A cavalier swashbuckler with a mullet. I can't decide which is more ridiculous, a mullet hairdo, or a mullet fish. Or both. 17th-century France will never be the same!
Metaphorically speaking? The place from which words are produced, right? (See discussion here, featuring my own apparently hyperactive word-loins, though a word-paternity test would prove otherwise. Maybe.)
I'm the villain who murdered those words' poor parents in cold blood and left them, orphans, in the street to die. Don't expect any mercy from me. I make orphans for pleasure, and ghosts for fun. Thoroughly despicable, I am. ;-)
I've been to Arcadia, Florida. Nothing to write home about, unless you're a great fan of desolation. ;-) One of my favorite video games is an RPG called Skies of Arcadia. I'm currently on my fourth run through it, and though the game's been out for years, it never gets old.
Of course, if the real Big Brother's going to rise, now would be the time to do it, while everyone's distracted. Good thing that's not happening. Uh... hmmmmm.
Yes, that's bizarrely specific choice from a large field of orphans... can't you hear all the others crying, with tears in their puppy-dog eyes, "Pwease adopt us, yarb! We need a mommy and a daddy and a dinner that isn't gruel or cardboard!!"
It's cool. I am that useless. Glad to have you back! The site may not be as fast-paced as others you're used to, but there's a lot of quality discussion here that's worth waiting for. :-)
Looking for a friend? Have you considered audiobooks? Modern audiobooks are excellent companions, especially during these cold winter months.
If you live in the southern hemisphere, the lightweight mi-vox can help you beat the January heat! Imagine, all your favorite surfers' biographies in one small package. You might think an enjoyable audiobook friendship is a thing of the future, but the future is today.
Audiobooks make lovely companions. Perhaps you've heard of Mr. Walter Chestershire of London? Walter has been best mates with his audiobook for nearly a year. He tells us that his experience has been enjoyable and relaxing. The two will be wed in a small ceremony in Essex this July. Now you too can discover lasting love, with an audiobook!
Sonia Marshall of Breckenridge reports that she sometimes spends the evening with three audiobooks at once! It's a sordid affair, to be sure, but an audiobook doesn't become jealous. Sonia says it's the best tryst she's ever had. Don't worry, Sonia, we won't tell. Except for just now. Sorry!
Audiobooks: The Best Friend You Never Had (Or Maybe More).
Gross! I've never heard of post-birth placenta use in any capacity, burial or otherwise. But eating it? Do those people know the function of the placenta? It's like eating, um, kidneys and a bladder, or something.
Fascinating, arcadia. How do you pronounce Dhaero's name? Is it "dairo"? Oh, and Ron Paul's had my vote since he announced his candidacy. You won't have to persuade me there... or my homeschooling family! ;-)
For what it's worth, I have a lot of respect for your "organic mother" approach. My mom employed a lot of the same ideas for me and my brothers, actually (though not the one this page is about). My brothers were born naturally at home, and we were all breast-fed and raised with limitations on media exposure, homeschooled and so on. I can totally relate to your approach, and someday if I'm lucky I'll find a like-minded person to settle down with, myself. ;-)
So it applies to all groups: a ton, a plethora, a multitude, a lot? If you say so, dude, if you say so. But my inner writer, the part of me concerned with sentence flow, doesn't want to agree.
Comparing one person's sensation to another's is a little too subjective to build a case on. I mean, you may be right... but just the same, I'm satisfied and don't feel like I'm falling short in any area. I guess it's one of those "I don't know what I'm missing" things, but from my point of view I'm not missing anything at all.
Regardless, arcadia, you've got me thinking. I don't have any kids yet, and I really can't think of a compelling reason to put them under the knife when I do. It's not something I've thought much about before. I always assumed I would have it done to them, I guess, because it was done to me... but now I probably won't. Not that I have any strong feelings about it either way, still, but why go out of my way to something I don't have a reason for? That's the epitome of uselessness. ;-)
I understand what you're saying! It's one of those procedures that is just traditional, and I don't know why it's done. Of course, that's never a good reason to do anything. I guess my thought process is that I, a circumcised male (it was done when I was an infant), am fully functional; I have no pain or lack of feeling "down there"; I have absolutely no memory of the operation or remorse that it was done; and I'm not crippled in any way. For those reasons, making a big deal out of it just seems silly to me, despite the seemingly horrific nature of the procedure when it occurs. To live a normal adult life, it is of absolutely no consequence whether or not a person has had it done.
Now the female version is another story altogether, and I can't approve of that in any manner.
Which is proper: "There are a bunch of kids in the theater" or "there is a bunch of kids in the theater"? Supposedly, the latter is more grammatically correct, but it just sounds wrong. What's a respectable pedant to do? I guess it all depends on what the definition of "is" is. ;-)
I'm personally glad that WeirdNet can still live on with its definition of choice provided first, and perhaps "better" ones available with a click. At this point I'd kind of hate for its quirkiness to go away!
I really shouldn't even comment here. I know I shouldn't, and yet I'm going to.
I can't speak for females. I can only speak for myself (a male, natch). In any case, I think the word mutilation is needlessly graphic and sensational. It conjures images of ground hamburger meat and unrecognizably butchered carcasses. On the contrary, the procedure is quick, safe, and probably painless (or at least, forgotten in one's adult years if it was done as an infant) and the final product is fully functional and arguably more sanitary than it would have otherwise been. My understanding is that the same cannot be said for the female version, so I'm not even going to go there. But someone had to stand in defense of the menfolk who aren't in the least bit angry that they have been "mutilated." It's not like we had our arms lopped off.
Give me ghosted words or give me death!! Also, if you see a Quiznos on the way over, could you give me a regular Traditional on white too? You're the best.
Sorry we wasn't up to snuffs with your superiorityness, Mr. or Mrs. Being, but I rather like Wordie's relaxitivitous pace (which is even too fast, yea verily!) when I'm trying to keep up whilst at the workywork. Do come back some times.
Just a wild guess, but I'm leaning toward "an uncommon misspelling of the name of a rare disease caused by the inhalation of microscopic silicone dust particles emitted by certain volcanoes." Am I close? ;-)
Hmmm, I'd rather you did knot. It's much more entertaining to just keep using the same terrible pun over and over again. Is it ever knot funny? I think knot.
Vowels and consonants make great couples. Sometimes two consonants can hook up and surprise everyone with a very successful relationship. But W and L? That marriage was doomed from the start. As I recall, they were impossibly drunk when the idea came to them one night, and the very next morning Elvis married them at a drive-thru chapel in Vegas. Also, their kids are ugly.
This ain't even a knot. It's just an excuse to insult hapless arthritic grandmothers. And people who confuse the left-rights of square knot tying. By equating them with hapless arthritic grandmothers.
You know, there should be an official Wordie gathering sometime. That would be pretty amazing. And we can all wear nametags with our Wordienyms, and are NEVER allowed to use our real names.
More commonly, short for "you have to overlook the crude and offensive remark I just made because I followed it with this code word, sucker." Often substituted by an emoticon: ;-)
My parents have a portion of my library at their home in South Carolina, and when I went back to visit for the holidays I was able to retrieve my Mark Twain collection. I love the guy! I need to pore through that stuff again. :-)
So this place is as good as any to say "Merry Christmas!" I'm taking off on vacation through the new year, during which time I may or may not have web access and probably won't be seen (much) around Wordie. May you have a wonderful festive week, and may it be all the more useful without me around. ;-)
I'm a Christian (though it could be said I'm not one of those Christians) and I will most definitely be celebrating Christmas this year. I think the whole "war" thing is pretty stupid, of course. My solution to the "what do I say to people?" issue is not to say anything at all, and I don't advocate that anyone else follow my example because, while practical, it's also very scroogish. A well-wishing of any kind is better than none at all, and I just suck at it this year.
Anyway, I do wonder if there's a growing trend of people intentionally NOT celebrating Christmas as an act of protest or whatever. Historically, the vast majority of people (in America, at least) celebrated Christmas regardless of their beliefs. It was a pretty secular holiday. It's still secular, but I think more and more non-Christians are starting to refuse participation. Possibly as a response to the attempts of evangelicals to "reclaim" the holiday. It's a shame; whatever your beliefs, there's something cool about taking one day out of the year -- ideally more than one, but we've gotta start somewhere -- to generously bless those around us and be blessed in turn. If my observation is correct, it's sad that people would willing pass up such an offer.
Good point. I intentionally added a lot of negative words because the list description seemed to imply it wanted them. I guess by "powerful" I was interpreting it as destructive power. It's not that I was having a "tough day" yesterday, and I hope you're not reading anything into my psyche by those choices. If you want me to add a bunch of positive words for karmic balance, it's not a problem. ;-)
I'm convinced the Hawaiian language only exists to confound non-natives. The islanders themselves probably speak regular English when we're not looking. With a Brooklyn accent.
I don't think it's meant to contain the names of actual people anyone wants (or doesn't want) to go out with. It's just for names that are words, or sound like words. Am I right? 'Cause if I'm not, yeah, it's creepy.
I am shamed to say it's the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word haiku these days. It's one of the best things I've ever read. I couldn't not plagiarize it!!
Isn't it literally "fear of thunder"? I seem to remember brontosaurus meaning "thunder lizard" because of the booming sound it probably made when it walked.
Oh never mind. I now see that there is another list to complement this one, and I got confused. My submissions are alive and well on the other list, which is just as well, because I would date those girls. ;-)
The capital I kind of stands out like a proud individual, even calling to mind a torso with (stubby) limbs. Of course, Wordie makes everything lowercase so the effect is slightly lost, though the dot makes a keen neckless head.
I added a few earlier, has someone deleted them? I don't particularly care, but there is something disorienting about adding words to a public list, only to have them disappear.
To clarify re: my suggestions... "blocking" somebody in that example does not mean you'd never see anything by that person, it only means their posts wouldn't show up in your notification page. It's only (hypothetically) offered as one tool among many in an attempt to streamline comment-following, because we're all getting bogged down lately.
Essentially, if the Recent Comments page is moving too fast, this would be a custom page you could use to bring the most relevant/interesting posts to your attention. You'd still be able to see the other stuff, or follow the Recent Comments page as usual. But if you're in a time crunch, such filters could be very helpful in getting caught up. If there are options you don't want to use, you don't have to, but ultimately the choices would be there if you wanted them. Hypothetically.
Oh wait, I've just been alternating 5s and 7s. I guess I thought we were just making haiku fragments. I wish there was a way to rearrange the lines so they actually work in the current order.
I'm not ignoring the post you made on my profile; I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with some good names but I'm not as clever as you might think... I'll post here if/when I come up with something usable. ;-)
I don't have an opinion on the word itself (it's unabashed meh) but I'm not really a fan of approaching language as a science. It is most certainly an art, and should stay that way. :-)
Yeah, the gomboc is a very particular shape: an ugly one. I don't like it. I will attempt to discredit it by saying that while there are some shapes of inherent mathematical significance, the gomboc is not one of them. Because the other shapes' properties are true in any context, practical or theoretical, while the gomboc requires the physical characteristics of Earth (namely, gravity), without which it is just another ugly block.
I hate nuts in my donuts. If the word had to be shortened, why cut out the good part? It should have been doughn. But it would probably annoy Misterpolly. ;-)
Oh gosh, I'm so not used to public lists. We should have a big red banner across the top of the page that says YOU CAN ADD WORDS HERE. Otherwise I'll totally not get the point.
I'd rather not have e-mail notification... I get enough mail as it is, and constant Wordie things would push it over the top. If we are to have any notifications, I would prefer for them to be here on-site, accessible via a nice little link at the top of every page that lights up when it contains something new. And it might be nice to customize what does or doesn't show up there. In other words, how about the following options (for example):
Subscribe to this list's comments
Subscribe to this word's comments
Subscribe to this tag's comments
Subscribe to this profile's comments
Subscribe to comments by this user
Subscribe to comments on this user's lists
Subscribe to comments on words with this tag
Never show me comments on this list
Never show me comments on this word
Never show me comments on this tag
Never show me comments on this profile
Never show me comments by this user
Never show me comments on this user's lists
Never show me comments on words with this tag
Of course there would need to be appropriate logic to handle category overlaps and the like. And a list of all my subscriptions/blacklists so that I can add or remove them on one convenient page. On second thought, that's probably a pretty serious feature to program. But it would rock.
Oh, also... I would love some sort of notification feature that says "reesetee has added you as a contributor to name of list" so I'm aware of new additions to my editable repertoire. Such a notification thingy would go well with private messaging, but we've had that conversation before... ;-)
What bilby and mollusque suggested. Also, I'd like to voice my disappointment that a listmaster (i.e., creator/owner of a list) can no longer be determined at a glance by the list URL. I always found it handy to look up at the location bar to find out who's responsible for the page I'm reading, particularly if there are multiple people involved in the discussion there. Under the new format, I have to scroll all the way back to the top of the page.
