlesizer...or a brownizer.
No...wait--a reddingizer!
June 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word drescherizer
But...why?
June 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word i'mpossible
I'd love to improve my English to something approaching yours, pro...
June 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wulm
I can't find a reference to it anywhere, so let's just use Wordie to officially coin it. Those little bubbles need a name, and "wulm" has a nice collective ring to it--e.g., "That's a very active wulm you have going there, bard. Get the teabags ready."
June 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word smithereens
As is varmint. :-)
June 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
Thank you, reesetee. That's a lovely sentiment.
Strange, but lovely... :-)
June 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the list doom-words
Four more years?
June 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the list common-english-words-that-are-also-first-names
I guess I missed ralph as well.
June 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word grapevine
"People say believe half of what you see
Son, and none of what you hear..."
-Marvin Gaye
Good advice.
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the list common-english-words-that-are-also-first-names
So, ptery, it's either Lance, Peg, Chip, Chuck, Stone, Rock, Bay, Buck, Max, Dash, Josh, Sally, Will, Mark, Jimmy, Rick, Wade, Sue, Gore, Pierce, Tab, or Ward?
Well, that narrows it down a bit. :-)
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
OK. Since you asked...
If Annie Oakley married Don Juan, divorced him and married Ian Holm, she'd be Annie Juan Holm.
Or how about:
If Faith Hill married Dr. No, divorced him and married Dudley Moore, she'd be Faith No Moore.
But that's it. Really.
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
From whence cometh most of my inspiration, bilby. I'll stop now.
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
Please...help...me...
If Anna Olson married John Gotti, divorced him and married Caspara Davida, she'd be Anna Gotti Davida.
(belated earworm alert)
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the list double-double-2
Perhaps if we all sang a rousing triple triple chorus of "Chain of Fools."
Here we go: "Chain chain chaaaiiiiinnn..."
June 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
Can't stop...
If Sarah Brightman married Scott Dockter, divorced him and married Ruben Hinojosa, she'd be Sarah Dockter Hinojosa.
June 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
You may regret encouraging me on this.
If Dae Kim married Darren O'Day, divorced him and married Sadaharu Oh, she'd be Dae O'Day Oh.
"Hey, Mr. Tally Man..."
June 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brangelina
And now from the "pouring salt in old wounds" department:
If Kaye Umansky married Wally Schirra, divorced him and married Georges Seurat, she'd be Kaye Schirra Seurat.
Whatever will be, will be, I guess.
June 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the list double-double-2
*sigh* I love the Wordie Treatment...
June 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the list any-words-list-its-open
I don't understand, Pro. When I added pimiento load, a downy woodpecker flew past my window. Then, when I added phthisical, it started to rain. Maybe you're not looking hard enough.
Or maybe you're not using enough exclamation points!!
June 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the list any-words-list-its-open
Its open!!! Add "anything" you want!! I'm going to add phthisical right now. Watch!
June 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word baby mama
Exactly! With Fox News, you get the best of both worlds!
That's real journalism, all right.
June 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
Not to be too contrary, but I'd opt for just the opposite of gangerh's suggestion for expanding the "Most Citations..." and other lists pertaining to specific Wordies. Why not eliminate them altogether and focus solely on words?
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word plutoid
The new, unfortunate-sounding name for dwarf planets like, umm, Pluto. See this news article for the rationale.
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word yumpin yiminy
That would be Wally Walrus, an acquaintance of Woody Woodpecker.
Woody Woodpecker would be a great name for a porn actor.
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word spelling
Sign, professionally printed, in the Payless Rental Car return lane at the Denver airport:
Please leave "keys" in the car.
You know--keys. *wink wink nudge nudge*
I don't get it...
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list words-that-shouldn-t-be-used-on-a-first-date
I'd probably avoid any use of the word "tongue" on a first date, reesetee.
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gong gong
That actually makes a lot more sense than Intelligent Design.
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list words-that-shouldn-t-be-used-on-a-first-date
And threesome could actually work in your favor, given the right proclivities...
June 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list words-that-shouldn-t-be-used-on-a-first-date
I had forgotten all about that embarrassing typo (pimiento load), yarb. Thanks for bringing it back up, so to speak... :-)
June 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toejam
That's it, reesetee. I should have known you'd already have it on a list somewhere.
June 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toejam
Interesting, VO. We always called it "sleep" when I was growing up, but I assumed we were using a madeupical euphemism of sorts.
June 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toejam
C'mon, reesetee. You know you love it. :-) Anyway, here's a list.
What's that stuff that cements your eyelids together after a long sleep called?
June 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toejam
You know, we have the makings of a very good list here--something having to do with, ummm, interesting bodily accretions. We already have toejam, fromunda cheese, earwax, pus, and smegma. Jolly!
If ever there were a word that sounded exactly like what it is, it has to be smegma.
June 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toejam
Kind of reminds me of fromunda cheese...
June 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sphendone
A semicircular part (as of an amphitheater) or place. Picked this up from the national spelling bee.
I would have missed it.
May 31, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ventifact
A rock formation that has been shaped, polished, or abraded by wind-driven sand. Picked up today at the American Natural History Museum in NYC.
May 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dork out
If you wanted to feed cats what they really craved, those cans would be filled with live mice and dead birds with those mysterious little entrails that are always left at your door already removed.
Which, as far as I'm concerned, is far less disgusting than Tuscan dinners for cats.
May 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word waldorf
"Celery, apples, walnuts, grapes...in a mayonnaise sauce."
See Free Association.
April 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crunchwave
I know what you mean, U. There are many joys related to being on Wordie. There are also many related to not being here.
But seeing you back makes me think that maybe I'll hang around more. Maybe.
April 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pumpernickel
I love this! I'm going to eat only pumpernickel bread from now on, just so I can say "fart goblin."
April 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word anagram
Many thanks, oroboros. I haven't laughed that hard in some time.
April 24, 2008
skipvia commented on the list the-bucolic-abattoir
Thanks again, sionnach. In your honor, I opened the list up for everyone. Have a field day!
April 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the list the-bucolic-abattoir
Duly added, sionnach. I've let this list lie fallow for too long.
April 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the word malcuntent
Wouldn't I need a mirror for that, bilby?
April 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the user treeseed
Thanks for the Music Genome Project tip, Treeseed. I'm enthralled...
April 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vegetarian
Exactly, plethora. Like an Ed Wood movie. I believe even sionnach appreciates the beauty that is Ro-Man.
April 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vegetarian
Who needs thylacines when you've got Angbangbang? That's even better than Uranus!
Speaking of which..."Our last probe has detected sulfurous fumes rising from Uranus."
I just never get tired of those...
April 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vegetarian
You know, what we need here is a good Uranus joke. Like "There are strange radio signals emanating from Uranus," or "We need to send a probe deep into Uranus," or "I'd like to explore Uranus more once we've safely touched down."
You know, something like that...
April 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word homedebtor
From this blog, an apparent neologism that refers to someone who owes more on his home than it is actually worth.
April 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word synaesthesia
When I am improvising (and not simply playing from muscle memory), I "see" landscapes with different configurations and textures. Going in a certain direction causes me to play one way, going in another direction results in something different. I can "hear" what it will sound like before I go there. It sometimes takes me while to reach that zone where I perceive landscapes. On a good night, I get there very quickly.
Musicians are strange...
April 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word luncheon meat
Don't go here. I warned you...
April 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word romanus est!
No, Prolagus, but it's a great movie...
