ROBUST discussion

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Hunter S. Thompson

Hopes rise and dreams flicker and die.
Love plans for tomorrow and loneliness thinks of yesterday.
Life is beautiful and living is pain.
The sound of music floats down a dark street.
Hunter S. Thompson

Yep, I was nuppenny poor.

From one of Dakota's books:

Wreck, verb, NASCAR vernacular for damaging a racing automobile in an accident, as in "I wrecked out," or "He wrecked me."

"Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity."
P. T. Barnum

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/aut...

K.A. wrote: "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Hunter S. Thompson


Nope. When the going gets weird, the pros lead the parade of the weird.

From the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day:

mizzle-shinned, adj.
. . . .
Having one’s legs red and blotched from sitting too near a fire.
. . . .
1854 D. Robertson Laird of Logan (new ed.) 51 Dinna mak ony body suffer by ye, as thae scranky-shanked mizzle-shinned Highlanders do.

We haven't had an open fire for years... I wouldn't mind, but you have to redecorate every few years because the smoke turns the ceiling murky.

I have to repaint my mantle, there's soot on the underside.

For a moment I pictured you with an opera cloak swirling around you, only white on the underside instead of the red silk inside mine. with smoke rising from the fires trotting along behind you, trying to climb up your flashing heels, their smoke smudging the white wool. That'll teach you to choose so impractical a colour for the lining of you cloak! the wicked aunt would sneer. What kind of witch are you anyhow to wear a white lining?

Bit of a letdown when I discovered you mean the mantlepiece.

Kench! What a lovely thought.

No, I'm dressed in jeans, wool socks and a sweater. A proper horsewoman, not a glamourous witch, with a pair of terriers and a huge gray panther of a cat.

The cat would be a perfect familiar - he's about 12 pounds, 5 kilos, the same size as the dogs. He bit my arm when I didn't let him out when he asked the first time. He's pretty insistent.

We've got over a foot of snow and temps in the 20'f range or -7C, expected to drop another 10f . The whole state of Kentucky is shut down. This is the coldest it's been in 20 years, 1996. I was here then, and it WAS cold.

There's wood for the fire, hay for the horses, grain for all the critters. The horses are snug, the alpacas have hay and the chickens have a couple of heat lamps.

Green’s latest book, The Vulgar Tongue, is a history of slang that explores the places where it flourished and, more importantly, was set down on paper. Here are just a few of the places where the slang of yesterday lives on.

1. COLLECTIONS OF WORDS USED BY VAGABONDS AND THIEVES
From the 14th to 16th century in Europe, there were many books and pamphlets circulating that purported to warn good people about the tricks that beggars might use to manipulate them. Their popularity, however, was not due to their usefulness as much as their entertainment value. John Awdeley’s The Fraternity of Vagabonds (1561) gives terms like Abrahamman (a guy who acts crazy and walks around with a “pack or wool, or a stick with bacon on it, or such like toy”), ruffler (someone who pretends to have fought in the wars to get sympathy), prigman (someone who steals clothes or poultry and then gambles it away at the pub), and ring-faller (trickster with a copper ring who pretends to find a gold ring and then sells it to bystander).

Slanguage.

Is this English as she is spoken in the East End of London?

Or is it inventive vituperation?

vituperation

bitter and abusive language.
"no one else attracted such vituperation from him"
synonyms: invective, condemnation, opprobrium, scolding, criticism, disapprobation, fault-finding.

If it wasn't for google, I'd be clueless. Kench

K.A. wrote: "If it wasn't for google, I'd be clueless. Kench."

A dictionary is cheaper, doesn't need a computer or a recurring charge for connection to the internet.

It is Google which makes people clueless.

From The Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day:
gammock, n.2
. . . .
A piece of fun; a game, a jest; a frolic
. . . .
1904 C. M. Gaskell Old Shropshire Life 258 She has dared to come here… I tell thee I’ll have naught to do with witches and their devil gammocks.

Brooms are parked to the left of the front door.

There were just 3 kittens born in the barn today. Two of them are black.

Anybody need a familiar? ;-)

From the Urban Dictionary

Catfish -

A catfish is someone who pretends to be someone they're not using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, particularly to pursue deceptive online romances.

usage:

Did you hear how Dave got totally catfished last month?! The fox he thought he was talking to turned out to be a pervy guy from San Diego!

or

I was really falling for that gorgeous gal on Facebook, but she turned out to be a catfish.

Oy vey, such things you learn on the internet!

So I'm standing up at this Jewish wedding with a stiff drink in my hand. I was invited only to make up a full table of psychiatrists because no one else would sit with them, so I'm standing between the only two people I know, my dentist and the grandfather of a fellow I was school with, who hasn't arrived yet. So of course people are talking about him.