A fake bride or groom, intended to deceive his or her counterpart in the wedding (and the guests), resulting in a rather embarrassing case of oopsigamy.
Also, Ante Meridiem (the period between midnight and noon) and Amplitude Modulation (one of two standard techniques for transmitting information via radio waves).
They're renaming this one, because as it turns out, Albert Einstein wasn't nearly so amazingly smart. Starting in 2010 this element will be known as uselessnessium.
Nah, anyone who's ever played The Curse of Monkey Island knows that all you need to make syrup of ipecac is an ipecac flower and a bottle of maple syrup. The two combine splendidly.
I always thought this word should be pronounced "GAA luh" or maybe "GAH luh," but "GAY luh" sounded wrong to me. Then, WordNET cleared it up, and all is well again.
This thread is decidedly morbid. From now on, I've decided, it refers to the family of one Beaver. There, aren't we all happier for it? Now put that knife away.
Haha, reminds me of my boss at the company where I maintain the corporate web site...
Him: "Print out every page of the site, I'll write the changes I want on the printouts and give them to you, and then you can type what I wrote and upload the revisions."
Me: "How about if I just e-mail you the digital files and let you modify them in Word? Then you can e-mail them back to me."
Him: "But I want to use Sharpies and highlighters in lots of pretty colors!"
Me: "Word has bold text and lots of pretty colors."
Sheesh. Fine, I get the "50-word list genre" thing. That's cool. Just don't call it "forced closure." And, um, I think you have to put "in 50 words" in the list title. Rules is rules. :-P
Fair enough, kewpid. I don't know where you live, but my particular government tends to lean more towards slow, bureaucratic, and inept, and away from almighty. ;-)
Money that has no inherent value, only perceived value held by those who exchange it. When people realize that all of their wealth is represented by worthless pieces of paper, their confidence in the currency collapses, and so does the currency itself. The alternative is commodity-backed currency, the most common of which is known as the gold standard. Nobel laureate Milton Friedman was a vocal critic of fiat money, along with other notable economists like Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard.
A back-up vocalist in a hip-hop group. Usually this means working the crowd to keep the energy going, and freestyling about how ill the "star" is. In other words, the hype man is the annoying sidekick.
This is totally a man-who story, but a friend of mine told me about third nerds. Apparently at the Christian college she attended, the administration had some particularly strict rules regarding male-female fraternization. Whenever a couple went off-campus together, a mutual friend was required to accompany them and make sure everything stayed on the up-and-up. I'm guessing the use of third nerd to describe such a friend is purely colloquial, not an "official" college phrase.
My friend explained this to me with surprise that I had never heard the term before. Supposedly it's quite common to describe someone who awkwardly tags along during a date. But I have no firsthand knowledge of its use. Still, I like it. :-)
But I can't STAND the writing/editing culture of Wikipedia, and I avoid doing anything but reading the darn thing. Occasionally I'll anonymously correct a typo or punctuation error, but only because my pedantry cannot be tamed.
Do most logical people think in terms of those kinds of structured rules? I consider myself extremely logical but spelling it all out in a step-by-step tautology is a terrific bore. In my mind, either something makes sense or it doesn't; I don't need to run through a checklist of conditions to evaluate it. I had assumed I was normal in that regard...
If y'all haven't noticed, I've been away from Wordie for about a week (give or take). I'm sort of back now, maybe, but I'm sure I'll never get caught up on comments again. ;-) Anyway, glad I saw this discussion.
Yeah, I tagged this one. I don't even remember why. I guess I wasn't terribly impressed with it. It's nothing personal. All I know is that if I did it unabashedly, it must have seemed important to at the time. So the tag stays. :-P
In all fairness, it's much easier to pronounce in acronym form than all spelled out. Of course, I'd think a Z for zero would be preferable to the number 0 itself. THACZ. Still overly 1337-sounding, but not quite as offensive in my opinion.
The context isn't so much in reference to Huck Finn himself, but the ignorant redneck archetype as a whole. Mike Huckabee is the governor of Arkansas, and there are those who would think that's enough to disqualify him from the White House. (Arkansas is an enigma of its own, lots of jokes about it.) Of course, Bill Clinton was once governor of Arkansas too, so whatever. And then there are those who just thing Huckleberry is fun to say. :-)
Huckleberry Hound was an old cartoon, I think. I don't know so much about that one, personally, but I've heard people refer to Huckabee as such, too.
I just have to wonder what the parents' general attitude is. Are they saying "go on, son, be a wild man, deny yourself nothing, live it up... and then come crying back to us when you can't take it anymore"?
Or is it more like "doing this stuff is wicked and terrible, and we don't want you to, but we can't stop you... and sooner or later when you come around we'll be here for you"?
Haha! And that Rudy ferret radio interview was great! I seriously, seriously hope that man doesn't get anywhere. Incidentally, I have a new Election 2008 list...
Talk about a specific word. Is this like chained_bear's list, where there are a bunch of different words referring to the neutered varieties of different animals?
I can't stand when people nominate themselves for stuff, but my old Festival of Randomness list should probably be considered. It's the weirdest thing I've seen on the site, anyway.
Jeesh, that was nine frigging months ago, and I'm a different person now. Um, I also plead the fifth. If that doesn't work, I'm deeply sorry and hope from the bottom of my heart that you can find it within yourself to forgive me. Or at least give me some eye wash so I can purge the excremental photoresidue from my corneas.
Great link! My sophomore year in college I joined the debate circuit. Which was fun in its own right, but it also (for better or worse) empowered me to BS my way through anything. It's how I got through college, and I still do it to this day. I'm shameless. But I'd hate for a prof to call my bluff like this!
Agreed. I think we should have WOTY categories, because there are plenty of more "fun" words, but this is best described as newsworthy or tragedy or something.
The shade of black, presumably, that is the darkest. Do you mean that ebony refers to a lighter color? For me it conjures up thoughts of ebony and ivory, and the colors of black piano keys are probably as dark as they can get. Besides, wouldn't CMYI be easier to pronounce as a word? Maybe?
So John, did you remove the subject line field for comments? I guess that always was a bit extraneous, and a point of confusion for new users... but pages look so weird without it now! .;-)
Yes, I'm quite sure cougars are required to wear last year's business attire, and alternate between scotch and mimosa, depending on the day of the week.
In the future, merely reading about viruses will infect you with them through the Power Of The Internet. The United States government will lead the charge against Google for its contribution to "digital biological warfare." Mankind will be forced into illiteracy to prevent the spread of the epidemic. It has been prophesied.
Hey, I'm a designer and I resent that! ;-) I still think a better convention could have been used; after all, it is designers who say CMYK and RGB, and they know full well what cyan is. But using K for black isn't helpful at all.
It's an American thing, bilby. ;-) FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with responding to disasters and the like. My personal commentary (and apparently c_b's as well) is that they are woefully bureaucratic and inept, as seen in their miserable handling of the Hurricane Katrina debacle. FEMA builds little relief towns of mobile homes (trailers) for victims to live in, and it's these towns that my old roommate inappropriately referred to as FEMAtown. And I'm just as guilty for singing along. Gotta love humor centered around horrible tragedies.
Of course, it's not as funny when you have to explain the joke... ;-)
Do you have particular cities in mind? I don't think I could handle living in, say, NYC... but I do currently live in the downtown area of a considerably smaller (but still populated) city and it's pretty great. :-)
Okay, I was just using the "search comments" feature and I discovered that on the results page, the search form at the top does not work -- it searches for a null string, rather than the value I type. So if I want to perform a second search, I have to go back to the main search page.
I do find it sad, though, that these days the word liberty is seldom heard apart from the word statue. Once upon a time it was a pretty earth-shaking concept, and in the 21st century it has become known mainly as a tourist attraction.
Seems I kicked off a discussion and then disappeared before it really got going! My original suggestion, of course, opts for a human-controlled mechanism over an automated one, so I don't think mollusque's concern applies. And the issue about accidentally deleting "legitimate" or intentional misspellings is, I think, moot... because if it's an uncommented ghost, frankly, no one will miss it.
I'm a natural packrat, John, so I understand your aversion to deleting anything from the database. But isn't it safe to say that the benefits outweigh the costs of allowing us to manually clean up uncommented ghosts? It'll make the word count a more accurate figure, it'll stop auto-suggest from feeding typos to unsuspecting searchers, and I guarantee no one will be offended that "their" word got deleted. Think about it. ;-)
I like legitimate ghosts. I think of them as little nuggets of surprise that will turn up far in the future, when somebody either discovers them via the random word feature, or else adds something s/he thought was new, yet already bears comments.
Dead typos just floating around out there, on the other hand, are stupid. I figure if a ghost doesn't have any comments on it, that's a good gauge of keepability. No comments means no one cares. If you find it and you do care, leave a comment. ;-)
So, how about a way for us to clean up the database a little? I'm thinking a "delete this word" button that only appears on ghosts that don't have any comments. There are a lot of these floating around on the site, and we ought to be able to do our part to weed them out. :-)
Haha! I actually got the opportunity to use madeupical in a business meeting yesterday... unfortunately my coworkers didn't exactly get the reference. :-P
FEMAtown. Much less funky than Funkytown. Coined by my old college roommate while driving past the impromptu villages of FEMA mobile homes erected in the wake of Hurricane Charley. He would always burst into inappropriate song at the sight of the refugees... and I would join him.
It's one of my favorite books ever. I don't know why I've been referencing it lately; must be my subconscious telling me it's time to read it again (it's been a couple years)...
I have never grieved my ghosts. Actually I'm pretty sure I was the first person on the to create ghosts regularly, on purpose. It's something like a trademark. :-P
Everything you just said is duly noted in my book, jennarenn. Even the thing about my list that I don't really like, because, well, you have a good point. :-P
Yes, I saw that after I posted here. I've been slowly trying to catch up after the weekend. I swear, people here are commenting faster and I'm reading slower. And now the comments page is back to showing 100 at a time (but with pagination) so I've been making my way through it, page by page. I'm finally back on the first page at last, but now I'm exhausted. I'll never survive at this rate. Can we close for weekends? ;-)
I recently discovered Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder. I was fully prepared for disgust, but actually it's quite mentholly. Makes your feet all cold and tingly, and nice-smelling. I can't wait to cover my feet in it again tonight.
Aye, the Identify the Wordie game invited each user to submit one self-describing word, and then we all had to guess who had picked each one. Not as easy as it sounds. :-)
I was just learning about this a couple days ago, particularly in reference to the Mersenne Twister. I still don't understand it, but I think it's cool (in the dorkiest possible way, of course).
For the record, my comment wasn't meant to be condescending; I'm sure there are plenty of people who in all sincerity just aren't acclimated with the concept of tags. It's a very Web 2.0 thing, and a tutorial would be nice for those who haven't used them before. I was assuming that peregrina thought they had a different purpose, like attributing other pages as reference or something.
This is such a colorful word. I always imagined it was coined by someone who realized that these people are not dullards; often they're intelligent, interesting people and with a little coaxing they really blossom. Of course, I just tell myself that because the wallflower is usually me. ;-)
I'm not really a phone phreak kind of guy, personally, but usually because I hate the additional charges associated with doing anything beyond talk. Any idea what kind of fees I might incur if I tried managing lists via SMS?
Yes. It annoys me to no end. Admittedly, there are times when we need a good neuter singular pronoun, but that's not it. I guess I'm rather politically incorrect these days, but I think using he is a good old standard that people understood. It's not really worth getting upset about, in my opinion, but then again I'm a man. ;-)
I think part of the problem is also the increasing frequency of addressing collective units in the plural. When Microsoft does something, for example, it does it as one entity, not as "them" or "they."
Great point. With the internet I can find an immediate answer to nearly every question I have. When I can't, I become surprised and frustrated by the internet's "failure" to deliver. That's probably a lot different from the past, when people spent long hours in pursuit of information, and likely often resigned themselves to never knowing certain things. But ignorance is bliss, right? Information overload is a problem in its own right.
It is curious. I think seek refers to searching outwardly for something, while search refers to a more introspective examination, or looking within something. If you're in need of a needle, you will seek one out. Unless you're positive there's one contained somewhere within this haystack, in which case you'll search the haystack for it. Your finding process is now heavily focused on one space, rather than open-ended.
So, originally in computers the term "search" correctly referred to finding a given string of text within a single file. Actually the needle/haystack analogy has been used for years in reference to that kind of search. Later, the database allowed similar functionality, only instead of searching within one file, you searched within a larger array of associated data. And of course, the modern search engine is little more than a really massive database, so it's easy to see why we still say "search."
Because technically speaking, we're searching for something within Google's database, rather than a less-focused seeking of the same. Hey, it's been too long since I wrote a madeupical etymology, that felt good!