April 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pope
The Pope and the Dope.
April 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word skipvia stinger
Geez...I might have to take up drinking.
April 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fui in excelsis, sed numquam fui mecum
I hope part of that translates as "blows dead rats," because that's what that song does...
April 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word afflatus
I think you're referring to Firmament-Clogging Rotteness. Not a general list, though--these are from a specific source, so to speak...
April 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word quiet'n
As in "Y'all quiet'n down so I can listen to General Hospital." Commonly used throughout the southern US.
Actually, I'm not at all sure how this should be spelled. I've always assumed it was a contraction of "quiet on," but I don't recall ever seeing it written. It is pronounced like triton (or chiton, for mollusque's benefit).
April 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the user ofravens
Hello, ofravens. My little part of Alaska is in the Interior, near Fairbanks in a small community named Ester--so it's not likely that you'll pass closely by on your cruise. Unfortunately, it's also not very likely that you'll see an aurora since there is so much daylight in June. You can read a book outside at 2:00 am in June at my house. (And I often do, in my hammock...) In the Southeast on your cruise, it gets dark enough for a couple of hours that you might see them. Come back in November if you want to live under them every night.
You'll see lots of ravens, though. :-)
April 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word microsoft employees
Q: How many Microsoft employees does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. Bill Gates simply declares Dark(â„¢) as the new standard.
April 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last ditch effort
Also "last-ditch effort;" a final recourse, usually to prevent an unwanted outcome.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last paradise
Generally an indicator of impending commercial development.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the last shall be the first
The ultimate revenge, I suppose...
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last frontier
I've heard this in reference to Alaska, the earth's oceans, and space.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the last empire
Usually refers to China.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last gasp
It's over, dude...
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last resort
The final alternative for providing aid or solving a problem.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last minute
Completed in a hurry in order to meet a deadline.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last straw
Presumably the one that broke the proverbial camel's back.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last man standing
The person prevailing in a difficult or protracted struggle.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last man on earth
As in "I wouldn't wear that if I were the last man on earth," or "I wouldn't go out with him if he were the last man on earth."
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word last fool in the boat
Heard on NPR, describing the desire not to be the last person inventing in Bear/Stearns before it collapsed.
March 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word krakenstein
Looks like our thoughts crossed there, samoritan.
March 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word krakenstein
This may help. See kraken.
March 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the list first-crush
I'm not going there, palooka. :-)
March 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the list first-crush
Isn't it...ummm...obvious?
March 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the list first-crush
Annette Funicello; one of the original Mouseketeers. My infatuation ended when she started making beach movies with Frankie Avalon and with the advent of Elke Sommer...
March 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fundamental
People always wonder why I chuckle when they call themselves "fundamental Christians."
March 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the list squiddy
I guess I just don't get the squid thing...
*wondering what I'm missing*
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the list collective-nouns
There are a few other lists that cover similar ground: Obstinate Buffaloes, Prides, Not Prejudice, and Murders of Crows. I may have missed some.
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sausage spokesmodel
I just couldn't let this phrase go unWordied. Found at Blender.com.
"How sure was MCA that slinky Irish teen Carly Hennessy was going to be a gargantuan pop star? So sure that in 1999 they staked the former Denny’s sausage spokesmodel with a $100,000 advance, $5,000 a month in living expenses and an apartment in Marina Del Rey, California, spending roughly $2.2 million in all on her 2001 debut, Ultimate High."
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rapture of the neat
Coined by my favorite cartoonist Roz Chast, this describes the sense of well-being I am experiencing having just cleaned up my desk.
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word anthropomorphize
Perhaps she should be looking for a new line of work...
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word clamdiggers
These were also popular in the 50s for boys due to a brief national infatuation with calypso music (and Harry Belafonte in particular.) They had fake rope belts and stripes down the outside of the leg. I have some embarrassing pictures of myself in them on the first day of school in about 1958. And no, I won't share them...
March 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word luncheon meats
See luncheon. Also see the Fake Food and Luncheon Meats lists.
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word haughty couture
And now, coldspire, you have witnessed what we like to call the wordie treatment.
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word haughty couture
Reminds me of pimiento load, urinal etiquitte, and many others for which I am responsible.
When reesetee mentioned that "it happens to the best of us," I think he meant me in particular...
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the list wirds-of-a-feather
I love the name of this list, as well as the contents.
What about eagle-eyed and legal eagle? Play chicken? Naked as a jaybird?
"The sun isn't yellow, it's chicken."
Bob Dylan, Tombstone Blues
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word haughty couture
See the discussion on haught couture.
I love it when someone else spells something wrong. That's usually my job. :)
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word haught couture
Haughty couture works for me, though.
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word a tree glows in brooklyn
Ooh, I sense a good story here. Want to share? :-)
March 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word a tree glows in brooklyn
Something goes horribly wrong at the Con Edison nuclear reactor.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word to sire with love
Mr. Thackeray tries to explain to his students that sex isn't just about reproduction.
It's also a movie. Do we need a new list?
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word apocalypse not
There's a war going on, but Dick Cheney valiantly finds a better way to serve his country through a series of five student deferments and a carefully planned pregnancy.
I know it's a movie, but sionnach got away with it.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word first dude
The popular title given to the husband of our (Alaska's) current governor. He's a snow machine racer.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word squarf
Hey! I think I have that movie in my collection.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word segue
See segway for a related discussion.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vittersweet
It looks like Eliot Spitzer has given us yet another vittersweet moment to savor.
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list the-porn-birds
I love this list and wonder how I missed it for three months. I'm still chuckling over thunder-pumper.
Don't forget the tufted titmouse...
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word heart of wordie
Superb, yarb. Just perfect...
March 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list panvocalics
Jeez, mollusque. If you can't find them, what chance do we have?
Still, I'm off to look...
March 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
One way around the "dog" and "dogs" problem is to tag your word(s) with both. Same with nautical, marine, maritime, sea, etc. Use 'em all...
March 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
Another example to add on to yarb's and john's comments--the words on my Body Metaphors list are now tagged with anatomy, colloquialism, metaphor, body metaphors, and slang. The tags don't have to be literal--they can link your lists to other lists with even tangentially similar content. I'm anxious to see what other words have been tagged with "metaphor," for example.
I'm loving this...
March 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
Bulk-tagging is a phenomenal upgrade, John. I just tagged all my lists. I'm definitely going to use tags more often as a search tool on Wordie.
Thanks for your quick response.
March 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word penetentes
It depends on where you look, mollusque. The "e" version is from Spanish but it's the version many climbing books use. I thought it might make a nice monovocalic...
March 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word penetentes
You avoid them when you can, and walk very carefully when you can't.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list denizens
We like to think that it sounds more like "asteroids" than "hemorrhoids..."
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word olive oil
Virgin made me think of extra-virgin olive oil. No, really. See Free Association.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list absquatulate-bloviate-clinchpoop
It's difficult to say brouhaha without laughing... :)
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list firmament-clogging-rotteness
My pleasure, ofravens. I love your username. I live in Alaska where ravens are common. They loom large in Athabascan lore. Some of them nest near my house. It's astonishing how many sounds they can make, and how intelligent they are. I never pass up a chance to watch them.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
Hey, John...could you provide a way to bulk-tag existing lists? For example, there are currently 187 untagged entries on one of my lists. I'd love to be able to apply a tag (or set of tags) to one of my lists--or other folks' lists, for that matter. I'm far less likely to open each of those entries to apply tags, but if I could do it all at once...