"He was caught at the drive-in cinema," says this gossip, "with the Christian minister's daughter in the car with him. Neither Mervyn nor the shiksa had any clothes on."

"Oy!" says his grandfather, outraged at this slander. "I don't believe that. Mervyn's got too many clothes!"

"It's true. This so-called Christian beat both of them with a stick."

"Why," says the grandfather wonderingly, "I bought some of those clothes for Mervyn myself."

Kench!

Some of the stories you hear at a wedding...

Found this one on The Passive Voice today. Thought I'd share.

Schadenfreude is pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

[1] This word is taken from German and literally means 'harm-joy.' It is the feeling of joy or pleasure when one sees another fail or suffer misfortune. It is also borrowed by some other languages.


I find that schadenfreude is crunchy and good with wasabi and ginger. ;)

You're so sophisticated, Kat, you even even have Freudian words in German for scratching out that woman's eyes.

LOL - I swear, I never saw that word before today!

Schadenfreude?

It's in one, maybe two of Dakota's novels. Have you got a copy of Queen of Indy? If not, let me know and I'll have one sent. Don't let on at the farmer's market that you know words like "schadenfreude" -- they'll start looking for that black cat at your heels...

I think I read Queen of Indy...That's Flicka's book, right?

I have to keep my writer identity secret, wouldn't want the Harpies of Romance after me.

The book with Flicka in it is NASCAR First. I've sent you QUEEN OF INDY.

Thank you!

K.A. wrote: "...wouldn't want the Harpies of Romance after me."

Harper now publishes Romance?

That's a good word, I'd like to borrow it. Alas I am certain it will not come to me on the appropriate occasion - until, perhaps, I am already walking away, kench...

Sharon wrote: "That's a good word, I'd like to borrow it. Alas I am certain it will not come to me on the appropriate occasion - until, perhaps, I am already walking away, kench..."

That's the problem with us nice people. We never remember the acid words until the jerks are already behind us. Maybe we should practice nastiness in front of a mirror.

Andre Jute wrote: "K.A. wrote: "...wouldn't want the Harpies of Romance after me."

Harper now publishes Romance?"

No, there's a group of women who review romances on Good Reads, Amazon and different blogs. You recall the Amazon fora? Those are the Harpies of Romance. LOL

Shudder.

monstre sacré, n.

. . . .

Etymology: French monstre sacré, lit. ‘sacred monster’ (1922 in sense ‘someone of great renown’, 1938 denoting a comedian of exceptional personality and fame) < monstre monstern. + sacré sacred adj.

. . . .
A striking or eccentric public figure; a person of controversial renown, esp. in the world of entertainment.
. . . .

1975 Times 30 Oct. 8/5 Half saint, half satyr, wholly monstre sacré, the face [of Bertrand Russell] looks out upon us from the photographs.

The Times can be pretty poncey at times.

I agree!

Poncey is good word for the The Times (London) and the NY Times too. They whore after false gods.

pon·cy
ˈpänsē/Submit adjectiveBRITISHinformal
adjective: poncey
pretentious or affected.
"a poncy wine bar"

For those of us who don't speak British. LOL

You guys have some really great words...

Of course, for an American, I have the very great privilege of associating with Andre for so many years now. And I worked at Rolls-Royce when I started out.

You must have a great time when you get together.

Back in 1997, I was at a political convention in Autin, Texas, where the RNC rules panel was to discuss the upcoming electorial districts. So I arrive, a newly registered voter, with the intent to have my say.

A nice polite guy greeted me, obviously one of the current board members. His name tag said 'Gerry' on it.

"Nice to meet you, Gerry. I'm Dan."

We shook hands, he said something polite about the weather, and showed me to my seat near the center podium. At the table I regarded the proposed maps, and eventually, some Intern, a nice looking young lady, offered me a Cola.

With my mouth nearly full of the ice cold soda, the announcer came up and said into the microphone, "Will Mr. Mander please call order to the meeting?" Gerry hurried to his spot at the member's table.

I nearly spewed the whole mouthful all over the table.

Hence my introduction to the word only I recognized that fateful day, the very day I inhaled Cola back down out of my sinuses before it came out of my nose;

ger·ry·man·der

ˈjerēˌmandər/

verb

gerund or present participle: gerrymandering manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.

To achieve (a result) by manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency.

"A total freedom to gerrymander the results they want."

YES!!!

Holy Reagan, what a story.

"And now Mr Gerry Mander will tell us about the hanging chad."