Wordie? Never heard of it. Isn't that the thing "jennarenn" was shilling? Nah, I just opened my thesaurus and picked the most impressive words I could find. ;-)
It's hilarious! It has some scenes of over-the-top violence, ridiculous to the point of just adding to the humor, but if you're squeamish you might want to avoid it. Otherwise, it's highly recommended. ;-)
If I recall correctly, one of the characters in the movie Hot Fuzz only has one word in his vocabulary: yarb, pronounced the way I described. Maybe that's where I get the image. He wasn't a pirate, though.
I've never heard of this "jennarenn" before, she seems to be a spammer. I checked out that site and it's just a bunch of words -- don't waste your time on it. I think we should ban her IP.
Of course, someone has to nominate Conversations because of its dashing thoroughness, so it might as well be me. :-) I'll also nominate the old classic, It Has a Name?? Thanks, jennarenn, of course, for nominating my list but I hate that one and will have to cancel out your yea with my nay. ;-)
Oh I hate when that happens, blasted comment overflow. Truth be told, that's why I've been so quiet this week, I've been slowly trying to catch up ever since Monday!!
I can see I'm outnumbered, and I'll step down gracefully(?). *mutters something about democracy sucking* But mollusque's trick is duly noted, and I should mention that if right-clicking "normal" links and choosing "open link in new tab" is too much trouble, you can middle-click links to get a new tab instead. It takes exactly as much time as a regular left-click. If you don't have a middle button, your scroll wheel should work (it clicks, too).
I know you didn't want me to chime in again, but I'm gonna. ;-) chained_bear mentions the ability to right-click a link to open in a new tab... but there is no ability to right-click a link and open it in *this* tab. In other words, if the link is hard-coded to do that, there's no way to force it not to, while the opposite is possible. Food for thought, anyway.
That's what I meant too, kewpid, and I'm pretty sure that's what dahnielson had in mind as well. I remember building my own finicky CMSs with PHP and duct tape back in the day. It's so good to be living in the future, at last. ;-)
Never heard of that site, but I'll have to check it out. Sounds handy. I also never use the links on Wordie, for two reasons. First, they open in a new tab/window, which annoys me; and second, I already have dictionary and thesaurus bookmarklets that I use all over the internet, and I use them here too out of habit.
I wish I knew Japanese. Every time someone mentions things like this I get the idea that it's a delightful language, seemingly designed with wordplay in mind. I love the nuances, the layers of meaning. Even in silly cartoons. ;-)
Hmm, I have yet to contribute to this discussion. So I will now.
My first reaction was "heavens no, the s-word will just end up winning!" And then I realized that this is our noble chance to circumvent popular opinion and knock it off its pedestal. I'm in.
I agree that two categories (real and madeupical) would be great. Actually I think I might vote for madeupical itself... Where do we vote and who's the officiator?
When you're born, and, you know, you've been all up in that belly for like months and DANG SON, you're hongry. Like eat a horse hongry. You don't want no milk, you want a friggin' T-bone steak and some corndogs. And maybe a towel to wipe off all o'that womb juice after yeet.
I pray no corndog virgins actually exist in the world, and plan to feed my newborn child corndogs as the only sane (and ethical) response to postnatal hunger.
Champ (can I call you champ?) that's probably the only thing I ever really found funny in that show. And I really wished they made a real Bamboozled game show. :-)
Aww darn, I just shaved my mustache (and beard) and cut my hair super-short last month. I alternate between hairy gross and squeaky clean, and November is my month for the latter. Oh well.
Comments by uselessness
Show previous 200 comments...
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
Out of curiosity, yarb, where do you find the words for this list?
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word liger
"It's pretty much my favorite animal. It's like a lion and a tiger mixed... bred for its skills in magic."
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word lidar
Acronym for "LIght Detection And Ranging." Whenever I see this word I can't help but think about Napoleon Dynamite's liger.
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word mulleteer
A cavalier swashbuckler with a mullet. I can't decide which is more ridiculous, a mullet hairdo, or a mullet fish. Or both. 17th-century France will never be the same!
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word muleteer
I first read that as mulleteer.
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
Well, it wasn't that funny. ;-)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word word-loins
Metaphorically speaking? The place from which words are produced, right? (See discussion here, featuring my own apparently hyperactive word-loins, though a word-paternity test would prove otherwise. Maybe.)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word eckyeckyeckyeckypikongzoopboinggoodemzuowlyzhiv
Great site! Except for the RealAudio thing. What is this, 1996? ;-)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
On occasion, but don't tell my wife I call her that! *rimshot*
(Actually I'm not married, but the joke was too good not to say, amirite?)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word eckyeckyeckyeckypikongzoopboinggoodemzuowlyzhiv
So that's how you spell it! I love the little inaudible trailing off at the end...
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
I'm the villain who murdered those words' poor parents in cold blood and left them, orphans, in the street to die. Don't expect any mercy from me. I make orphans for pleasure, and ghosts for fun. Thoroughly despicable, I am. ;-)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the word citjo
What do we call a non-professional journalist who isn't a citizen? An aliejo? An illejo? Or maybe an immijo? ;-)
January 18, 2008
uselessness commented on the list metaphorical-places
I've been to Arcadia, Florida. Nothing to write home about, unless you're a great fan of desolation. ;-) One of my favorite video games is an RPG called Skies of Arcadia. I'm currently on my fourth run through it, and though the game's been out for years, it never gets old.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word whatever floats your boat
Hey, I like it, but whatever burns your toast.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word big brother
Of course, if the real Big Brother's going to rise, now would be the time to do it, while everyone's distracted. Good thing that's not happening. Uh... hmmmmm.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word discipless
That sounds fittingly Motown. :-P
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
Yes, that's bizarrely specific choice from a large field of orphans... can't you hear all the others crying, with tears in their puppy-dog eyes, "Pwease adopt us, yarb! We need a mommy and a daddy and a dinner that isn't gruel or cardboard!!"
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the user zoom
Do you drive a Mazda? ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the user mi-vox
mi-vox, you have a profound effect on my emotions. Well done, sir.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
Ummmm... vo-tEch? ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
It's cool. I am that useless. Glad to have you back! The site may not be as fast-paced as others you're used to, but there's a lot of quality discussion here that's worth waiting for. :-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is man enough
Bill Clinton is the man! Did I use an exclamation point? That should have been a question mark.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gavage
The future of food. Don't put the stuff in your mouth, unless you like the flavor of Tasty Wheat...
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word discipless
A female disciple.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gormless
The first post on this page is the funniest thing I think I've ever read on Wordie. Also, I used to work with a guy named Hap...
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the user mi-vox
Looking for a friend? Have you considered audiobooks? Modern audiobooks are excellent companions, especially during these cold winter months.
If you live in the southern hemisphere, the lightweight mi-vox can help you beat the January heat! Imagine, all your favorite surfers' biographies in one small package. You might think an enjoyable audiobook friendship is a thing of the future, but the future is today.
Audiobooks make lovely companions. Perhaps you've heard of Mr. Walter Chestershire of London? Walter has been best mates with his audiobook for nearly a year. He tells us that his experience has been enjoyable and relaxing. The two will be wed in a small ceremony in Essex this July. Now you too can discover lasting love, with an audiobook!
Sonia Marshall of Breckenridge reports that she sometimes spends the evening with three audiobooks at once! It's a sordid affair, to be sure, but an audiobook doesn't become jealous. Sonia says it's the best tryst she's ever had. Don't worry, Sonia, we won't tell. Except for just now. Sorry!
Audiobooks: The Best Friend You Never Had (Or Maybe More).
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the list p-is-for
*googles*
*comes back 30 seconds later*
Oh. My. Gosh. Placenta PIZZA? I think I've heard quite enough.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word placentophagy
The devouring of a placenta after childbirth. Discussed here. It really grosses me out!
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the list p-is-for
Gross! I've never heard of post-birth placenta use in any capacity, burial or otherwise. But eating it? Do those people know the function of the placenta? It's like eating, um, kidneys and a bladder, or something.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is man enough
Ell oh ell.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word fing
What fingers do.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word fingers
The parts of the body that fing, obviously.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word uncircumcised
Fascinating, arcadia. How do you pronounce Dhaero's name? Is it "dairo"? Oh, and Ron Paul's had my vote since he announced his candidacy. You won't have to persuade me there... or my homeschooling family! ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word uncircumcised
For what it's worth, I have a lot of respect for your "organic mother" approach. My mom employed a lot of the same ideas for me and my brothers, actually (though not the one this page is about). My brothers were born naturally at home, and we were all breast-fed and raised with limitations on media exposure, homeschooled and so on. I can totally relate to your approach, and someday if I'm lucky I'll find a like-minded person to settle down with, myself. ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is
I guess I fail at Wordieing...
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is
So it applies to all groups: a ton, a plethora, a multitude, a lot? If you say so, dude, if you say so. But my inner writer, the part of me concerned with sentence flow, doesn't want to agree.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word uncircumcised
Comparing one person's sensation to another's is a little too subjective to build a case on. I mean, you may be right... but just the same, I'm satisfied and don't feel like I'm falling short in any area. I guess it's one of those "I don't know what I'm missing" things, but from my point of view I'm not missing anything at all.
Regardless, arcadia, you've got me thinking. I don't have any kids yet, and I really can't think of a compelling reason to put them under the knife when I do. It's not something I've thought much about before. I always assumed I would have it done to them, I guess, because it was done to me... but now I probably won't. Not that I have any strong feelings about it either way, still, but why go out of my way to something I don't have a reason for? That's the epitome of uselessness. ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is
Go ahead and answer, if you're man enough. ;-)
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word uncircumcised
I understand what you're saying! It's one of those procedures that is just traditional, and I don't know why it's done. Of course, that's never a good reason to do anything. I guess my thought process is that I, a circumcised male (it was done when I was an infant), am fully functional; I have no pain or lack of feeling "down there"; I have absolutely no memory of the operation or remorse that it was done; and I'm not crippled in any way. For those reasons, making a big deal out of it just seems silly to me, despite the seemingly horrific nature of the procedure when it occurs. To live a normal adult life, it is of absolutely no consequence whether or not a person has had it done.
Now the female version is another story altogether, and I can't approve of that in any manner.
January 17, 2008
uselessness commented on the word is
Which is proper: "There are a bunch of kids in the theater" or "there is a bunch of kids in the theater"? Supposedly, the latter is more grammatically correct, but it just sounds wrong. What's a respectable pedant to do? I guess it all depends on what the definition of "is" is. ;-)
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word numchucks
That, of course, depends entirely on how hard you hit someone with them, or inversely, how many years they spent in the convent.
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.
Ditto that. We must have fallen out of favor with our favorites lists...
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word global parfait
Does it have layers?
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word features
I'm personally glad that WeirdNet can still live on with its definition of choice provided first, and perhaps "better" ones available with a click. At this point I'd kind of hate for its quirkiness to go away!
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word diarrhy
Or perhaps of a person with rambling, narcissistic, nonsensical tirades?
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word cahoots
I just noticed that myself. Nice job, John! As for your question, I think I'm going to have to start saying "in a cahoot" from now on... :-P
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word awkward
It's tragic that I consider myself to be a designer, really. Without software I am nothing.
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word comma
The spirit of the law is greater than the letter of the law, I say. Then again, I'm a kooky libertarian. ;-)
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word hiv
That's a particularly rank form of spam, ain't it?
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word longbow
Are these tears of laughter? Let us pretend that they are. ;-)
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word mediæval
Also a typography nerd: *raises hand*
It's definitely one of the better kinds of nerds to be. ;-)
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the user bilby
That's a beautiful name! Is it related to an existing word, or totally new altogether?
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word drawkward
My scribbly, unskilled sketches.
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the word subinfiniplastifulisticism
The belief that synthetic materials can be helpful in moderation.
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the list pretty-words-for-when-things-get-ugly
Aye, it would be nice if more good news was reported, wouldn't it?
January 16, 2008
uselessness commented on the list pretty-words-for-when-things-get-ugly
I've always been a fan of chaos and entropy. Also, ruination? Apocalypse? Scourge?
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the user bilby
o hai jhon
im teh uselessness kitteh
a loyal transkripshunist (just ask him)
i think ur just RACIST
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word chassis
I'm totally using that definition from now on!
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word uncircumcised
I really shouldn't even comment here. I know I shouldn't, and yet I'm going to.
I can't speak for females. I can only speak for myself (a male, natch). In any case, I think the word mutilation is needlessly graphic and sensational. It conjures images of ground hamburger meat and unrecognizably butchered carcasses. On the contrary, the procedure is quick, safe, and probably painless (or at least, forgotten in one's adult years if it was done as an infant) and the final product is fully functional and arguably more sanitary than it would have otherwise been. My understanding is that the same cannot be said for the female version, so I'm not even going to go there. But someone had to stand in defense of the menfolk who aren't in the least bit angry that they have been "mutilated." It's not like we had our arms lopped off.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word debbie and warren
I want my money back!