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
Tags can be an enormous benefit in tracking down words and conversations. I'm as guilty as anyone in terms of forgetting to provide them, but if we all took tags a bit more seriously we'd all benefit.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wide load
Amazing photo. Going around turns must require some fairly delicate choreography, if that term can be applied to trucks.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list o-ho
My pleasure. There are several thousand "o-matics" out there as well, but you probably don't want to go there.
I do love this list. "Will-o'-the-wisp" is such a beautifully evocative phrase.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list keep-on-truckin
This list reminds me that the toads will soon be showing up in Fairbanks...
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toad
Also, a car being pulled by a camper or recreational vehicle for use away from the RV. Toads are a common sight in Alaska in the summer...
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word stope
Steps or shelves left around a mining site after the removal of ore-bearing dirt.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word long tom
A long, narrow sluice box.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sluice box
An artificial channel with riffles along the bottom, set in a stream and fed with dirt or alluvium so that the dirt and lighter materials will wash away and the heavier gold will be trapped in the riffles. Commonly used by recreational miners.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list o-ho
How about "peg o' my heart?"
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word puckerbrush
Dense, often thorny brush that makes off-trail travel very difficult.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list o-ho
Shaquille O'Neal? (Just kidding, m...)
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the list denizens
Those of us that live in Ester, Alaska, call ourselves Esteroids.
March 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wyomingite
Awkward. It sounds like sort sort of mineral. Perhaps folks from Wyoming should refer to themselves as The Wyominions.
March 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word neve penetentes
See penetentes.
March 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word penetentes
Sharp ice peaks formed when sunlight reflects off of small depressions in the snow cover, melting the snow unevenly and forming tall peaks. Typically found when traveling on a glacier. When these refreeze at night, they can become quite hard and sharp, making travel difficult. Climbers usually call them neve penetentes. Nice image here.
March 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the list violin-parts
Many similarities with the Luthier's Craft list.
March 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word zowie
My first reaction to "Zowie" would be to pronounce it as it's pronounced in Frank Zappa's "Wowie Zowie." Zowie should sound like "wow," not "Zoe."
"It's spelled Raymond Luxury Yacht, but it's pronounced Throat Warbler Mangrove..."
March 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word memberless
Mollusque, that reference always makes me cringe.
March 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word zowie
My understanding is that it's pronounced like "Zoey."
I would have gone with Chloe...
March 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word frisco
Actually, I think it was this image that was the proverbial straw for me. It's not coincidental that I added it to the puke bowl discussion.
I may not like Cheez Whiz, but I love the phrase Cheese Was.
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word anisotropy
A wonderfully understandable article on the age of the universe as determined by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe is available here.
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word heart of dorkness
A similar incident happened once on Wordie. See dork out.
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word frisco
Eew. I mean, eeewwwwww.
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word potamic
Interesting, c_b. I would have guessed that usage would be much older. Now I'm wondering about hippopotamus. Must go look up when that came into common usage...
Edit: About 1300, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary.
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word frisco
Cheez Whiz? On a chessesteak? Say it ain't so, reesetee...
March 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cunt
See also coynte.
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word potamic
My guess is that it and Mesopotamia have something in common. :-) My other guess is that since Potomac comes from an Algonquin Indian word, any similarity is probably just a coincidence...
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word casual water
I can't stand golf, but I've always loved this term since I learned it from a golf-playing friend. From the Golf Rules dictionary:
Any temporary accumulation of water on the course (other than a water hazard) visible before or after the player takes his stance. It includes:
-snow and ice
-overflow from a water hazard if outside the hazard
-a pitch mark filled with water
It does not include:
-soft mushy ground
-water which appears when pressing a footmark down -dew and frost
-manufactured ice
-water on the putting green which was not visible when taking stance but which became visible when approaching the ball.
The player is entitled to relief when his ball lies in or touches casual water or when it is on the course and interferes with his stance or area of intended swing (or if the ball is on the putting green, his line of putt).
Fascinating...
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word segway
Nothing to apologize for, c_b. I had forgotten about my own list until yours showed up. They complement each other nicely.
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shooting skip
Hey--imagine how I felt...
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the list •unexpected-pronunciation-now-with-public-access
There are a bunch of these on my Say What? list, but I'm too lazy to move most of them over. Added a few, though.
March 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word segway
You can embarrass yourself with gazebo as well...
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-kill-the-wabbit
I won't comment on the appropriate use of "Daffy" in this image, but it's a nice Elmer Fuddism...
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word frisco
I know what you mean, palooka. It's like when people call Fairbanks "Bear Flanks." Although, come to think of it, it kind of fits...
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rozzer
I'm delighted to know that rozzer is a vetted term. I remember a piece from Mad Magazine from a very long time ago that dealt with slang, and one of the example sentences was "It's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide." (Translation: "It's crazy to pay off a cop in phony money.")
Why I can remember that and not some of my students' last names from last semester is a puzzle to me. (Do you want to know my 7th grade locker combination? I've got that...)
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word segway
Since seque basically means a way to transition from one segment (of a topic, scene, etc.) to another, it's logical that you'd think it would be spelled segway. I learned the term in film school, back when we actually used film...
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word segway
Actually, shouldn't this be segue? A Segway is a scooter of sorts.
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word apparent
"Police were trying Tuesday to piece together the violent events inside a brick home where six people were found dead in an apparent mass shooting."
How many victims does it take to make it an obvious mass shooting?
March 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the list skeleton
I know how you feel, cricket. See urinal etiquitte for my latest blunder...
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word game
My son recently told me about a game that he and his friends call "The Game." The only rule is that if you think about the game, you lose. You're supposed to say "Oh crap" (or something appropriately similar depending on your surroundings) when this occurs, and everyone is on the honor system.
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the list •open-list-your-life-in-6-words
Here's my abridged version:
Born, waiting...
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hexapus
A six-legged octopus. Really.
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word urinal etiquette
See the embarrassingly misspelled urinal etiquitte for a discussion.
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word urinal etiquitte
Hey, John. If there are enough of us, we could start a list. :-)
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word urinal etiquitte
Oops. Etiquette. Sorry. I typed it wrong...again...
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word urinal etiquitte
I should probably add that it was in the men's room of the Salt Lake City Airport...
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word urinal etiquitte
From ananova.com: "A New Zealander ended up in court after punching a man over a breach of urinal etiquette."
I have always suspected there was such a code. It would have helped me during an incident in which I once peed right next to Ted Kennedy in the Salt Lake City airport. I was going to make a pun about Chappaquiddick (there are just so many possibilities there) but I refrained.
March 4, 2008
skipvia commented on the word obstinat
Isn't that missing an "n?" Oh...never mind.
March 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word yes we have no bananas
Wow, gangerh. My first crush was Annette Funicello. Maybe we should have a list...
March 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word suicide
That reminds me of an HP Lovecraft story in which the protagonist, having acquired the ability to peer into the future, sees himself lying helplessly in a vegetative state. To prevent this from happening, he decides to take his life by shooting himself in the head. The attempt is not successful, though--his wounds put him into a vegetative state...
March 3, 2008
skipvia commented on the word essence of cute
Is this you, palooka?
March 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dayside aurora
But during the noon darkness of Svalbard's winter, observers should be able to see the dayside aurora, which enter our atmosphere directly. Without the extra slingshot magnetic kick, these particles are less energetic, so produce a fainter, reddish glow.