Snagged a few of these.

balter (v.): to dance artlessly, without particular grace or skill but usually with enjoyment.
Example: “Never underestimate the healing power of listening to your favorite music on full blast while baltering”

chork (v.): to make the noise that feet do when one’s shoes are full of water.
Example: “Caught in the rainstorm with no shelter, he was soon chorking his way toward a terrible cold.”

duffifie (v.): to lay a bottle on its side for some time so that it may be completely drained of the few drops remaining.
Example: “The relationship started to fall apart when Dennis uprighted a bottle of ketchup that Sarah had been duffifying for days.”

egrote (v.): to feign sickness in order to avoid work.
Example: “Among lazy men, egroting is a pursuit of perfection.”

feague (v.): to put a live eel up a horse’s bottom; used figuratively to describe encouraging someone or getting their spirits up.
Example: “I’ve heard Ann Romney’s secret to winning dressage is feaguing Rafalca right before the competition.”
This word, used in the 1700s by what were apparently kinky horse-traders, came from a reference called Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

jehu (n.): a fast or furious driver.
Example: “So I’ve got an idea for a movie. We get a bunch of jehus—well, that’s about it..” A jehu is named for Jehu, a Biblical figure who “driveth furiously” as he went to murder King Ahab by the Lord’s decree.

metanoia(n.): the journey of changing one’s mind, spirit, heart, self or way of life; fundamental change of mind; spiritual conversion.
Example: Metanoia in the psychological theory of Carl Jung denotes a process of reforming the psyche as a form of self healing, a proposed explanation for the phenomenon of psychotic breakdown .
This one actually has its origins in Greek.

pedeconference (n.): to hold a meeting while walking.
Example: “Roughly 40% of the West Wing is footage of people pedeconferencing.”

redamancy (n.): the act of loving the one who loves you; loving in return
Example: “Despite his lack of redamancy her passion for him was unabated for several years.”

scuddle (v.): to run with an affected haste.
Example: “Desperate to look important and with nothing to do, she scuddled around the office like a pinball.”

serendipity (n.): the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident; finding something good without looking for it.
Example: “Sarah had known Josh for years and had a crush on him. She never knew that Josh liked her too. It must have been serendipity that their mutual friend Alice set them up on a blind date.”

snollygoster. (n.): One, especially a politician, who is guided by personal advantage rather than by consistent, respectable principles.
Example : “Even though he professed to not be a crook, our president was still a bit of a snollygoster, wasn’t he?”

throttlebottom (n.): a dishonest man who holds public office.
Example: “’That Barack Obama is a downright throttlebottom!’ said the Tea Party supporter who feigned political opinions so he could wear colonial garb.”
Other great political insults include flapdoodler, lollie boy, pollywog and quockerwodger.

uhtceare (n.): lying awake before dawn and worrying.
Example: “Knowing that some object he owned had been secretly put in the toilet bowl, Jerry lay awake, plagued by uhtceare.”
Pronounced oot-key-are-a, the word breaks down into two parts: uht, a word for the restless hour before dawn and ceare, an Old English term for care and sorrow.

zarf (n.): the cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup that keeps you from burning your fingers.
Example: “Forgetting a zarf often leads to a dangerous game of hot potato.”
In the olden days, zarfs were typically metal or ornamental. These days they’re referred to as ‘one of those little cardboard thingys.’”

K.A. wrote: "zarf (n.): the cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup that keeps you from burning your fingers."

I like Podstakannik. Russians drink their tea in a tall glass, which is hot, and handle it a holder, which is a "podstakannik".

Spoken Russian and Japanese have such an abrupt, brutish sound, which is often at odds with the item described, in this instance what could be a silver holder, beautifully filigreed and decorated.

Maybe that's the noise they made when they burned their fingers, because they didn't have one.

Kench

throttlebottom (n.): a dishonest man who holds public office.
Example: “’That Mitch McConnel is a downright throttlebottom!’ said the Tea Party supporter who feigned political opinions so he could wear colonial garb.”

Other great political insults include flapdoodler, lollie boy, pollywog and quockerwodger.

Fixed it.

Wop

(n) a racial slur for an Italian or person of Italian heritage. It is often said that this term comes from "With Out Papers" or "Working On Pavement," but it actually comes from the Italian word "guappo", meaning a swaggerer, pimp, or ruffian.

Joke: Why don't Italians like riding in helicopters? Well, they really don't care for the wop sound the blades make.

Edit: I have a foster brother who is pure Italian. Ardello Fortunado, and he enjoyed telling me that joke himself. Gotta love those guys. They have a great sense of humor.

Mrs Thatcher, when she was Prime Minister of Great Britain, was tut-tutted by a fellow who didn't believe unchecked immigration was a threat. She snapped, "The wogs and wops aren't in Calais, man, they've reached Wolverhampton." Massive outrage followed and she won the next three elections on the trot.

Maggie was a Ronnie Reagan's biggest fan and vis versa.

And?