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Post by The Duchess on Jan 27, 2014 17:41:33 GMT -5
Yes, they do. The word "ring" doesn't count.
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on Jan 27, 2014 18:04:21 GMT -5
do you want a letmegooglethatforyou link, pen? : P
and yes, QRV's "ring" should absolutely be included. perfectly executed sebald code.
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Post by penne on Jan 27, 2014 19:49:50 GMT -5
haha sorry. And I think Duchess P just meant that when counting the words you don't count the "ring", not that it shouldn't be included.
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on Jan 27, 2014 20:00:33 GMT -5
oh, that wasn't meant in reply to Duchess at all, I just meant QRV's definition of ring should be included in the final dictionary gift because it's a very good one. hah
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Post by Dante on Jan 28, 2014 11:32:00 GMT -5
I have to agree, and I think it's especially satisfying that it would come near the end of the alphabet as well. Top marks, Q.R.V.
(And just to recap: RING signals the beginning of the code, the first word after RING is the first coded word, you then skip ten words, count the next word, skip ten, etc., until another RING. So it's RING CODE [ten words] CODE [ten words] [repeat] RING.)
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Post by Agathological on Jan 28, 2014 11:57:34 GMT -5
Winklepicker: a style of shoe worn by fashion-conscious financial advisors with a fondness for kicking orphans. Winklepickers come in two colors: pinstriped or pinstriped. I thought I was the only one that knew the word Winklepicker...
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Post by Dante on Jan 30, 2014 15:57:44 GMT -5
After the first rush of ideas, I see that we're running a little low on steam, so since a week has now gone by, I thought I would run through all the entries and talk a little about which ones I think should be included, which ones need a little rewriting, etc. Feel free to agree or disagree, but I want to provide some direction here. This'll also give us a provisional list and a sense of which letters we may want to pursue from now on. I do think this is a strong start, very strong - but we also need a strong middle and a strong end. Xylophone: A word which here means whatever you want it to mean, apparently. I think that using "xylophone" would be a great callback, but this definition was totally an example and I can take it or leave it - you might want to come up with an actual definition for it as an adjective. Any takers? My contributions: sottisier, n - a collection of ridiculous comments or stupidities; can be sometimes used as synonym for the internetpalindrome, n - a word, phrase, number or other sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards, e.g. "44" or "Poor Dan is in a droop." Palindromic numbers are also called "Scheherazade numbers," because Scheherazade was the name of the story-telling wife in the 1001 Nights. quartet, n - a group of four people or things, e.g. seasons of the year, divisions of day, movements in a symphony, suits of playing cards, a string quartet, the number of strings on each of the string quartet members' instruments, four colly birds on the fourth day of Christmas, The Beatles, four opposed camps of the morality and nature of evil, All The Wrong Questions, or the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Good combination of the obscure and slightly more common in terms of words, and the informative, entertaining, and self-deprecating in the definitions. Terry Craig has a good spread here; if you're not sure how to go about this project, have a look at these. Teuthologist (n)- A person who dedicates their life to the noble and worthwhile pursuit of studying octopi. Stain'd-by-the-Sea's resident Teuthologist left due to a combination of poor finances, literary deficiencies and an incident with a Mahjong tileInquisitive (adj)- The notion that adults term 'nosy,' children term 'bothering' and well read people term 'adventurous' He was inquisitive on what S. Theodora Markson looked like; the provided images did not satisfy his curiosity I think these need a little proof-reading, but ultimately they're fine. Proof-reading can come later. chiropterologist (n)- A person, often one of beauty who trains bats to detect fire, recommend books and the undertaking of finding lost tea set pieces. He was about to inform that chiropterologist was a better suited word than 'baticeer' but was at that moment eaten by a hungry donkey Ditto. Maybe not a donkey, though. Perhaps a giant chiropteran? Penultimate (Adjective): The absolute ultimate, often overused incorrectly in describing things such as book releases. It's ironic, it's something Snicket himself has complained about so we know he'll get the joke - good stuff. Quintessential (adj.): the fifth essential. Out of that line of essentials, the fifth one is the one we call "quintessential"Short and sweet. xenodocheionology (n)- One who enjoys leaving their own home and living with complete strangers for a few days. Hotel Denouement was a habitat of xenodocheionology, until it met its untimely death at the hands of an infant X being a letter we have