I've never seen this. Must start looking. Full article here.
March 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the user mi-vox
HA! I had forgotten all about our spam-bot friend. I just love his lyrical (and LONG!) account of the difficulties of reading while trying to get a tan. You've got to hand it to a guy who takes the initiative in solving some of the great problems of our time.
March 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word niggertoe
It's just a cruel word, isn't it Treeseed? No matter what the context.
March 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word eww
Yep. It's a cool word. You can express varying degrees of disgust by adjusting the number of e's and w's. For example:
"Casu marzu? Eeeeewwwwwwww!"
Ah, English...
March 2, 2008
skipvia commented on the word niggertoe
It shouldn't, but it does. I can't think of another word that affects me like this. I suspect it's a product of my upbringing. It was always associated with hate or prejudice.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nigger toes
We always got a handful of Brazil nuts in our stockings at Christmas. That somehow makes the association even more painful.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word niggertoe
See also nigger toes.
You know, most words don't bother me. They're just syllables. Nigger is not one of those. It still bothers me a lot.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the list conversations-for-the-ages
C_B--I just spent a very pleasant hour rummaging through these old conversations. I had completely forgotten about dork out and several others. Thanks for collecting them in one place.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shoah
Hebrew for "holocaust" or "disaster." Quoted in the news recently as a threat from Israel regarding what will transpire in Gaza should Hamas continue shelling Israeli territory.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word freegan
"People are strange."
Jim Morrison
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vagina dentata
A truly...unique version of vagina dentata appeared in a 1959 Soviet science fiction film called Nebo Zovyot, a pioneering film that garnered some critical respect until Roger Corman bought it, recruited a young Francis Ford Coppola to rework it, and released it to American audiences as "Battle Beyond the Sun." That film is pretty awful, but when the battle between two monsters begins it's pretty difficult not to understand why "vagina dentata" is a keyword for this movie on IMDB.
March 1, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vagina dentata
Agreed, seanahan. Great read, and one of the better names for a main character.
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word joke
OK...Did you hear about the newlywed couple who didn't know the difference between vaseline and putty? All of their windows fell out.
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word disregulated
Heard this morning on NPR. Said of a child who had not learned to regulate his own behavior. I suspect that his hair was discombed and he was disdressed as well.
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word verbificent
Stuff and nonsense, reesetee. We eschew sesquipedalianism here. Lexiphanicism results only in obfuscation.
Oh...and, schadenfreude, whatever that means.
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word has his head up his ass
There does seem to be a preponderance of "ass" metaphors. It also seems that I listed most of them. I wonder what that means?...
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground
Already listed, gangerh...
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the list a-testicle-by-any-other-name
Creamballs? Creamballs?
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
Reesetee, I'm shocked. Butting in on conversations is a cherished tradition here. The more you butt in, the better... :)
February 29, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fecal shield
You've got my vote, bilby. That's a scream...
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word how green were the nazis
Now you've got me singing "Springtime for Hitler..."
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nattering nabobs of negativity
Oops. Should have looked that up, I guess.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word she's got him by the balls
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word have a heart
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word heart to heart talk
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word has his head up his ass
Clueless. See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word in the eye of the beholder
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fingernails on my chalkboard
See Body Metaphors. See also Fingernails on My Chalkboard, one of my favorite lists.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word on the tip of the tongue
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word here's mud in your eye
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word by the sweat of his brow
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word a flick of the wrist
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word heart of stone
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sticky fingers
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word semi-colon
Har!
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word won by a whisker
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word smooth as a baby's bottom
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-body-metaphors
Well, I used dogleg, so go crazy...
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-body-metaphors
Whew! That was fun. My car is ready. Gotta go...
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word butt out
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word face melter
Often said of a particularly powerful guitar solo. See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vent your spleen
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gut feeling
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word by the skin of your teeth
Ooh! Double!
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word got your back
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pain in the neck
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ankle biter
Good one!
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word on his tail
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word put my finger on it
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word he has balls
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word foot the bill
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shoulder to shoulder
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hair of the dog
Typically, ingesting alcohol to cure a hangover. Strange. See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word won by a nose
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word doesn't know his ass from his elbow
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word face of the waters
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word making headway
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word out of my head
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-body-metaphors
Thanks. I'm sitting in a customer lounge waiting to get my car repaired and they have a nice wireless connection, so I started brainstorming...
Hey--gotta add that one...
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mind the store
This one is a bit of a stretch. See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word no stomach for it
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word toe the line
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word butt of the joke
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fingernail moon
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word elbow room
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cheeky behavior
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word stick your neck out
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shoulder a burden
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nose cone
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word face the music
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ear of corn
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wagon tongue
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tailwind
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knik arm
A lovely isthmus near Anchorage, Alaska. Also the site of one of the infamous "bridges to nowhere" proposed by Ted Stevens.
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word foothills
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word headwaters
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word finger lakes
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dogleg hole
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word eye of the storm
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word foot of the bed
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word heart of the matter
One of my favorite phrases. See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word teeth of the storm
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mouth of a river
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bone of contention
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word neck of the woods
See Body Metaphors.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
Sionnach, that conversation started with me but eventually involved chained_bear and reesetee, probably to no one's surprise.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
Gangerh, I'll trade you stories. Here's mine. I grew up with the Taylors in Chapel Hill (where papa Ike was the dean of the med school) and played in bands with most of them. Livvy and I were in the same grade. A few of us were over at their house during Christmas holidays and decided to go Christmas caroling. Word was that James and his "girlfriend" were around somewhere and might join us. They did. It was a fun evening...
So...tell me about Brian Jones.
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the word pointy-headed intellectuals
Not sure, but they made an appearance on my Politics as Usual list some time ago...
February 28, 2008
skipvia commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
Gangerh...THE Brian Jones? With the teardrop Vox? He was my ultimate hero back in the day.
I once went Christmas caroling with James Taylor and Joannie Mitchell, but I'd trade it for a day with Brian Jones. (Or would have, when he was alive...)
February 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
Dang. I was going to go for gym teacher next...
February 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
Custodian! No, principal!...Wait...
February 27, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cold bay
You may be interested to know that Cold Bay (pop. 87) is the third option for landing the space shuttle should FL or CA not work out due to weather. It has a huge lighted airstrip left over from a WWII air base. Occasionally, international flights that develop mechanical problems stop there.
February 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wocking awound the chwistmas twee
Wock on, gangewh...
February 26, 2008
skipvia commented on the list don-martin
I used to love Martin's cartoons in Mad. Is he still around? You might also enjoy this Bill Waterson list...
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vewy fwustwating
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word two wongs don't make a wight
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word all wights wesewved
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word with my speaw and magic hewmet
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word you wascally wabbit
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word kill the wabbit
See Kill the Wabbit.
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the woad
Hmmm. Sounds wike we need a new wist...
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the woad
Or Elmer Fudd's autobiogwaphy...
February 25, 2008
skipvia commented on the word romney lost 'cuz he's a mormon
Until I saw Palooka's comment, I read this as "moron" and not "Mormon." I was not at all predisposed to doubt its veracity, though...
February 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word i'll dust my broom
Elmore James RULES!
Thanks, mollusque...
February 23, 2008
skipvia commented on the word super-superdelegate
From a description of Nancy Pelosi in the San Francisco Chronicle, 2/21/08.
Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others...
February 22, 2008
skipvia commented on the word friend spam
C-B...maybe your friend could also print out the joke and bring you a copy as well. That way, you have all the senses covered. :-)
I sure missed you...