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list former-ghosts
Yes, if he runs as a third-party candidate, let us hope it will be as a verb. :-P
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the user bilby
Ouch. And I thought my rapid flashlight clicking on-and-off at one end of a fiber optic cable was awkward...
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word omnidextrous
Skilled in the use of not only one's own right and left hands, but other people's as well.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word lexisharpshooter
'Cause lexisharpshooter is a long word? Duh! ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list former-ghosts
Give me ghosted words or give me death!! Also, if you see a Quiznos on the way over, could you give me a regular Traditional on white too? You're the best.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
And I've been functionally gone for like two weeks! Nice to know my reputation wasn't tarnished during my absence... ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the user thesuperiorbeing
Sorry we wasn't up to snuffs with your superiorityness, Mr. or Mrs. Being, but I rather like Wordie's relaxitivitous pace (which is even too fast, yea verily!) when I'm trying to keep up whilst at the workywork. Do come back some times.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word pynchon
It's entitled to its opinion... I guess.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word lexisharpshooter
Just a wild guess, but I'm leaning toward "an uncommon misspelling of the name of a rare disease caused by the inhalation of microscopic silicone dust particles emitted by certain volcanoes." Am I close? ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list former-ghosts
Has the thought ever occurred to you that maybe these words liked their independence?!? ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
Then I shall have to become more stealthy. A lexisharpshooter, if you will, making my mark in only the silentest of manners.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list adoption-agency
This list makes me sad. Do you mean to end my ghosting rampage?
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word apodyopsis
I was just asking... :-P
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list knots
Knot again!!
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word wordienym
Yes, yes, of course that's what yarb meant. "Wordie pseudonym?" Oh come on.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word sheeps and tides
I'm so confused.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list knots
Hmmm, I'd rather you did knot. It's much more entertaining to just keep using the same terrible pun over and over again. Is it ever knot funny? I think knot.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word granny knot
There's a reason I didn't get very far in Boy Scouts! Some people are rope-tying naturals, and others are knot.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list first-list-3
On second thought, I want to wear a nametag that says "reesetee" and really confuse people. Particularly, you know, reesetee.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list first-list-3
Or we could make up all new names just for the gathering, and never speak of them again once it's over. Mass confusion!!
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word abecedarian
Vowels and consonants make great couples. Sometimes two consonants can hook up and surprise everyone with a very successful relationship. But W and L? That marriage was doomed from the start. As I recall, they were impossibly drunk when the idea came to them one night, and the very next morning Elvis married them at a drive-thru chapel in Vegas. Also, their kids are ugly.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word granny knot
This ain't even a knot. It's just an excuse to insult hapless arthritic grandmothers. And people who confuse the left-rights of square knot tying. By equating them with hapless arthritic grandmothers.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list first-list-3
You know, there should be an official Wordie gathering sometime. That would be pretty amazing. And we can all wear nametags with our Wordienyms, and are NEVER allowed to use our real names.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word jk
More commonly, short for "you have to overlook the crude and offensive remark I just made because I followed it with this code word, sucker." Often substituted by an emoticon: ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word ambipresent
Verb.
1. To be.
2. Not to be.
Adj.
1. Existing or otherwise.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word to be or not to be
Also the definition of ambipresent.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the list knots
This list is just begging for some terrible puns. But I'm knot going to be the one to make them.
Oh wait... crap.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gossypiboma
Maybe that's why I'm always thirsty!
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word apodyopsis
With telekinesis? That would be cool.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word abecedarian
You take that back! I am most definitely not wlatsome! Ignominious, maybe, but not wlatsome.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word osprey
Ford Prefect must have written that definition.
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word bowery
This is my favorite WeirdNet definition ever. Academic and impartial as always. ;-)
January 15, 2008
uselessness commented on the word wordie
Are you talking about Shandi? I'm in love with that girl. ;-)
January 8, 2008
uselessness commented on the word pork 'n' beans
My eyes! My eyes!!
January 7, 2008
uselessness commented on the list firmament-clogging-rotteness
My parents have a portion of my library at their home in South Carolina, and when I went back to visit for the holidays I was able to retrieve my Mark Twain collection. I love the guy! I need to pore through that stuff again. :-)
January 5, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gift horse
Who says that? These people?
January 5, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gift horse
Eewww, then I'll be sure to avoid looking it anywhere.
January 5, 2008
uselessness commented on the word gift horse
Why not? Does it bite?
January 5, 2008
uselessness commented on the word copremesis
Don't you hate it when that happens?
January 4, 2008
uselessness commented on the word beray
Sounds like fun.
January 4, 2008
uselessness commented on the word module
Is it a uranium pew-36 explosive space modulator?
January 4, 2008
uselessness commented on the word module
As an object-oriented programmer, few things excite me the way modular interface design excites me. ;-)
January 4, 2008
uselessness commented on the list stuffie-vibrate-mode
*smirk*
January 3, 2008
uselessness commented on the list of-or-pertaining-to-a-wife-or-wives
Yes, polygyny is the word you're looking for.
January 3, 2008
uselessness commented on the list excuse-my-french
Love it!
January 3, 2008
uselessness commented on the user uselessness
After eleven years of using this pseudonym around the internet, the first article about me has finally been written.
January 2, 2008
uselessness commented on the word merry christmas
So this place is as good as any to say "Merry Christmas!" I'm taking off on vacation through the new year, during which time I may or may not have web access and probably won't be seen (much) around Wordie. May you have a wonderful festive week, and may it be all the more useful without me around. ;-)
December 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list place-names-that-are-fun-to-say
Wow, this list is really old! But in the unlikely event it's still being maintained, I have to suggest Ypsilanti. :-)
December 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list filthy-stinking-rich
Hmm, okay, I'll take it. :-)
December 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word incandescent bulb
Your ticket to the big house in 2014.
December 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word scroogish
Like Ebenezer Scrooge. Alternately, like uselessness. Bah! Humbug.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list public-list-haiku-together
It appears tomorrow (December 22) is National Haiku Poetry Day. Do with that information as you will. ;-)
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mce mce mce
Hahahaha!!
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word merry christmas
I'm a Christian (though it could be said I'm not one of those Christians) and I will most definitely be celebrating Christmas this year. I think the whole "war" thing is pretty stupid, of course. My solution to the "what do I say to people?" issue is not to say anything at all, and I don't advocate that anyone else follow my example because, while practical, it's also very scroogish. A well-wishing of any kind is better than none at all, and I just suck at it this year.
Anyway, I do wonder if there's a growing trend of people intentionally NOT celebrating Christmas as an act of protest or whatever. Historically, the vast majority of people (in America, at least) celebrated Christmas regardless of their beliefs. It was a pretty secular holiday. It's still secular, but I think more and more non-Christians are starting to refuse participation. Possibly as a response to the attempts of evangelicals to "reclaim" the holiday. It's a shame; whatever your beliefs, there's something cool about taking one day out of the year -- ideally more than one, but we've gotta start somewhere -- to generously bless those around us and be blessed in turn. If my observation is correct, it's sad that people would willing pass up such an offer.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list gourds-melons
c_b, did you just link to sprite? How subtle of you.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word the truth is out there
Just beyond the fence, playing in the snow.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list public-list-two-by-fives
As do I, reesetee, as do I. ;-)
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word orphling
Wow, coffee and a legitimate citation! You really went the extra mile! May this word be unappreciated no longer.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word posthole digger
I got mah Ph.D. right heeeere!!
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word uselessness's ghosts
Great word! Listed!!
Oops. Guess I kinda ruined the moment there. Don'tcha hate that?
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word et al
When I walk backwards, I just end up ssensselesu.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word orphling
For less than the price of a cup of coffee, you can help feed this poor ghosted orphling.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list public-list-two-by-fives
Good point. I intentionally added a lot of negative words because the list description seemed to imply it wanted them. I guess by "powerful" I was interpreting it as destructive power. It's not that I was having a "tough day" yesterday, and I hope you're not reading anything into my psyche by those choices. If you want me to add a bunch of positive words for karmic balance, it's not a problem. ;-)
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word brontophobia
Now there's an image. When dinosaurs roamed leaped around the earth... "Incoming!!"
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word telekinesis
Telekinesis is slower than teleportation. And more painful, if you're being transported from ship to planet. Much, much more painful.
December 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word akohekohe
You hear that name? The Hawaiians are laughing at us!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word oahu alauahio
I'm convinced the Hawaiian language only exists to confound non-natives. The islanders themselves probably speak regular English when we're not looking. With a Brooklyn accent.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word akikiki
The name of this bird overwhelms me with the desire to punt one.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list girls-i-wouldn-t-go-out-with
I don't think it's meant to contain the names of actual people anyone wants (or doesn't want) to go out with. It's just for names that are words, or sound like words. Am I right? 'Cause if I'm not, yeah, it's creepy.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list boys-i-wouldn-t-go-out-with
I love that four out of five of the contributors on this list are male. And presumably straight.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word satan
A common name in some parts of the world, pronounced "suh TAHN." And, uh, the devil.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word his steveness
But then I'll lose my commission.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list public-list-haiku-together
I am shamed to say it's the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word haiku these days. It's one of the best things I've ever read. I couldn't not plagiarize it!!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word coffin dodger
I love it!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bookcrossing
See also: litter. ;-)
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wikipedia
Surely that problem can be remedied. Doesn't anyone around here contribute to that site?
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word brontophobia
Isn't it literally "fear of thunder"? I seem to remember brontosaurus meaning "thunder lizard" because of the booming sound it probably made when it walked.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word coolabah
Heaven forbid it'd be ghosted. ;-)
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word snurge
Finally, my hobby has a name!!
...uh, I mean reesetee's hobby. Yeah.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list girls-i-would-go-out-with
John! BURN!!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list girls-i-wouldn-t-go-out-with
Oh never mind. I now see that there is another list to complement this one, and I got confused. My submissions are alive and well on the other list, which is just as well, because I would date those girls. ;-)
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word b1n
Are you kidding? Over at Flickr I can get at least two È´s for that!!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word b1n
How much can I get for this old Я?
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list the-visual-matches-the-meaning
The capital I kind of stands out like a proud individual, even calling to mind a torso with (stubby) limbs. Of course, Wordie makes everything lowercase so the effect is slightly lost, though the dot makes a keen neckless head.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list girls-i-wouldn-t-go-out-with
Yeesh, I was being totally hypothetical! Now you make me feel all stalkerish and stuff. At least I'm not an axe-murderer... *eyes bilby suspiciously*
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word b1n
Finally! A place for all that <r@p!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list take-me-to-your-whosit
Take me to your kahuna.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word titanic
JACK: I'll hold on forever, Rose!
    (JACK lets go)
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list girls-i-wouldn-t-go-out-with
I added a few earlier, has someone deleted them? I don't particularly care, but there is something disorienting about adding words to a public list, only to have them disappear.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
To clarify re: my suggestions... "blocking" somebody in that example does not mean you'd never see anything by that person, it only means their posts wouldn't show up in your notification page. It's only (hypothetically) offered as one tool among many in an attempt to streamline comment-following, because we're all getting bogged down lately.
Essentially, if the Recent Comments page is moving too fast, this would be a custom page you could use to bring the most relevant/interesting posts to your attention. You'd still be able to see the other stuff, or follow the Recent Comments page as usual. But if you're in a time crunch, such filters could be very helpful in getting caught up. If there are options you don't want to use, you don't have to, but ultimately the choices would be there if you wanted them. Hypothetically.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list winners-don-t-use-drugs
Haha! Okay, you've convinced me. But it seems that the correct (or at least more common) spelling is Enterovioform.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list winners-don-t-use-drugs
Okay, now you're making stuff up. You've gotta be.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list winners-don-t-use-drugs
Okay, I changed it to one X. With either spelling the word still suXXorz though. ;-) Also added abilify, which is just plain strange.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word his steveness
Cha-ching!
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word his steveness
The Honorable Steve Jobs.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the word jobsworth
I'm rather surprised this has nothing to do with His Steveness.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list the-visual-matches-the-meaning
Hmm, how about word? ;-)
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list public-list-haiku-together
Oh wait, I've just been alternating 5s and 7s. I guess I thought we were just making haiku fragments. I wish there was a way to rearrange the lines so they actually work in the current order.
December 20, 2007
uselessness commented on the list people-i-have-done-it-with
Oops, don't forget to close your tag (with a slash) or everything after it will be in italics, too!
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the user arcadia
I'm not ignoring the post you made on my profile; I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with some good names but I'm not as clever as you might think... I'll post here if/when I come up with something usable. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list people-i-have-done-it-with
That is, <i>fudge</i> -- it's okay John, we know you try. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list winners-don-t-use-drugs
Never heard of that one before. I already hate it. Perfect for this list, though. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word aeroplane blonde
I wish I hadn't read that.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tjalk
Works for me. :-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list picture-this-on-your-marquee
I love these! Are they real or madeupical?