multiple words for would be really satisfying, I think. As it stands, though, I'd rather the definition edged closer to a more literal (if still jokey) one, owing to the fact that this is a genuinely really obscure word and it's not really funny if you don't know what it means. I want to put 'pseudonym' in the dictionary but I can't think of a right definition. "A false name used to hide one's responsibility for tales of children suffering, abusive letters to the editor, theories posted on the Internet, etc. He posted about the pseudonymous author pseudonymously." Anyone able to better this? Subpar (adj.): superb. A: Oh, honey, the dinner was simply subpar! B: Thank you, sweetie.I've said this before, but I don't think the irony is clear enough. Do people mix up "superb" and "subpar" all that often? But I accept that I would've gotten the joke if it had been "rouge" and "rogue," so I can only request making it more obvious. A: Frankly, dear, that dinner was subpar. B: Oh, sweetie, you do flatter me!Inkling (n.): Variously used to refer to a private organisation of fantasy novelists, a juvenile octopus, and the first dark line of an idea staining the blank paper of one's mind. The Inklings had an inkling about an inkling. Any thoughts on this one? It is mine, so I'm not the most objective judge. Triskaidekaphobia- fear of the number 13 Example: she had Triskaidekaphobia, so she ran away when I read A Series Of Unfortunate Events. I'd like to suggest a refinement: define the word simply as "an entirely rational fear." Then the example sentence could demonstrate its true meaning by alluding to Snicket's works. A contribution of my own: Killdeer: A bird with a misleading name and misleading behaviors. Can we assume that Snicket knows what triskaidekaphobia is? In my opinion, yes, so I would agree that we can have a joke without needing to explain it. But, as noted, an example sentence would nonetheless go well with that one. Any ideas? i came up with soething liek LYCANTHROPE: the condition of every now and then realising you are too hairy and irritable roughly every few weeks. this particularly happens when approaching your mid fortys. someone fix this please Just a slightly abbreviated version from me: "An individual who finds themselves becoming hairy and irritable roughly every few weeks, particularly when approaching their mid-forties." Ain't- The only word in the English language as it is the only word in all English dictionaries. English linguists speculate that all other "words" are actually a series of grunts and hisses that are supposed to have some meaning, but no one else can make sense of the series of grunts and hisses that they produce. Exactly as surreal as it needs to be. Niall (n)- a Scottish monster that can sing inoffensive, catchy melodies after consuming large quantities of food. Sentence: I really need to know if Daniel Handler’s favorite member of One Direction is Niall, you know, the Scottish monster who sings greeting cards with guitar solos. I don't know anything about One Direction, but I'll take it. Weaksauce – a type of sauce that is not strong enough to satisfy the taste buds of a ravenous acting troupe Sentence- Perhaps we should substitute this weaksauce with a nice puttanesca sauce instead. Culpable, young women who demonstrate the ability to think critically and set themselves apart from the masses, but have a tendency to bludgeon others with sports equipment She starred in plays, enjoyed opera, edited her high school’s literary magazine and covered all her textbooks, so no one knew she was culpable until it was too late. There's a good point here, which is that we are celebrating Daniel Handler's birthday, not just Lemony Snicket's - references to his back catalogue are very appropriate. If we're missing Gs, maybe somebody can do "golem"? Highfalutin (adj.): A falutin under the influence of narcotics. I can't believe you showed up highfalutin to my wedding!or Highfalutin (adj.): A word used to describe an author who'd publish a series thirteen books long, all with similar plots, and would still expect praise for his originality. That author is so highfalutin: he keeps giving me the definition of words as if he thinks he's smarter than me or something.I prefer the former, and not just because I think the latter's not obviously sarcastic enough. valetudinarian - a person who is overly preoccupied and anxious about their own health. Doctor Robinson was fed up with the valetudinarian in Ward 3 who kept whining about a severe pain in his right side.I feel like there's a better joke to be made in the example sentence, but I don't know what it would be. A complaint that's more obviously hypochondriacal, for instance. ...Actually, how would you feel about making the example sentence a mushroom joke? Early synopses for TGG indicated that hypochondria would be involved with the plot, and while it's easy to see how that would've worked, it didn't happen in the end - but I think that would be a very knowing reference to make. Depending on how the letters add up, the word itself could be switched to "hypochondriac" if necessary. Obfuscation - the practice of hiding the meaning of certain things by coming up with obscure words like 'obfuscation'. Woebegone - a word meaning the