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the list vicious-sheep
Check in about 4 months from now and see what happens...
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word friend spam
I know, c_b. After all, they're just trying to be nice. My cousin does it all the time, and I can't bring myself to ask her to stop.
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bovilexia
There is a word for that, mollusque, after a fashion. See aboiement.
Is there something you'd like to...ummm...tell us?
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brane
From Wikipedia:
In theoretical physics, a membrane, brane, or p-brane is a spatially extended, mathematical concept that appears in string theory and its relatives (M-theory and brane cosmology). The variable p refers to the spatial dimension of the brane. That is, a 0-brane is a zero-dimensional pointlike particle, a 1-brane is a string, a 2-brane is a "membrane", etc. Every p-brane sweeps out a (p+1)-dimensional world volume as it propagates through spacetime.
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word friend spam
An increasing problem on social networking sites such as Facebook; unsolicited spam generated by applications that require you to invite friends to try the application before you can use it. I'd also apply the term to jokes that have been forwarded so many times that the message indents take up most of the page...
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word superdelegate
I'm afraid it's more like business suits, cigars, and outstretched hands, Treeseed...
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the word superdelegate
The party knows what's best for you, dear...
February 21, 2008
skipvia commented on the list a-long-strange-trip
I've always loved stories about Avalon. Even the name is evocative...
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lappet-faced
Further evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs...
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word emo
Reesetee, have you ever heard emo music? The only fans are members of other emo bands, and maybe their parents...
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word emo
I love this definition from the Urban Dictionary:
Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who don't smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar rifts with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands signature, black square rimmed glasses, and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 ths of the face at an angle.
Note: I do realize that the word "rifts" should be "riffs," but I think I might invent a new guitar method employing rifts--you know, respecting the silent spaces between sounds, or whatever...
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the list house-sweet-house
Oh, wait. I'm not wearing any...
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the list house-sweet-house
Very cool! I don't see haunted anywhere (although you do have "house of horror").
*runs off to change underwear before John gets personal*
February 20, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jank-wad
A person displaying janky characteristics.
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jank
A word my son uses to describe things that are worthless. From the Urban Dictionary: "broken; unnecessarily redundant, superfluous, or meaningless; stupid or ridiculously moronic; bootleg or of questionable quality."
Typical usage: "My teacher made us read the whole chapter. It was so jank."
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jane and joan boyd
The original Doublemint Gum twins! (How far we have come...)
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word liz and dick
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Big for a while, anyway.
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ukulele
If you never thought you'd see "ukulele" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in the same performance, check this out.
I wanna be their groupie...
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nkia
An unfortunate acronym for "Neutral Killed in Action;" military speak for the loss of innocent bystanders during a combat action.
February 19, 2008
skipvia commented on the list oddball-opposites
I have to know, sionnach--are you quoting What's Up, Tiger Lily? or did you make that up yourself?
"Name three presidents..."
February 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hydrox
I always thought this was a terrible brand name. It sounds like a toxic chemical.
February 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cranberry sauce
Also the phrase that John Lennon uttered during the sound collage at the end of Strawberry Fields Forever which some interpreted as "I buried Paul."
February 18, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wordiepiphany
I've been thinking about a comment mollusque made the other day on euryvocalic. He was able to remember an epiphanic moment at which words took on a new meaning for him. I think mine came from much more lowly circumstances. At about age 7 or 8 I read a little comic included in a Bazooka Bubblegum package that posed the question "What is the longest word in the world?" The answer, of course, is smiles, because there is a mile between the two s's. I remember thinking about that for days--it changed the way I thought about words and language in ways that are still with me today.
Do you recall your wordiepiphany?
February 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cheez whiz
See also velveeta.
February 17, 2008
skipvia commented on the word feta cheese
Boba Fett brought feta cheese to mind. See Free Association.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word boyce and hart
Tommy Boyce and bobby Hart were the songwriters responsible for much of the early Monkees' material, including their theme song. They also played the instruments on early Monkees' tracks before the Monkees were allowed to play them themselves. History may forgive them someday.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word buz and tod
Drove a Corvette along Route 66 for a few seasons.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word royce and jeannie kendall
Heaven's Just A Sin Away is the only country and western song I have on my iPod. Any song with a title like that has to be good. They also had an interesting tune about cheating on your spouse called "Pittsburgh Stealers."
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word beverly and jean-luc
It made a nice fantasy, didn't it...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word beverly and jean-luc
OK, that might be a bit of a stretch. Except maybe for that episode where they were joined telepathically...ummm...see dork out.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race radio
See race music.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hoigle and moigle
Had to look that one up. I had a suspicion that you were venturing into madeupical land again...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race music
Deep, uselessness. We don't usually think of race and, say, hair color in the same way, but essentially having blonde hair is no different than being ethnically Chinese--they're both just results of genetic adaptations. We're still all the same species...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race music
It was used mostly derogatorily. My parents were livid when they found out I was listening to race radio. (They would have been more upset if they had ever found out I was in Durham watching James Brown and Percy Sledge...)
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rufus and carla
Rufus and Carla Thomas, a father and daughter duo who recorded for Stax records. Best known for "The Night Time is the Right Time" and "Do The Funky Chicken." Each was a successful solo artist as well.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word peaches and herb
Shake Your Groove Thing...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jake and elmo
The Blues Brothers.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word inez and charlie foxx
Best known for the song "Mockingbird," which they wrote, and for their energetic live shows (to which I can personally attest).
Mock (yeah) ing (yeah) bird (yeah) Yeah (yeah)
Mockingbird...
Everybody, have you heard?
(Have you heard?)
He's gonna buy me a Mockingbird
Oh, if that Mockingbird don't sing
He's gonna buy me a diamond ring
And if that diamond ring don't shine
He's gonna surely, break this heart of mine
And that's why, I keep tellin' him that's exactly
Whoa, ho, ho, I, all I know is I, I, I, I know...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shirley and lee
Best known for "Let The Good times Roll." They put on an incredible live show.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word race music
The name used throughout the South to describe music (soul, beebop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, etc.) produced by African-American musicians. When I was growing up, I used to listen to "race radio"--those stations that played race music from Stax, Motown, Chess, and others. There were also "race theaters"--small venues that booked African-American acts. (I was usually the only white face in those theaters, but I got to see some incredible performances.)
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the user skipvia
I caught that, Treeseed, and immediately deleted my entry. I was getting kind of carried away with musicians. Perhaps I had better stop...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word santo and johnny
Canadian musicians (brothers) who gave us the immortal instrumental "Sleepwalk."
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word peter and gordon
Peter Asher went on to produce James Taylor, among others.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mickey and sylvia
Not to be confused with Ian and Sylvia (or with Mitch and Mickey), Mickey and Sylvia had a hit with the wonderful song Love Is Strange. Loved the guitar riffs in that one...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bill medley and bobby hatfield
The Righteous Brothers, aptly named.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word les paul and mary ford
Established many recording studio techniques that are now standard, including multi-tracking of vocals and instruments. Several number one hits in the fifties.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bob and earl
Only one hit, but it was a doozy--The Harlem Shuffle.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word paul and paula
See Paula.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dick and deedee
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yea-hea, yea-hea, yea-hea yea-hea
The mountains high and the valleys so deep
Cant get across to the other si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide
Don't ya give up baby, don't you cry
Don't ya give up 'til I reach the other si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide
I was lonely baby, I couldn't sleep
The night they took you from my si-hi-hi-hi-hi-hide...