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list people-i-have-done-it-with
Wow, that's terrible. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sinecure
I get paid to make ghosts on Wordie. It requires a great deal of care.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list quiz-time-4
David Blaine is the poor man's Derren Brown.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list winners-don-t-use-drugs
Thanks, I added them all! :-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lexome
I don't have an opinion on the word itself (it's unabashed meh) but I'm not really a fan of approaching language as a science. It is most certainly an art, and should stay that way. :-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bitch
Isn't "riding bitch" a verb? Like, "I had to ride bitch in Jack's Miata"?
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gomboc
Yeah, the gomboc is a very particular shape: an ugly one. I don't like it. I will attempt to discredit it by saying that while there are some shapes of inherent mathematical significance, the gomboc is not one of them. Because the other shapes' properties are true in any context, practical or theoretical, while the gomboc requires the physical characteristics of Earth (namely, gravity), without which it is just another ugly block.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordkeeper
Are you the keymaster?
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word panchreston
See also: Occam's razor. And, uh, my profile.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word freedom good
Freedom good.
Slavery bad.
Hulk angry.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bitch
I like WeirdNet's definition of it, too.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word vitiligo
A disease that turns black people into white people. See this article.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word donut
I hate nuts in my donuts. If the word had to be shortened, why cut out the good part? It should have been doughn. But it would probably annoy Misterpolly. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list what-the-cat-said
Oh gosh, I'm so not used to public lists. We should have a big red banner across the top of the page that says YOU CAN ADD WORDS HERE. Otherwise I'll totally not get the point.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word smutty-breast
Worst. Bird name. Ever.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word free gift
Wow. That's craziful.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list master-of-your-domain
Wait, I get it! The -dom suffix is short for domain! Why did I never realize that before? Oh, sorry for the outburst, carry on...
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word unique
"...now stay in your seat and finish your dinner. The grownups are trying to talk."
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tjalk
Pronounced like chalk, I wonder?
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ghostmaster
My title, according to reesetee on listmaster.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word listmaster
Ghostmaster, eh? I dig.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ergo
Wouldn't bother me a mite. This word is chock full of hot airgo.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list what-the-cat-said
Great list idea! What about the standard meow? I'm assuming it's standard where you're at, but then again I'm just an uncultured American. ;-)
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the list josswords
This list is shiny!
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word annus horribilis
¿It's not Alejandro? Clearly, you were dealing with Gringo Spanish.
December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
I'd rather not have e-mail notification... I get enough mail as it is, and constant Wordie things would push it over the top. If we are to have any notifications, I would prefer for them to be here on-site, accessible via a nice little link at the top of every page that lights up when it contains something new. And it might be nice to customize what does or doesn't show up there. In other words, how about the following options (for example):
- Subscribe to this list's comments
- Subscribe to this word's comments
- Subscribe to this tag's comments
- Subscribe to this profile's comments
- Subscribe to comments by this user
- Subscribe to comments on this user's lists
- Subscribe to comments on words with this tag
- Never show me comments on this list
- Never show me comments on this word
- Never show me comments on this tag
- Never show me comments on this profile
- Never show me comments by this user
- Never show me comments on this user's lists
- Never show me comments on words with this tag
Of course there would need to be appropriate logic to handle category overlaps and the like. And a list of all my subscriptions/blacklists so that I can add or remove them on one convenient page. On second thought, that's probably a pretty serious feature to program. But it would rock.December 19, 2007
uselessness commented on the word the cheat
Oh, but you should.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word listmaster
I think they make a Listerine for that.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bugs
Hmmm... when I try to see someone's tags, I am instead taken to my first list. Odd.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word listkeeper
A gender-neutral listmaster. With no less mastery, of course.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word listmaster
Or listkeeper?
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word the cheat
Meh!
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word oopsigamy
I thought I was marrying Elaine Marley and instead I got...
KHAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word polar bear
See uncanny valley. The more realistic they get, the freakier they become.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
Oh, also... I would love some sort of notification feature that says "reesetee has added you as a contributor to name of list" so I'm aware of new additions to my editable repertoire. Such a notification thingy would go well with private messaging, but we've had that conversation before... ;-)
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word einsteinium
Well, who doesn't? I mean, if that's the criterion, we might as well call it everybodybuteinsteinium.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word listmaster
The creator/owner of a Wordie list. Especially helpful in the age of collaborative listing.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
What bilby and mollusque suggested. Also, I'd like to voice my disappointment that a listmaster (i.e., creator/owner of a list) can no longer be determined at a glance by the list URL. I always found it handy to look up at the location bar to find out who's responsible for the page I'm reading, particularly if there are multiple people involved in the discussion there. Under the new format, I have to scroll all the way back to the top of the page.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word matrimpostor
A fake bride or groom, intended to deceive his or her counterpart in the wedding (and the guests), resulting in a rather embarrassing case of oopsigamy.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word opsigamy
Don't you hate it when you get duped by a matrimpostor at the altar?
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tsar
Haha! I scratched my head about those two totally different spellings for years! :-P
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word han't
I'm with bilby. Problem is, when it's spelled like that, I'm more likely to pronounce it "haint."
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word perfect-bound
It doesn't seem so "perfect" when the glue starts to come apart and the pages fall out... ;-)
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cougargamy
I make ghosts. It's what I do.
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ipecacuanha
Oh, I see. Monkey Island is much more, uh, vernacular, in its description of plants. ;-)
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word qzerty
Sounds like a list to me -- Dvorak, anyone?
December 18, 2007
uselessness commented on the word am
Also, Ante Meridiem (the period between midnight and noon) and Amplitude Modulation (one of two standard techniques for transmitting information via radio waves).
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
Surprises await me on Wordie this week! I must be digging into this stuff...
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hs
Abbreviation for high school.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list oh-puck
Hmm, how about Phoenix Wright's sidekick, Maya Fey? Or Big Bird's sidekick, Mr. Snuffleupagus? Or Satan's sidekick, Bill Gates?
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word aluminum
See also: aluminium.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word einsteinium
They're renaming this one, because as it turns out, Albert Einstein wasn't nearly so amazingly smart. Starting in 2010 this element will be known as uselessnessium.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word backspaceware
Now THAT is lame.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cougargamy
Marriage between an older woman and a much younger man.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anilojuvenogamy
Also known as cougargamy.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word antithetical
I'm pretty logical (and stuff). ;-)
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ipecacuanha
Nah, anyone who's ever played The Curse of Monkey Island knows that all you need to make syrup of ipecac is an ipecac flower and a bottle of maple syrup. The two combine splendidly.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gala
I always thought this word should be pronounced "GAA luh" or maybe "GAH luh," but "GAY luh" sounded wrong to me. Then, WordNET cleared it up, and all is well again.
December 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tinker
I'm not sure about that, but one probably wouldn't want to be a tinker without a tinkerbell around. To stay alert, or something.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word antithetical
I shall have to join this cartel. I expect my blog will be a prime candidate, once I, you know, start writing it again.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word dear john
Um. I'm just here to say one thing:
See also: John Deere.
That's all. Harry Dunne made me do it.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the list proof-that-marketers-are-idiots
I would favorite this list, but I really can't bring myself to do it.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word boomlet
Perhaps this refers to the world's smallest nuclear explosion or the effects of the atomic toaster?
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the list oh-puck
bilby, you're terrible. In a good way, of course. ;-)
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the list contest-match-the-onomatopoeia
I like this game. If I had more time, I would play. And I'm sure it will be over by the time I get back here next. :-(
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hui
Don't mess with the Hui, they're not the types you want to mess with.
Don't mess with the Hui, or else you're gonna get your butts kicked.
- The W's
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word horslips
I have one of their albums. Despite the odd name, it's pretty decent music. :-P
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tinker
It can't make mistakes. It's a machine, that's not its way. Clearly, you're confusing it with its cousin, WrongNET.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fiat
bilby, what's that article about? By the way, that's the third definition of fiat on this page, for those keeping score at home.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word annus horribilis
Literally "horrible year." Reminds me of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word danger: avoid death
See also: SafeNow.org
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word danger: avoid death
Thanks for the tip. I will start avoiding death now. Your advice is most helpful.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word demurred
I have a new favorite Tom Swiftie.
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word does things with birds
Yeah, if anyone is, it's bilby... ;-)
December 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word abracadabra
Is there an echo in here?
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cleavagram
This thread is decidedly morbid. From now on, I've decided, it refers to the family of one Beaver. There, aren't we all happier for it? Now put that knife away.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word theocon
Won't somebody please think of the children words!!
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fangornhails
See: fingernails.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
Hmmm...
Anaerobic Dunce Herders?
Burdened Cocaine Sharer?
Cancerous Reared Behind?
Caddie Nurse Abhorrence?
Bread Endurance Heroics?
Bra Redundancies Cohere?
Burros Hernia Decadence?
Reader Heard Concubines?
Hardened Cubic Reasoner?
Bacon Researched, Ruined? (OH NO!)
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word paper-use
Haha, reminds me of my boss at the company where I maintain the corporate web site...
Him: "Print out every page of the site, I'll write the changes I want on the printouts and give them to you, and then you can type what I wrote and upload the revisions."
Me: "How about if I just e-mail you the digital files and let you modify them in Word? Then you can e-mail them back to me."
Him: "But I want to use Sharpies and highlighters in lots of pretty colors!"
Me: "Word has bold text and lots of pretty colors."
Him: "Oh? Really? Show me."
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the list snoopy
Sheesh. Fine, I get the "50-word list genre" thing. That's cool. Just don't call it "forced closure." And, um, I think you have to put "in 50 words" in the list title. Rules is rules. :-P
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fiat
Fair enough, kewpid. I don't know where you live, but my particular government tends to lean more towards slow, bureaucratic, and inept, and away from almighty. ;-)
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word patriotic snowman
Yay! If I buy two, can I get a free Jingoistic Snowman?
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the list snoopy
Yeah, what's with the contrived word limit? We don't "force closure" around here! That is so unWordie!!
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
I like. A lot. Though I have to wonder how I've struck you as crude...
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
Beach_Rained
Carbine_Head
Ache_Brained
Bean_Chaired
A Race_Behind
Cheer_Din, Baa
Bed_Chi Arena
Hard_Ice Bean
Bare_Acne Hid
Each_Dare Bin
Be Each_Drain
Rabid_Cane, Eh
Earache_Bind
Benched_Aria
Behead_Cairn
A Beach_Diner
(Okay, so I added spaces and commas liberally. Sue me.)
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cleavagram
Who exactly are you trying to get, skipvia? Should somebody warn her?
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word theocon
I'm afraid to ask. Every year brings new surprises.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word use less ness
GOOD GRIEF. :-P
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word theocon
A theocratic neocon.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
Morbid, but painless. Don't be coining awesome new words and not linking them, you!!
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fiat
Well, yes. Likely it was worth more than unbacked money... ;-)
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
Hmm, I guess they are rather endangered, aren't they? Gosh, now I'll never be able to look at my username the same way again...
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anagram
So it seems the best anagram of uselessness is "senseless us."
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word poke
And through Facebook. I never said I liked it! ;-)
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fiat
Money that has no inherent value, only perceived value held by those who exchange it. When people realize that all of their wealth is represented by worthless pieces of paper, their confidence in the currency collapses, and so does the currency itself. The alternative is commodity-backed currency, the most common of which is known as the gold standard. Nobel laureate Milton Friedman was a vocal critic of fiat money, along with other notable economists like Ludwig von Mises and Murray Rothbard.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word literature
Or perhaps figuratively?
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word poke
No wonder I'm never hungry.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hype man
Yay!
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word undinist
That's so gross. I'm leaving this page and never coming back.
December 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hype man
Here 'tis.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mc
Master of Ceremonies. Alternately, Microphone Controller. Also a common Scottish surname prefix, and the first initials of artist M.C. Escher.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hype man
A back-up vocalist in a hip-hop group. Usually this means working the crowd to keep the energy going, and freestyling about how ill the "star" is. In other words, the hype man is the annoying sidekick.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bint
Are they of the moistened variety?
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the list do-the-locomotion
I like it! Still looking for gallop, step, hike, and traverse. :-)
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word manifesto
Ouch. That's a chilling quote. Chilling because it's so true.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word alack
Ihave alack ofspaces betweenwords.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the word as useful as a screen-door on a submarine
Nah, it's more like a broken interrobang.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the list bird-wirds-nicknames
Somehow I knew my lists, none of which include birds or sports, were useless. Carry on.
December 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the list extraordinary-ordinals
This is totally a man-who story, but a friend of mine told me about third nerds. Apparently at the Christian college she attended, the administration had some particularly strict rules regarding male-female fraternization. Whenever a couple went off-campus together, a mutual friend was required to accompany them and make sure everything stayed on the up-and-up. I'm guessing the use of third nerd to describe such a friend is purely colloquial, not an "official" college phrase.