The Mountains High. Phenomenal song...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ian and sylvia
Canadian folk singers, provided the model for Mitch and Mickey in A Mighty Wind.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word flo and eddie
a.k.a. The Fluorescent Leech and Eddie when they were with The Mothers of Invention, and as Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan when they were with the Turtles. Talk about two extremes...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word phil and don
The immortal Everly Brothers.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word barbie and ken
Blaine was a loser...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crick and watson
Then why didn't YOU list them, you slack bastard?
*hoping that pretending to yell at uselessness will bring him back to Wordie full-time*
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lennon and mccartney
McCartney is listing the Beatles' songs that he wrote as "McCartney and Lennon," for which I'll probably never forgive him.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word punch and judy
These characters always scared me.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mutt and jeff
If there were ever a Zen comic strip, this would be it.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word hannity and colmes
Great comedy team!
They are kidding, aren't they?
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word april stevens and nino tempo
When the deep purple falls over sleepy garden walls
And the stars begin to twinkle in the night
In the mist of a memory you wander on back to me
Breathing my name with a sigh
In the still of the night once again I hold you tight
Though you're gone, your love lives on when moonlight beams
And as long as my heart will beat, sweet lover we'll always meet
Here in my deep purple dreams
Here in my deep purple dreams
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word donnie and marie
I still have a few questions about these two...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nelson and winnie
The Mandelas.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word janet and brad
Hey Janet (Yes Brad?), I've got something to say.
I really loved the skillful way
You beat the other girls to the bride's bouquet!
The river was deep but I swam it, Janet
The future is ours so let's plan it, Janet
So please don't tell me to can it, Janet
I've one thing to say and that's
Dammit, Janet, I love you...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tarzan and jane
Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan...incredible.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crick and watson
Francis Crick and James Watson, discoverers of the structure of DNA.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word king kong and faye raye
Oops. Should be Fay Wray...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ace and gary
The Ambiguously Gay Duo...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word george and lennie
Of Mice and Men.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word barbie and ken
Forever doomed by anatomy to a platonic relationship.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word george and gracie
George Burns and Gracie Allen, Comedy team.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word donald and daisy
The Ducks...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ward and june
Beaver Cleaver's folks...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fred and ginger
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lennon and mccartney
enough said...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word zager and evans
Creators of one of the very worst songs ever, so vile that it will not be referenced here. My day has already been ruined with a severe case of earworm...
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word martin and lewis
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, a very successful comedy team before they each went solo.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tom and dick
The Smothers Brothers.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sam and dave
Sam Moore and Dave Prater, soul singers without equals. Think "Soul Man."
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sol-fa
See also sacred harp.
February 16, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jumble ice
I've done it on several occasions, but I don't have a dog yard. That's a life style unto itself...
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the user chained_bear
Plus, when she's done, you don't even need to read the book. :-)
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word flatboat
See barge board.
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word barge board
From the late 1700s to the late 1800s, flat barges (known as flatboats) were built in the north country to float crops and other goods down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Since they could not be floated back upriver, the barges were disassembled and recycled for use in constructing houses. An interesting example can be found here.
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dreadnought
Sorry, reesette. This senility thing is rough. Thanks for the information--it makes sense that there was a connection. Nice glossary, too.
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jumble ice
River ice that has fractured and refrozen, sometimes resulting in jagged piles 5 or 6 feet high. The bane of dog mushers everywhere.
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word my big fat muriel's greek wedding
So, someone else has seen Muriel's Wedding? I loved that movie. (Didn't care much for the other element in this title, though...)
February 15, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dreadnought
I don't really know, c_b. I can't find any evidence one way or the other. The dreadnought shape was larger than the then-predominant parlor guitar shape and it was much louder and clearer than previous shapes, so perhaps there is a connection there.
February 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word al
Dang. I was busy all day and I missed a great straight line. Now it's too late...
February 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
I know, seanahan. It's really difficult keeping up with the comments. I wish there were some way to tame them, but I can't imagine what that would be.
February 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word right on time
A "perfect" sweet tooth fairy, at least for a child of the sixties...
February 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word dreadnought
This word has a very different connotation to a guitar player. It's the standard shape of most modern acoustic guitars, having been designed by the Martin company in 1931.
February 14, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
John, this is a minor point, but it would be nice if there were a "past comments" link at the bottom of the Recent Comments and Citations section as well as the top so that you wouldn't have to scroll all the way back up to the top of the comments to get to the next section.
(Why do I always feel like Dorothy approaching the Wizard when I ask for things like this?...)
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word laura ingles wilder
Spelling aside, jenn, anything is legal on the Free Association list.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word s’mores
Gotta go with c_b on this one. Touching marshmallows is the equivalent of biting tin foil as far as I'm concerned.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word skiffle
Ska always makes me think of Skiffle, not because of the music but because of the association with the Beatles and beat music and because the names are somewhat similar. See Free Association.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word peanut butter cookies
I've never understood why someone would destroy culinary perfection by putting a *gulp* Hershey's Kiss in the middle of it.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fifi did it
HAR! It took me a minute, sionnach, but this is a true sidesplitter. Thanks.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the user skipvia
Whatever you do, don't stop contributing. I am learning so much...
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mirepoix
See aromatic vegetables and trinity.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word trinity
See also aromatic vegetables and mirepoix for a slight variation on this.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word aromatic vegetables
Also called mirepoix in classic French cooking, the aromatic vegetables are generally considered to be onions, celery, and carrots. In Cajun cooking, the trinity consists of onions, celery, and peppers.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word so not boring
From a comment on a YouTube classical music video. I love this construction.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the user skipvia
Well, I can't let that slack bastard get ahead of me.Thank you, reesetee. Only ten thousand more and I'll be in your ballpark, assuming you stop contributing immediately.February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word strawcolored nutsedge
Flowers are distinctly straw-colored. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bull sedge
Common food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cattail sedge
Thick, cylindrical female heads resembling common cattails. Food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word thin-fruited sedge
Swamps and wet woodlands; bluish to light green leaves; food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word meadow sedge
Grows in wet meadows, prairies, and woodlands. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fescue sedge
Oval flower clusters with short, triangular spikes. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crested sedge
Grows around lakes and streams, food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word broom sedge
Apparently completely unrelated to broom sedge grass. Grows around lakes and drainage ditches. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lurid sedge
Long, thin male spikes and short, thick female spikes. Hence the name? See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word longhair sedge
Grows in swamps and around lakes, providing food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fragrant flatsedge
Mildly aromatic, spiky flowers. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word taperleaf flatsedge
Flowers form compact spherical masses and are quite beautiful but very small. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sawbeak sedge
Short, triangular flowers that resemble birds' beaks. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word crowfoot sedge
Grows in swamps and wet prairies; eaten by waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word woodland sedge
Grows along streams and lakes; browsed by deer. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bristlebract sedge
Flourishes in marshes, wet meadows, along streams; a common food for waterfowl. See Prairie Grasses.
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word punk
A truly great band. Jim Pons, bassist, went on to play with Frank Zappa (and the Turtles, for which I guess I'll forgive him...)
February 13, 2008
skipvia commented on the word palm sedge
Native to wooded lowlands. Leaves resemble palm fronds. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ivory sedge
Forms short, dense clumps. A common potted ornamental. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tussock sedge
Grows in clumps in moist forests and marshes. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prairie sedge
Habitat is typically low-lying fens (a beautiful word in itself) with glacial runoff. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word common fox sedge
Common name for the awl-fuited sedge. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word awl-fruited sedge
Significant food source for a variety of songbirds. See Prairie Grasses.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-prairie-grasses
Treeseed--it was my original intention not to include sedges, but what the heck? It's a public list, so please feel free...
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word punk
The Leaves were a proto-punk garage band from Los Angeles, known mainly for their recording of "Hey Joe." See Free Association.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-prairie-grasses
John's new image search feature is particularly informative and entertaining for most of the words on this list. See rattlesnake grass, for instance. For an example of a WeirdNET-worthy non sequitur, though, see prairie satin.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-prairie-grasses
I have, Treeseed. It was a cathartic experience for me--one of those times that you look at something in a completely different and transforming way. It's not just grass...
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prairie satin
See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word beakgrain
See also beak grass.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word beak grass
Also known as beakgrain grass. Commonly used as an ornamental grass. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sand dropseed
Seeds are attractive to birds. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word reed manna
Prefers wet soils. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sweet grass
Fat, oat-like flowers, excellent forage. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word switch grass
Used for erosion control because of its extensive root system. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word fowl manna
I suspect reesetee will like this one. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wild rye
There are several varieties of wild rye grasses including Virginia, Canada, and Riverbank. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rattlesnake grass
Distinctive fat green flower clusters on slender branches. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prairie june grass
Thrives in sand hills and open woods. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prairie brome
Distinctive drooping seedheads. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word buffalo grass
See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bottlebrush
Seedhead resembles a bottle brush. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word blue joint
See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word needle grass
See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sideoats grama
Very high quality forage and attractive to birds. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word porcupine grass
Seed heads have a sharp awn which can injure livestock. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word prairie dropseed
Seeds attract birds and butterflies. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word little bluestem
Shoots are blue when they first emerge from the ground in spring. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rip gut
Known for its very tough stems and serrated edges. Also called cord grass. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cord grass
Also known as rip gut. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word indian grass
Commonly used as hay and forage. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word turkey foot grass
See big bluestem.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word big bluestem
Also known as turkey foot grass because of the distinctive branching pattern of the seeds. See Prairie Grasses
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word grass
Can't think about a prairie without thinking about the native grasses that grow (or should be growing) there. I think I'll go start a list...
See Free Association.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ungulate
He was eating the scrub willow down by the road. On the drive home from Anchorage last night, we had to stop for a herd of caribou crossing the road.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word little golden book
My favorite was about a prince looking for the best thing in life and finding it in a loaf of brown bread hidden inside a tree. I'd love to find that one again...
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ungulate
Seeing undulant immediately reminded me of this word, possibly because I was watching a moose cross my driveway just a few minutes ago... See Free Association.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckle up
To prepare for a fight. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brass knuckles
A set of rings attached to a bar, worn over the fingers to increase the force of a blow. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckle duster
Another term for brass knuckles. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knucklehead
A person of low intelligence. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckleball
See also knuckle ball.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckle ball
Also knuckleball. A randomly fluttering pitch thrown by gripping the ball with the tips or nails of two or three fingers. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word white knuckle
Characterized by nervousness or apprehension. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckle under
To give up under pressure. See Knuckle Up.
February 12, 2008
skipvia commented on the word knuckle dragger
A slow or dimwitted person. See Knuckle Up.
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word 32-pounder
Wow! Firepower equivalent to 128 Big Macs.
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word californicate
Living in Seattle in the mid/late seventies, we were just beginning to see bumper stickers saying "Don't Californicate Washington." Sadly, no one paid attention...
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word velveeta
John--tell me you can look at this picture and ever eat Velveeta again. See puke bowl if you need additional evidence...
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sotto voce
I was surprised to find Teach Me Tiger the other day on iTunes. I bought it for old times' sake.
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sotto voce
April Stevens' use of sotto voce on Teach Me Tiger got her banned from many radio stations because her whispered moans were considered too "suggestive."
An amusing song that should have been banned simply because it was so bad.
February 11, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sausage fest
Dang. I was just thinking that the Irish were my kind of people...
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lincoln
See rod and chained_bear's Songboys list.
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rod
Hot Rod Lincoln by Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. I guess you could also count lincoln even though neither actually refers to a boy's name...
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cathy
I love that song, c_b, as well as just about every other song they ever recorded. Listening to the Everly Brothers was like the proverbial light bulb for me in terms of understanding what vocal harmony is.
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tribute band
A cover band that plays songs and usually affects the appearance of a specific band. My favorite tribute band name is "Hell's Belles," an all-female AC/DC cover band.
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cover band
Essentially a living jukebox, cover bands play music made popular by other bands, thereby assuring the audience that there is no chance that they will hear anything original.
Also see tribute band.
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word teddy
Teddy Boy by Paul McCartney. Not proud to admit that I remember this.
February 10, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ziggy
For a time there was also a huge assumption about Bowie's gender.
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word louie
Louie Louie by the Kingsmen
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word boris
Boris the Spider by the Who
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the list •open-list-songboys
These are much tougher to come up with than their female counterparts...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jude
Hey Jude by the Beatles. Their largest selling single ever, for some reason...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word julio
Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard by Paul Simon
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word al
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word vincent
Vincent by Don McLean
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word edmund
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rocky
Rocky Raccoon by the Beatles
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word maxwell
Maxwell's Silver Hammer by the Beatles
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nick
Little Saint Nick by the Beach Boys
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word tom
Just Like Tom Thumb Blues by Bob Dylan
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word romeo
Just Like Romeo and Juliet by the Reflections
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word joe
Hey Joe by the Leaves, Love, Jimi Hendrix, and just about everyone else.
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word earl
Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler. Moment of silence...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word charlie
Charlie Brown by the Coasters
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bennie
Bennie and the Jets by Elton John. Hate that song, too...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word leroy
Bad Bad Leroy Brown by Jim Croce. Hate that song...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word simon
Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear by Alan Price (composed by Randy Newman, I believe...). Alan Price was the former organist for the Animals.
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jack
Don't forget Hit The Road, Jack, by Ray Charles...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mac
Mac the Knife, popularized by Bobby Darin.
"When the shark bites, with his teeth dear..."
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jimmy
Jimmy Mack by Martha and the Vandellas
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word johnny
Also Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bo
Bo Diddley by, ummm, Bo Diddley
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sue
If we include Lola, we must include Sue...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word norman
Norman by Sue Thompson
"Norman, ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo, Norman..."
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word freddie
Do the Freddie by Freddie and the Creamers
Edit: DREAMERS! I meant Dreamers! No Freudian slip on my part, no siree...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lola
Appearance on this list is technically correct, anyway...
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word enlightenment
It can work both ways, reesetee. When the vendor didn't give the patron his change back, the patron complained about it. The vendor replied "Change comes from within."
*rim shot*
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word unfossiliferous
That sounds madeupical.
February 9, 2008
skipvia commented on the word julia
True, gangerh. A beautiful and mysterious song.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word features
You know, you just have to love a site on which hemorrhoid cream puffs, euryvocalic, sheila, and foretopgallantmast appear on the same page. Thanks, John.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the list songbirds
Gangerh, you've created the worst case of earworm that I have ever experienced.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word minnie
Mini Skirt Minnie by Wilson Pickett
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cathy
Cathy's Clown by the Everly Brothers. The first 45 I ever bought.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word rhonda
Help Me Rhonda by the Beach Boys.