My friend explained this to me with surprise that I had never heard the term before. Supposedly it's quite common to describe someone who awkwardly tags along during a date. But I have no firsthand knowledge of its use. Still, I like it. :-)
December 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the word as useful as a screen-door on a submarine
I wish I had. I'm a huge BttF nerd. :-P
But I can't STAND the writing/editing culture of Wikipedia, and I avoid doing anything but reading the darn thing. Occasionally I'll anonymously correct a typo or punctuation error, but only because my pedantry cannot be tamed.
December 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the word as useful as a screen-door on a submarine
I love that the very joke I quoted here (or very bad joke, as it were) is also listed on that Wikipedia page. Who'da thunk it?
December 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the list extraordinary-ordinals
First look? Third nerd? Second life?
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the list comparative-utility
How about as useful as a solar-powered flashlight?
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word as useful as a screen-door on a submarine
Or if you're Biff Tannen, as useful as a screen-door on a battleship. Now make like a tree and get out of here!!
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mulgara
Aww geez, you guys... *blush*
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rightshore
Oh, I've decided catching up is hopeless. If I left any direct queries unanswered, please try not to hate me. :-)
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word as much use as a hedgehog in a condom factory
I don't know about all that, but I'm certainly crying out for one, at least.
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word man-who story
Do most logical people think in terms of those kinds of structured rules? I consider myself extremely logical but spelling it all out in a step-by-step tautology is a terrific bore. In my mind, either something makes sense or it doesn't; I don't need to run through a checklist of conditions to evaluate it. I had assumed I was normal in that regard...
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rightshore
No, no, no, it's quite simple really. Those last five are what is known as wrongshore.
(I keed, I keed!) :-P
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the list guten-tag-the-original-five-star-system
So do I. Don't tell anyone! ;-)
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word entomochronometrically
Okay, that's going too far... ;-)
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word librartarian
See also.
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word libertarianism
What kewpid said. :-)
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word libertarian
I can enlighten you further, if you like... ;-)
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mulgara
If y'all haven't noticed, I've been away from Wordie for about a week (give or take). I'm sort of back now, maybe, but I'm sure I'll never get caught up on comments again. ;-) Anyway, glad I saw this discussion.
Yeah, I tagged this one. I don't even remember why. I guess I wasn't terribly impressed with it. It's nothing personal. All I know is that if I did it unabashedly, it must have seemed important to at the time. So the tag stays. :-P
December 11, 2007
uselessness commented on the word glee
From The Ladykillers:
"This is perfect. This is more than perfect. I can scarcely contain my glee."
December 7, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tapir
I'm offended by its smell.
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wheatloaf
Isn't that just... bread?
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word anal spur
I think I'll pass.
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word taser
So, bilby... you live really far away, don't you? ;-)
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wow
Um... Isn't MOM in the mirror just... MOM? If you want WOW, you need only turn it upside down, no mirror needed.
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word pus
Yes, yes it were.
December 5, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thac0
In all fairness, it's much easier to pronounce in acronym form than all spelled out. Of course, I'd think a Z for zero would be preferable to the number 0 itself. THACZ. Still overly 1337-sounding, but not quite as offensive in my opinion.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word taser
Is one of the requirements of WOTY that a word must be new this year? I think we might be able to have a little more flexibility there...
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word pus
Hmm, I wonder what the record is for most lists by the same person a single word appears in...?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thac0
Me say thay-ay-ay-co.
Daylight come and me wanna go home.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cheerful
Ah, yes yes, perfectly understandable, as it were.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordierobe
The time is ripe! Now! Right now! Now! Go!
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word pus
I was glancing though the list at right:
Disgusting words
Least favorites
Words I absolutely can NOT stand
Unpleasant words for unpleasant things
Words I don't like very much
...and then...
Really Cool Three-Letter Words, by chained_bear
:-P
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list suicides
Aww, she was dark, but I liked her. ;-)
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word froworker
Or, an inner-city hairdresser.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bright
A kinder, gentler atheist naturalist person who doesn't believe in supernatural occurrences. And is demanding special rights as a minority group.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list election-2008
The context isn't so much in reference to Huck Finn himself, but the ignorant redneck archetype as a whole. Mike Huckabee is the governor of Arkansas, and there are those who would think that's enough to disqualify him from the White House. (Arkansas is an enigma of its own, lots of jokes about it.) Of course, Bill Clinton was once governor of Arkansas too, so whatever. And then there are those who just thing Huckleberry is fun to say. :-)
Huckleberry Hound was an old cartoon, I think. I don't know so much about that one, personally, but I've heard people refer to Huckabee as such, too.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list election-2008
Mike Huckabee. It's offensive because it makes him sound like a stupid backwoods redneck, Ã la Huckleberry Finn or Huckleberry Hound.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word jibajator
Sounds like it, foo.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rumspringa
I just have to wonder what the parents' general attitude is. Are they saying "go on, son, be a wild man, deny yourself nothing, live it up... and then come crying back to us when you can't take it anymore"?
Or is it more like "doing this stuff is wicked and terrible, and we don't want you to, but we can't stop you... and sooner or later when you come around we'll be here for you"?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
Haha! And that Rudy ferret radio interview was great! I seriously, seriously hope that man doesn't get anywhere. Incidentally, I have a new Election 2008 list...
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hob
Talk about a specific word. Is this like chained_bear's list, where there are a bunch of different words referring to the neutered varieties of different animals?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word apple
I don't get it...
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bugs
Hmm, I must seize this opportunity to do some damage before the curtain falls on my nefariousness... ;-)
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list simply-divine
How about omphalomancy?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rumspringa
Wow, that's fascinating. I thought the Amish were zero-tolerance folk... it's strange to seem them allowing that.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word scatomancy
Specific excrement, or just the ordinary kind?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list technobabble-3
Nice list! But how is robot psuedoscience?
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word nair
Unless it's, you know, raspberries. They are teh yum.
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the list compass-rose
Hey, I like the first two. So the criteria for this list are expanding... but I'm not complaining. ;-)
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tapir
WeirdNet is the new Miss Manners!
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ghouliani
See also: Nosferatu
December 1, 2007
uselessness commented on the word honky
I'm so offended.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word crotels
ABC.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word loty07 most likely to be found staring at the grass off in left field
I can't stand when people nominate themselves for stuff, but my old Festival of Randomness list should probably be considered. It's the weirdest thing I've seen on the site, anyway.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the list compass-rose
Sure, why not? I've never heard of "down east" though, so I'm just gonna have to take your word for it.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word marle
Chrono Trigger! I love that game!!
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word werderobe
Yes, yes, I get it. My suggestions will forever be labeled as alleged 'cause you can't trust a liar like me. I'm crying here. Cascades of tears.
Crap, I'm not really crying. It was hyperbole, or something. Which means I was lying again. Maybe I should work on that?
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word crotels
No, it's totally the place Cro-Magnons stopped for a good night's sleep while on family vacation to Yosemite. Not poo. You're so gross.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word nair
Not. Gonna. Ask. (But I really want to...)
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word spraints
Jeesh, that was nine frigging months ago, and I'm a different person now. Um, I also plead the fifth. If that doesn't work, I'm deeply sorry and hope from the bottom of my heart that you can find it within yourself to forgive me. Or at least give me some eye wash so I can purge the excremental photoresidue from my corneas.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word plunderbunny
Again, I defer you to the legendary Ron Gilbert for coinage. :-P
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cheerful
I THOUGHT I DID!!
ON SECOND READ, IT TURNS OUT I DID'NT!!
OOPS, I DID (NOT) IT AGAIN.
MY OUTRAGED, EXTREMELY UPPERCASE DEFENSE OF GRAMMAR HAS COLLAPSED UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT.
and i have no recourse but to shut up now
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gullible
Made you look!
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word psychoterminality
Uh... maybe. *glances around nervously*
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cheerful
I AM FULLY AWARE OF THIS, BUT STILL IRREPRESSIBLE.
'TIS'NT RIGHT, LAD, NOT ONE MITE!!
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word psychoterminality
Great link! My sophomore year in college I joined the debate circuit. Which was fun in its own right, but it also (for better or worse) empowered me to BS my way through anything. It's how I got through college, and I still do it to this day. I'm shameless. But I'd hate for a prof to call my bluff like this!
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word brass monkey
Who, me? I've certainly fallen victim to the old infinite loop of recursion trap multiple times. See also: gullible.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cheerful
DO YE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YE'RE SAYING?!?!
WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE GRAMMAR?!?!
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word maggot-pie
Hey, watch your tongue, there are starving kids in Uganda who would kill for a taste of this stuff!
Nah, who am I kidding? That's nasty.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word taser
Agreed. I think we should have WOTY categories, because there are plenty of more "fun" words, but this is best described as newsworthy or tragedy or something.
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cmyk
The shade of black, presumably, that is the darkest. Do you mean that ebony refers to a lighter color? For me it conjures up thoughts of ebony and ivory, and the colors of black piano keys are probably as dark as they can get. Besides, wouldn't CMYI be easier to pronounce as a word? Maybe?
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wessel
Yessir. :-P
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word c.h.u.d.
Isn't there a reason we* decided not to embed images anymore?
*By "we," I mean that I'm pretty sure you were one of "us," John. :-P
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ignospection
Well I can't say that watching Bill O'Reilly is necessarily going to be a solution to that ignorance problem...
November 30, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bilby
Oh. All this time I thought his name was Bill, and he was just playing off that.
Now I'm starting to doubt he's even a he. I mean, who knows? Bilby is a real word? Whoops.
I actually stumbled across this page via the random word feature, of all things. :-)
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word walmart
What is a tramlaw?
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rhapsody
As did I. Actually, I still agree. :-P
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word peeler
Don't worry, someday my ghosts will be found (but hopefully not busted) and all will be revealed at last...
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word buttocks
I just love the way this definition is worded, as if I keep body parts around the house, but reserve the fleshy ones in particular for sitting on.
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cankles
Flow might not be the best verb... :-P
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word buttocks
Three cheers for WeirdNet!
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hearing
You know, haversack is strangely absent here.
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word malanga
Haha, I was thinking the same thing!
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word peeler
chained_bear: You would be surprised to learn half of the words I've listed. *strange smile*
November 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lemniskate
How about lollerskates, do those count?
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chubby
Here, WeirdNet seems to be correct, but never more enjoyably so. ;-)
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word vasilopita
Ewww, I don't care how luscious the food it covers is, I'm not eating Vaseline!
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word weirdnet
I secretly wondered if this might be the case, but dared not question thee.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word vasilopita
I wouldn't be able to eat it without thoughts of petroleum jelly.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word faggot
It's decided. If we're doing a List of the Year award, we also need something for the Most Unexpected WeirdNet Definition.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sopapilla
Okay, it's definitely spelled sopaipilla. ;-)
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word pan de muertos
That's a fun holiday. We also have festivities here in Nuevo Mexico, or wherever it is I live.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word banal
The word everyone knows but no one is quite sure how to pronounce. Seems it's only ever presented in written form.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bugs
So John, did you remove the subject line field for comments? I guess that always was a bit extraneous, and a point of confusion for new users... but pages look so weird without it now! .;-)
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word pulpatoon
Hmm, I had in mind a particular breed of tacky fiction, brought to glorious animated direct-to-DVD life.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word has grasshoppers springing from his or her head
Oh good heavens, you're putting me to sleep again. ;-)
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word peeler
Or, um, that utensil you, uh, peel stuff with.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word jove
I think there's grasshoppers springing Minerva-like from your head, by Jove!
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word frownie
Nobody is listing "frownie?"
Awww. :-(
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bro
Don't tase me!
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word woodworm
Jove. Minerva sprang from Jove. Reesetee is Jove. ;-)
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the list lees
Oh, good. Forget I ever said anything, then.
No really. Forget I ever said anything.
November 28, 2007
uselessness commented on the word porquerÃa
Literally, a "because shop"? My Spanish is muy awful.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word stollen
*snicker*
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list a-crumb-of-comfort
How about sopaipilla?
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list bizarre-exclamations
Great Scott!
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word suffering succotash
More like pthuffering pthuccotash. ;-)
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chimichurri
Uh oh, that's particularly hard to get out. Have you tried Oxy Clean?
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word scorcery
A nefarious technique employed by certain sports teams to become unnaturally good at scoring goals.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word matilda
Well, it's also quite possibly the greatest book Roald Dahl ever wrote.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bra
Pants: Two legs.
Scissors: Two blades.
Politics: One is quite enough, thankyouverymuch.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chimichurri
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
I does what I likes and I likes what I do
Today I'm a screever and as you can see
A screever's an artist of highest degree
And it's all me own work
From me own memory
Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey
Chim chim cher-oo!
I draws what I likes and I likes what I drew
No remuneration do I ask of you
But me cap would be glad of a copper or two
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ciabatta
*major groan*
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ciabatta
Can you wear it?
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word minnow
I wouldn't think the flat bill would be very conducive to catching or swallowing fish, but I'm no biologist...
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list what-is-a-reesetee-anyhow
Is that a rebus? ;-)
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word skyscarper
Hahaha!
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wiener
That was James Dyson.
No, I don't know these things. I just use Wikipedia. :-P
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wiener
No, that was Freeman Dyson. Miles invented Skynet.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word decay
To declare your undismay,
Put de O before de K.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cougar
Yes, I'm quite sure cougars are required to wear last year's business attire, and alternate between scotch and mimosa, depending on the day of the week.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cougar
So an older woman who likes younger men (and is in a reciprocating relationship) wouldn't qualify then?
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sharpener
Any Irishman would tell you that decaf is blasphemy to all things good and pure, least of all coffee.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list what-is-a-reesetee-anyhow
Quiet, r, you bore me. ;-)
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word zumstein
American sausage: "..."
Australian sausage: "..., mate."
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list lees
Gross. Can I anonymously suggest smegma? I can't? Crap.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cmyk
Hey, I also majored in Communication! Good thing, too: we haven't had many interesting coinkydinks around here in a while... :-P
Anyway, they should have used E for ebony. Problem solved! ;-)
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sharpener
Unless the sharpener is an Irish coffee, in which, depending on the strength of the brew, the net stimulatory effect is a zero sum...
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the list human-powered-vehicles
In the future, merely reading about viruses will infect you with them through the Power Of The Internet. The United States government will lead the charge against Google for its contribution to "digital biological warfare." Mankind will be forced into illiteracy to prevent the spread of the epidemic. It has been prophesied.
November 27, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cougar
Preys? Is it nearly so diabolical?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wiener
Funny, I thought that was Miles Dyson. Though I guess he was kind of a wiener too, wasn't he?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word objection
Hold it!
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word weiner
Or vice versa. ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cmyk
Hey, I'm a designer and I resent that! ;-) I still think a better convention could have been used; after all, it is designers who say CMYK and RGB, and they know full well what cyan is. But using K for black isn't helpful at all.
So who deemed that cyan and magenta would be the names of the blue-green and pink? Why not aquamarine and fuchsia? Or teal and amaranth? Or maybe turquoise and cerise?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word shandy
*cough*
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word td
Bwahahaha!! Get that on c_b's list already! :-D
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word kit-kat
Why am I not surprised that Reese's Peanut Butter Tee is the one providing clarification here? ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cmyk
Not to mention the fact that this isn't RGB, and there's no B here. ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word saiban
Yes. I am a HYUGE fan of these games, known in America as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Who knew lawyering could be so much fun?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word trailer
Agreed, and this page has been tagged appropriately. :-P
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word rgb
Smells like a Triad. ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cmyk
This one has annoyed me for years. Whose bright idea was it to have K represent "black"? Why not B?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word in cahoots
It's a hostile takeover of Wordie! Who are you working for??
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word td
*groan* :-P
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word td
Is it readily found in nature, or just in my office?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word uuu
Yeah right. Just... yeah right.
Edit: Oh. It would seem you are right. Hmph. But now it's called Rg, because that's much saner.
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sixth
So is thirty-sixth, and forty-sixth, and... it would seem this word is not remotely rhymeless. It has infinite rhymes. It boggles the mind. :-P
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word trailer
It's an American thing, bilby. ;-) FEMA is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, tasked with responding to disasters and the like. My personal commentary (and apparently c_b's as well) is that they are woefully bureaucratic and inept, as seen in their miserable handling of the Hurricane Katrina debacle. FEMA builds little relief towns of mobile homes (trailers) for victims to live in, and it's these towns that my old roommate inappropriately referred to as FEMAtown. And I'm just as guilty for singing along. Gotta love humor centered around horrible tragedies.
Of course, it's not as funny when you have to explain the joke... ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
I was thinking of "easy as one, two, three," maybe...
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flowbee
Weren't these really popular in the '80s? Or was it just my family that was mesmerized by them?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thanks
As today is the official first birthday of Wordie, I just want to say congratulations and such. A monumental occasion.
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the list the-incredible-shrinking-list
The infamous spammer jennarenn gets her comeuppance? ;-)
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wiggy
Is that like wiggedy wack?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word trailer
Do do do do
Do do do dooo...
Won't you take me to...
FEMAtown?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word geico
Also, gecko poop.
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
Okay, I'm going to be really lame, but shouldn't one, two, three be on this list?
November 26, 2007
uselessness commented on the word urbanophobia
Do you have particular cities in mind? I don't think I could handle living in, say, NYC... but I do currently live in the downtown area of a considerably smaller (but still populated) city and it's pretty great. :-)
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bugs
Okay, I was just using the "search comments" feature and I discovered that on the results page, the search form at the top does not work -- it searches for a null string, rather than the value I type. So if I want to perform a second search, I have to go back to the main search page.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
Oh, here's another request I just thought of... I love the random word feature, but how about a random list feature?
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word trailer
Yes, WeirdNet nailed this definition.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word loty07 most innovative
I nominate Journey of a 300-Year-Old House. I love how it tells a story in such a simple format.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gingko
Because if I did, it would surely scare the children (as ghosts are wont to do). ;-)
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Happyness? :-P
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gingko
I believe the word you're looking for is Geico. But I may be wrong.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cur
According to Orson Scott Card (by way of Guybrush Threepwood), this is the end of the road, and you are a gutter-crawling cur.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word liberty
Cool story.
I do find it sad, though, that these days the word liberty is seldom heard apart from the word statue. Once upon a time it was a pretty earth-shaking concept, and in the 21st century it has become known mainly as a tourist attraction.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word dairy farmer
According to Orson Scott Card (by way of Guybrush Threepwood), dairy farmers are notoriously bad at swordfighting.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word dead fish
Gross!
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word buggeration
In the world of buggers, only the best of the best can become buggernauts.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word amaranth
Caress the one, the Never-Fading
Rain in your heart - the tears of snow-white sorrow
Caress the one, the hiding amaranth
In a land of the daybreak
-Nightwish
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ayepod
Or pirate shanties.
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lolcat
They're lolcatting the Bible? I can has feer?
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thanks
What reesetee said. Er, smiled. :-P
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
Seems I kicked off a discussion and then disappeared before it really got going! My original suggestion, of course, opts for a human-controlled mechanism over an automated one, so I don't think mollusque's concern applies. And the issue about accidentally deleting "legitimate" or intentional misspellings is, I think, moot... because if it's an uncommented ghost, frankly, no one will miss it.
I'm a natural packrat, John, so I understand your aversion to deleting anything from the database. But isn't it safe to say that the benefits outweigh the costs of allowing us to manually clean up uncommented ghosts? It'll make the word count a more accurate figure, it'll stop auto-suggest from feeding typos to unsuspecting searchers, and I guarantee no one will be offended that "their" word got deleted. Think about it. ;-)
November 25, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
I like legitimate ghosts. I think of them as little nuggets of surprise that will turn up far in the future, when somebody either discovers them via the random word feature, or else adds something s/he thought was new, yet already bears comments.
Dead typos just floating around out there, on the other hand, are stupid. I figure if a ghost doesn't have any comments on it, that's a good gauge of keepability. No comments means no one cares. If you find it and you do care, leave a comment. ;-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
So, how about a way for us to clean up the database a little? I'm thinking a "delete this word" button that only appears on ghosts that don't have any comments. There are a lot of these floating around on the site, and we ought to be able to do our part to weed them out. :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word lost comments
I don't have to take your word for it!
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flatulist
Hey, when have I intentionally added misspellings? When I spawn ghosts, I at least spell them right. :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word madeupical
Haha! I actually got the opportunity to use madeupical in a business meeting yesterday... unfortunately my coworkers didn't exactly get the reference. :-P
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the user uselessness
That sounds good! Bet the guy made for interesting conversation, too... :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list wordie-up
There's weirdie. I know there are others but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hypocritic oath
The oath taken by hypocritical police officers.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word inner thesaurus
Better than FEMAtown, I guess...
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fematown
FEMAtown. Much less funky than Funkytown. Coined by my old college roommate while driving past the impromptu villages of FEMA mobile homes erected in the wake of Hurricane Charley. He would always burst into inappropriate song at the sight of the refugees... and I would join him.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word nsfbsk
On Snopes, this is an acronym for "Not Safe For British School Kids."
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word nsfw
Or if you've spent any time around Snopes, there's always NSFBSK.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list on-the-border-of-imagination-and-reality
Sounds like a portmanteau of orifice and fornication. At least I think so, anyway.
Woredaho? Ionois? Okancolor? Louissippisas?
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word inner thesaurus
Haha, will do! :-) I really wish we all lived in the same small town...
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mangosteen
The name conjures up images of Chris Kattan and Bruce Springsteen. *shiver*
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word inner thesaurus
It's one of my favorite books ever. I don't know why I've been referencing it lately; must be my subconscious telling me it's time to read it again (it's been a couple years)...
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tennessucky
*milksnort*
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word delmar
My favorite line in the whole movie, c_b. I quote it at random times to random people, but nobody else seems to appreciate it. :-(
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word inner thesaurus
You do know that's another Phantom Tollbooth reference, right? :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word inner thesaurus
Yes. Bingo. Correct. Affirmative. Right.
Where are the Duke of Definition, Minister of Meaning, Count of Connotation, Earl of Essence, and the Undersecretary of Understanding when you need them? :-P
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word delmar
That movie is classic. I've gotta watch it again. Like, tonight.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word curriculum vitae
Curiously, I'm beginning to see CV used more often than resume (or résumé, even) on the internet. The latter is distinctly America, but the former may be gaining traction.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word deretartratered
I want to pronounce this, but my tongue refuses to cooperate.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list not-quite-the-real-thang
You may also find some inspiration on this old, old list of mine. It's slightly related. :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chassepot
Lunch can't come soon enough. :-)
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chassepot
I also read cheesepot. Today is a bad day for reading in the world of uselessness.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word chassepot
For some reason I read that as "bread-loading rifle" and thought it would be tremendously handy at Roman circuses.
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the list what-is-a-reesetee-anyhow
I think you should add carrier of an internal thesaurus. :-P
November 22, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flatulist
I have never grieved my ghosts. Actually I'm pretty sure I was the first person on the to create ghosts regularly, on purpose. It's something like a trademark. :-P
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word doubt-sowing
Smells like a list to me... ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word delmar
Also the name of a character in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flatulist
I would want it why? ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word disme
Is the S silent, like in island?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
Phillips, Craig, and Dean? Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word numen
*groan* :-P
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list i-m-terrible-with-names
I'll take 'em! Thanks!
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list not-quite-the-real-thang
You impostor!
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word doubt-sowing
NEVAR! :-P
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word loty07
Thirded.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flatulist
A professional farter. Thanks (um, I guess) to John for introducing me to this fascinating trade on the queef page.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mathlete
Apparently the people who compete in the Rubik's cube world championship are mathletes of the highest caliber.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordie blogs
My blog, The Insanity Farm, is closed until further notice. But I am relaunching it eventually, and it will be alsome.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tags
"Not I," said the pig.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordiemobile
Well, we already have commandments. ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word powder
Sir yes sir!
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list your-number-s-up
Phew, glad someone got the reference. ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list at-least-two-apostrophes-or-your-money-back
Here's a vote for 'tain't. :-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tags
Further proof that we need a tagging tutorial of some sort.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word loty07
Everything you just said is duly noted in my book, jennarenn. Even the thing about my list that I don't really like, because, well, you have a good point. :-P
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word doubt-sowing
Yes, I saw that after I posted here. I've been slowly trying to catch up after the weekend. I swear, people here are commenting faster and I'm reading slower. And now the comments page is back to showing 100 at a time (but with pagination) so I've been making my way through it, page by page. I'm finally back on the first page at last, but now I'm exhausted. I'll never survive at this rate. Can we close for weekends? ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mongrel
Oh can't I please see your session ID? ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word powder
I recently discovered Gold Bond Medicated Foot Powder. I was fully prepared for disgust, but actually it's quite mentholly. Makes your feet all cold and tingly, and nice-smelling. I can't wait to cover my feet in it again tonight.
Have I shared too much?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word edamame
And it's so tasty too!
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word queef
Yeah right. I have a very hard time believing that. Who is this Jeff, so I may find him and threaten him?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordiemobile
It had better look like a big W.
And there had better be a large sum of money buried underneath it.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list bear-with-me
Ring? Pall? Jason? Naked? ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word alchemy
I really like this word. In fact, I think I'm going to favorite it.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list cakemix-s-words
Aye, the Identify the Wordie game invited each user to submit one self-describing word, and then we all had to guess who had picked each one. Not as easy as it sounds. :-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word antidote
What say we don't go there? ;-)
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list your-number-s-up
In the war between the cities of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis, who will emerge victorious?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
Okay, I keep coming back with more... but does rub-a-dub-dub count?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mersenne primes
I was just learning about this a couple days ago, particularly in reference to the Mersenne Twister. I still don't understand it, but I think it's cool (in the dorkiest possible way, of course).