Help me Rhonda, help help me Rhonda...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word izabella
Izabella by Jimi Hendrix
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bernadette
Bernadette by the Four Tops.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sheila
Sheila by Tommy Roe
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word georgia
Georgia On My Mind. Ray Charles is responsible for the definitive version.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word roxanne
Roxanne by the Police. I like the band, but I truly hate this song.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ophelia
Ophelia by the Band
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jeannie
Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie by Eddie Cochran
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sussudio
Sussudio by Phil Collins
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word enlightenment
You never know how close you may be to true enlightenment. The other day, I saw a guy walk up to a hot dog vendor and say "Make me one with everything."
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word bessie
Bessie Smith by Bob Dylan
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word julia
Julia by the Beatles
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word denise
Denise by Randy and the Rainbows
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gloria
Gloria, originally by Them (Van Morrison) but covered by just about everyone. Also a completely different doo wop tune done by the Cadillacs.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word foretopgallantmast
Wow. That word could do with a few well-placed apostrophes, as in fo'c's'le. Of course, that would destroy the compoundiness, replacing it with apostrophism.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word apostrophism
A possible cure for compoundiness. See foretopgallantmast.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word suzy creamcheese
Palooka, how could you not listen to a band with songs like "Boobs a Lot" and "I Feel Like Homemade Shit?"
Loved those guys...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word maggie
Maggie's Farm by Bob Dylan
Maggie May by Rod Stewart
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word suzy creamcheese
Too cool! I was not aware that Zappa took the lyric from an earlier song. Freak Out probably influenced me more than any other album. Should I admit that?
I'm now off on a quest to locate Teddy and His Patches.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the list songbirds
Some serious free associating is happening over at my house...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sherry
Sherry Baby by the Four Seasons
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word ruby
Ruby Baby by Dion and the Belmonts
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sue
Runaround Sue by Dion and the Belmonts
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word paula
Hey Paula by Paul and Paula. Appalling, and somewhat paltry.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word nadine
Nadine by Chuck Berry
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word martha
Martha My Dear by the Beatles
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lucille
Lucille by Little Richard
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wendy
Wendy by the Beach Boys
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word clawdy
Lawdy Miss Clawdy by Lloyd Price
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word cecilia
"You're breaking my heart..."
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lily
Also Pictures of Lily by the Who. Great tune...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lizzy
Dizzy Miss Lizzy by Larry Williams
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word layla
Layla by Derrick and the Dominoes
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the list songbirds--1
Gotta stop...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word josephine
My Girl Josephine by Fats Domino
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jane
Lady Jane by the Rolling Stones
Queen Jane Approximately by Bob Dylan
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mary
Hello Mary Lou by Ricky Nelson
Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Mary Mary by Jimmie Reed
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word corinna
Corinna Corinna by Joe Turner
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word carol
Carol by Chuck Berry
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word barbara ann
Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys
Ba ba ba, ba baba 'ran...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word annie
Poke Salad Annie by Tony Joe White
Work With Me Annie by the Midnighters
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word angie
Angie by the Rolling Stones
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lucy
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds by the Beatles
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word anna
Anna by Arthur Alexander
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word maybelline
Maybelline by Chuck Berry
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sally
Long Tall Sally by Little Richard
Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett
Sally Go 'Round the Roses by the Jaynetts
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word suzie q
Suzie Q by Dale Hawkins
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word donna
Oh Donna by Richie Valens
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word michelle
Michelle by the Beatles
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mony
Mony Mony by Tommy James and the Shondells. The name Mony was taken from a Mutual of New York billboard.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lola
Lola by the Kinks.
Lo lo lo lo LOOOOLLLLAAAAA!!!!....
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word miss molly
Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word boni maroni
Boni Maroni by Richie Valens; also Bony Moroni by Larry Williams (the original version). Not to be confused with the angel...
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wavelength
If there is chemistry between two people, they may be said to be on the same wavelength. See Free Association.
February 8, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shipwreck
One of my most enduring memories is of exploring the dunes along North Carolina's Outer Banks and finding partially buried wooden shipwrecks, which we were certain were pirate ships. See Free Association.
February 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word erector set
I thought you might be interested in this article from Mental Floss on the backstories of many classic toys, including the The Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder, now known as the Erector Set. The article also includes the lowdown on Mr. Potato Head, the Slinky, and Lincoln Logs, which, it seems, were not named after Abe.
February 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word gotham
Gotham is the archetypal Art Deco font, very reminiscent of the 1920s' fascination with modernism, cities and progress.
February 7, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jumpin' jehosephat
I'm not able to locate a decent etymology for this phrase. See Delightful Ejaculations.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lucifer's hamper
Treeseed, I'll read anything Larry Niven writes--although I'll have to admit that the Ringworld series got a bit bogged down in details toward the end. If it has, in fact, ended.
Great book, though, isn't it?
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word oriflamme
Seanahan: endures orc. See anagram.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word brave new word
I'm looking on eBay next time I want a nifty new word to add to Wordie!
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word katie bar the door
Interesting etymology may be found here.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word jeezo peezo
See jeez.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word geuzennaam
Fascinating. Didn't know there was a word for this phenomenon. (Phenomenon is a difficult word to type...)
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word palestine
Rose of Sharon, the plains of Palestine. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word wrath
Dust bowl immediately conjured up Grapes of Wrath. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word the incredible lightness of boing!
HAR! You may have topped yourself, sionnach.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the user sarahatlee
Hi Sarah;
You might not be aware that Delightful Ejaculations is a public list. You can enter your own words there. I hope you claim Mama Pajama! I love that one--the only place I have ever heard it used is the film Mystery Men, which I adore. (And Paul Simon's Me and Julio Down By the School Yard.)
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word parchman farm
"It has been covered by Blues Project, Cactus, Michael Chapman, Blue Cheer, Ray Condo, Rick Derringer, Georgie Fame, The Kingston Trio, John Mayall, Johnny Winter and others."
I wouldn't generally expect to see Johnny Winter and the Kingston Trio in the same list.
Fantastic song, though.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word delta
"Blues" makes me think of the Mississippi delta. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word shipyard
Solidarnosc was established by Lech Walesa and others in a Polish shipyard. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word lech walesa
Heady days, those. I was ready to smash the establishment.
Come to think of it...
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word solidarnosc
I had to look up oriflamme, but the association with solidarnosc would be obvious to many of us. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word mother dog
An expression of awe or amazement. See Delightful Ejaculations.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word good gosh miss agnes
See chained_bear's Delightful Ejaculations.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word great day in the morning
I haven't heard this one in years. My father used to use it all the time, along with good gosh miss agnes.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word water closet
I wasn't able to leave the salle de bain either, Treeseed. See Free Association.
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-free-association
I'll have to admit that vortex was not the very first word that popped into my head...
February 6, 2008
skipvia commented on the word inferno
Dante's vision of Hell and environs qualifies as the devil's playground. See Free Association.
February 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word sweet mother of pearl
Works better with an exclamation point after it. Maybe several!!!! (I've always felt that adding lots of those just screams "class.")
See Delightful Ejaculations.
February 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the word amish
I always associate shoofly pie with the Amish folks, but I remember having it in the South as well. See Free Association.
February 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
Either way, sionnach, that's wonderful...
February 5, 2008
skipvia commented on the list public-list-free-association
You can do anything you want to my lists, c_b!
February 5, 2008
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