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word tagging tutorial
For the record, my comment wasn't meant to be condescending; I'm sure there are plenty of people who in all sincerity just aren't acclimated with the concept of tags. It's a very Web 2.0 thing, and a tutorial would be nice for those who haven't used them before. I was assuming that peregrina thought they had a different purpose, like attributing other pages as reference or something.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
There's also Zip, Zap, Zop, a silly game to play when you're bored with a group of people.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
Does cha cha cha count?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word doubt-sowing
Say what? I'm starting to doubt y'all identities...
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word mongrel
Ooohhh, secrety.
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
How about bippety, boppity, boo?
November 21, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gong show
Have you ever seen The Gong Show? Classic. I'm sure that's where this phrase originates from.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wallflower
This is such a colorful word. I always imagined it was coined by someone who realized that these people are not dullards; often they're intelligent, interesting people and with a little coaxing they really blossom. Of course, I just tell myself that because the wallflower is usually me. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
I'm not really a phone phreak kind of guy, personally, but usually because I hate the additional charges associated with doing anything beyond talk. Any idea what kind of fees I might incur if I tried managing lists via SMS?
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word get stoned
Isn't this referring to an altogether different kind of intoxication?
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word uselessnessian
IMMORTALIZED. :-P
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word they
Yes. It annoys me to no end. Admittedly, there are times when we need a good neuter singular pronoun, but that's not it. I guess I'm rather politically incorrect these days, but I think using he is a good old standard that people understood. It's not really worth getting upset about, in my opinion, but then again I'm a man. ;-)
I think part of the problem is also the increasing frequency of addressing collective units in the plural. When Microsoft does something, for example, it does it as one entity, not as "them" or "they."
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list kraut-rocks
Aye that. I think zeitgeisty signifies the official tipping point for that one.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word features
I want an option to ignore comments by reesetee. Guy talks too much. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sought
Great point. With the internet I can find an immediate answer to nearly every question I have. When I can't, I become surprised and frustrated by the internet's "failure" to deliver. That's probably a lot different from the past, when people spent long hours in pursuit of information, and likely often resigned themselves to never knowing certain things. But ignorance is bliss, right? Information overload is a problem in its own right.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sought
It is curious. I think seek refers to searching outwardly for something, while search refers to a more introspective examination, or looking within something. If you're in need of a needle, you will seek one out. Unless you're positive there's one contained somewhere within this haystack, in which case you'll search the haystack for it. Your finding process is now heavily focused on one space, rather than open-ended.
So, originally in computers the term "search" correctly referred to finding a given string of text within a single file. Actually the needle/haystack analogy has been used for years in reference to that kind of search. Later, the database allowed similar functionality, only instead of searching within one file, you searched within a larger array of associated data. And of course, the modern search engine is little more than a really massive database, so it's easy to see why we still say "search."
Because technically speaking, we're searching for something within Google's database, rather than a less-focused seeking of the same. Hey, it's been too long since I wrote a madeupical etymology, that felt good!
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list kraut-rocks
Well, it's not that bad... ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word fount of useless knowledge
"Come thou fount of every blessing..."
Or, what sionnach said. :-P
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word gastroetymologist
I can't stomach the thought of such a thing.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list lend-me-your-name
Oh, I think you forgot uselessnessian.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list kraut-rocks
Wordie? Never heard of it. Isn't that the thing "jennarenn" was shilling? Nah, I just opened my thesaurus and picked the most impressive words I could find. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word sought
Correct me if I'm wrong (I probably am) but isn't sought the past-tense form of seek? Therefore...
After you seek, you have sought.
After you search, you have searched.
Right?
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word glass teat
Ouch. But yes, it's true.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list kraut-rocks
I don't hate it. I detest its foul loathsomeness with a burning abhorrence unmatched by any earthly revilement.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list i-live-a-sowpods-hardscrabble-life
Holy carp.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the user refined_rilo
Okay, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word yarb
It's hilarious! It has some scenes of over-the-top violence, ridiculous to the point of just adding to the humor, but if you're squeamish you might want to avoid it. Otherwise, it's highly recommended. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word caesar
Also, my favorite kind of salad, and my least favorite hairstyle.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word yarb
If I recall correctly, one of the characters in the movie Hot Fuzz only has one word in his vocabulary: yarb, pronounced the way I described. Maybe that's where I get the image. He wasn't a pirate, though.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list triads
I favorited this list, it's great! No suggestions are really coming to mind right now except the line from The Truman Show -- "Good afternoon, good evening, and good night."
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the list state-of-the-union
Hmm, how about Florida cracker? Utahraptor? Kentucky Fried Chicken? Um, George Washington Carver?
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word surreal
So you're saying these surreal numbers are really close to real numbers, as in "closer than infinitely close?" Uhm.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bibliomancy
I've had great success using Wordie's random word feature for prophetic purposes.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word astroturfing
I've never heard of this "jennarenn" before, she seems to be a spammer. I checked out that site and it's just a bunch of words -- don't waste your time on it. I think we should ban her IP.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word loty07
Of course, someone has to nominate Conversations because of its dashing thoroughness, so it might as well be me. :-) I'll also nominate the old classic, It Has a Name?? Thanks, jennarenn, of course, for nominating my list but I hate that one and will have to cancel out your yea with my nay. ;-)
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the user refined_rilo
Ah yes, that is how I greet strangers too.
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word yarb
I always thought (hoped?) that it was meant as a quizzical pirate exclamation, said with rising intonation and a question mark at the end. :-P
November 17, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bookworm
Next thing you know, they'll be telling us that poindexter is meant to have a negative connotation too.
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word shiver of sharks
A shiver of sharks. A shiver of sharks. I can't stop shivering, that shiver of sharks.
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word shiver
That makes for great alliteration. A shiver of sharks. A shiver of sharks. Screw plinth, this is the eyeworm of tomorrow.
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word kaleidoscope
Just chiming in to ditto that. Most evocative animal flock name I've heard yet.
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word regards
Or you can end every letter with "love" and see what happens. ;-)
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the list kraut-rocks
...there...is...no...justification...for...that...word...
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the list i-live-a-sowpods-hardscrabble-life
Yes. You do.
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word trapper keeper
Where'd I put my Yikes pencils?
November 16, 2007
uselessness commented on the word hobo
Not just in Hobotopia, I like it too. ;-)
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word wordieternity
Oh I hate when that happens, blasted comment overflow. Truth be told, that's why I've been so quiet this week, I've been slowly trying to catch up ever since Monday!!
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word postnatal hunger
...ceebee is watching you...
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the list stuffie-and-the-green-grass-grows-all-around
Great ones!
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the user john
I can see I'm outnumbered, and I'll step down gracefully(?). *mutters something about democracy sucking* But mollusque's trick is duly noted, and I should mention that if right-clicking "normal" links and choosing "open link in new tab" is too much trouble, you can middle-click links to get a new tab instead. It takes exactly as much time as a regular left-click. If you don't have a middle button, your scroll wheel should work (it clicks, too).
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word captionym
As a rule of thumb, I never click links that have "myspace" in the URL. :-P
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the user john
I know you didn't want me to chime in again, but I'm gonna. ;-) chained_bear mentions the ability to right-click a link to open in a new tab... but there is no ability to right-click a link and open it in *this* tab. In other words, if the link is hard-coded to do that, there's no way to force it not to, while the opposite is possible. Food for thought, anyway.
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cms
That's what I meant too, kewpid, and I'm pretty sure that's what dahnielson had in mind as well. I remember building my own finicky CMSs with PHP and duct tape back in the day. It's so good to be living in the future, at last. ;-)
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word cms
I'm with dahnielson, but it's not so much of a curse word as it is a hallelujah chorus. ;-)
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word postnatal hunger
I'm not a doctor, I speak in the vernacular. ;-)
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the word word of the year
But a word can only be given a particular tag once. That's great for nomination, but not so good for voting.
November 15, 2007
uselessness commented on the list freerice-words-to-learn
It pays to enrich your word power. ;-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the user john
Never heard of that site, but I'll have to check it out. Sounds handy. I also never use the links on Wordie, for two reasons. First, they open in a new tab/window, which annoys me; and second, I already have dictionary and thesaurus bookmarklets that I use all over the internet, and I use them here too out of habit.
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word postnatal hunger
It's also possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever been covered in, but that's another story. ;-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word go
I wish I knew Japanese. Every time someone mentions things like this I get the idea that it's a delightful language, seemingly designed with wordplay in mind. I love the nuances, the layers of meaning. Even in silly cartoons. ;-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word context
Okay. :-P
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the list she-blinded-me-with-pseudoscience
Hey, I had never heard of either of those, thanks for the suggestions!
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word word of the year
Hmm, I have yet to contribute to this discussion. So I will now.
My first reaction was "heavens no, the s-word will just end up winning!" And then I realized that this is our noble chance to circumvent popular opinion and knock it off its pedestal. I'm in.
I agree that two categories (real and madeupical) would be great. Actually I think I might vote for madeupical itself... Where do we vote and who's the officiator?
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word corndog virginity
You can't go back no never. ;-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word postnatal hunger
When you're born, and, you know, you've been all up in that belly for like months and DANG SON, you're hongry. Like eat a horse hongry. You don't want no milk, you want a friggin' T-bone steak and some corndogs. And maybe a towel to wipe off all o'that womb juice after yeet.
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word boring
Reminds me of Normal, Illinois. *pronounces Illinois as "eely nwah"*
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word unchurched
Oh goodness gracious, somebody needs a tagging tutorial*!
*Link thoughtfully provided so somebody else can write a tutorial on that page. ;-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word corndog virginity
I pray no corndog virgins actually exist in the world, and plan to feed my newborn child corndogs as the only sane (and ethical) response to postnatal hunger.
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word bamboozled
Champ (can I call you champ?) that's probably the only thing I ever really found funny in that show. And I really wished they made a real Bamboozled game show. :-)
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the list my-little-_____
Oh, I don't mind. 'Twas Ron Gilbert what made it up, anydanghow. :-P
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word donkey
A particularly juvenile Mother Goose poem-thing:
"I am a gold lock."
"I am a gold key."
"I am a silver lock."
"I am a silver key."
"I am a brass lock."
"I am a brass key."
"I am a lead lock."
"I am a lead key."
"I am a don lock."
"I am a don key!"
Reminds me of the old (equally lame) joke...
"How do you spell spot?"
"S-P-O-T."
"How do you spell spot?"
"S-P-O-T."
"How do you spell spot?"
"S-P-O-T."
"What do you do at a green light?"
"Stop!"
"You stop? At a green light?" (cue Nelson: "Ha ha!")
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word movember
Aww darn, I just shaved my mustache (and beard) and cut my hair super-short last month. I alternate between hairy gross and squeaky clean, and November is my month for the latter. Oh well.
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word womonym
jennarenn, I can take a hint. :-P
I'll see what I can whip up, if John is interested... :-D
November 14, 2007
uselessness commented on the word ye
That's pretty wild. Source?
November 13, 2007
uselessness commented on the list quiz-time-3
Good grief! When I have more time, I'll see what I can come up with. :-)
November 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the list s-words
Oh, I thought this was going to be a list about the S-word. ;-)
November 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the list my-little-_____
Snugglecakes? Plunder bunny?
November 12, 2007
uselessness commented on the word morning star
I prefer mine of the flail variety. Yikes!
November 10, 2007
uselessness commented on the word eye cap
Ewww. Ewww! EWWWWW!!!
(also, owww!)
November 10, 2007
uselessness commented on the user yarb
Great movie.
November 10, 2007
uselessness commented on the word butt rock
Hmm, probably in the late '90s. As I recall at that time it was used in reference to cheesy video game music of the butt-rock variety. :-)
November 10, 2007
uselessness commented on the word oilseed rape
That sounds terrible. Who names this stuff?
November 10, 2007
uselessness commented on the word madeupical
Particularly hilarious ones.
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the word butt rock
I've certainly heard both. They're synonymous. But I've always preferred this one, for some reason. ;-)
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the word flashing
How indecent!
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the list words-that-are-also-tv-shows
Seconded. How about Taxi, Cops, and Wings? Also, don't forget about B.S., which I'm too polite to spell out in mixed company. ;-)
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the word whopping
It's a gerund from the verb "to whop," which means to produce a noise like a hundred thousand people saying "whop." And trivet, isn't that whup?
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the word paua
Nothing like mass hallucinations to brighten up a web site.
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the list superheroes
Mmmm, Alicia Silverstone. Oh sorry, was I thinking aloud again? ;-)
November 9, 2007
uselessness commented on the word paua
I think, therefore I am madeupical. So much for pleading my case.
November 9, 2007
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