appearance of intense sadness, often used to describe authors, people turning 44, or both. No change required. Deipnosophist: a person skilled in the art of steering dinner-table conversation away from the dangerous topics of vacation photos and tapioca. "Madame diLustro, I believe I've discovered your true identity!" is the battle-cry of the deipnosophists. Hydrophobia: extreme fear of dihydrogen monoxide, a chemical substance found in processed food and a major component of acid rain. DHMO is colorless, odorless, and fatal upon inhalation or prolonged contact with its solid form. The Daily Punctilio recently ran a campaign, spearheaded by the hydrophobic Geraldine Julienne, to ban dihydrogen monoxide. Sesquipedalian: an unfortunate tendency to expound one’s convictions with a vocabulary of excessive turgidness. “Pietrisycamollaviadelrechiotemexity,” said sprouting sesquipedalian Sunny. Stegophilist: someone who enjoys climbing the exteriors of buildings, either for recreational purposes or to escape angry mobs. He had all the hallmarks of a great author; not only did he possess a portable typewriter and a broken heart, but he was also an avid stegophilist. Quire: four bifolia; one twentieth of a ream; two binions; four fifths of a quinion. The author’s constant weeping destroyed three quires of expensive Bohemian stationary. Winklepicker: a style of shoe worn by fashion-conscious financial advisors with a fondness for kicking orphans. Winklepickers come in two colors: pinstriped or pinstriped. Can we have "turgidity" instead? Otherwise, perfect. zoanthropy - a mental disorder in which one believes oneself to be animal. Crazy Old Jenkins has been rambling about how he's a "human" for the past twenty years, when he was diagnosed with zoanthropy.Not to criticise the example sentence that you've come up with, but there is a golden opportunity here to link this into "lycanthrope." Also worth bearing in mind that it'll almost certain be the last word in the Snicktionary. Ululation - a loud wail of grief, commonly heard at birthday parties. Infenestration - to throw into a window. Fenestration - to throw a window. Rather annoyingly, Infenestration and Fenestration would work best consecutively, which they wouldn't be owing to the alphabetical order of the Snicktionary. I'm reluctant to include the earlier "defenestration" on the grounds that Snicket has actually defined it, but they need some unity... it'd be less snappy, but perhaps if you were to shape the example sentences to fit? I.e.: Fenestration To throw a window. He thought about defenstrating the boy, but fenestrated onto him instead.Infenestration To throw into a window. He had only meant to infenestrate the colonel, but defenestrated him by accident.Ring: a small circular band worn on the finger, often to mark happy occasions such as a couple’s engagement, a child’s christening or birth, and (for those not unjustly accused of crimes) a wedding day. Alternately, when used as a verb this word can mean to produce a clear, resonant sound, caused by air vibrating around you. “Ring out their delight!” – Edgar Allan Poe, The Bells I think we all agree that this is in. Pyromaniac- a person, especially a tall bearded man with a tattoo, that likes to set fires. Count Olaf.Perhaps this is a good opportunity to reprise the "many words for people like that" section from the Bad Beginning Rare Edition. This list gives us thirty-six words, which is nearly all we need! However, that would leave us only eight slots left, which is a bit tight when we have six (by my possibly erroneous count) unaccounted-for letters: B E G J M YI'd advise anyone who still wants to contribute a new word to focus their efforts on these letters. I'll grant you that Y and J might be a little tricky, but the rest shouldn't pose too much of a problem. I hope this will give people some thoughts and ideas for how to go on. I'm really pleased with how we've begun and think this is shaping up to be a great project.
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Antenora
Detriment Deleter
Fiendish Philologist
Put down that harpoon gun, in the name of these wonderful birds!
Posts: 15,891
Likes: 113
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Post by Antenora on Jan 30, 2014 16:10:26 GMT -5
Xylophone: A word which here means whatever you want it to mean, apparently. I think that using "xylophone" would be a great callback, but this definition was totally an example and I can take it or leave it - you might want to come up with an actual definition for it as an adjective. Any takers? Perhaps we could refine that to something along the lines of "A word called into service to fill the X space on an alphabetical list." Or for the adjectival definition, "Useful for filling the X space on an alphabetical list." Mitteilungsbedürfnis: (German) An inexplicable need to communicate. Also, an example sentence for my "killdeer" entry: "How many deer would a killdeer kill if a killdeer could kill deer?" is entirely the wrong question.
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Post by Dante on Jan 30, 2014 16:21:18 GMT -5
Well, I'm sold.
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Post by penne on Jan 30, 2014 16:34:11 GMT -5
oh boy, do I need to start working on my sarcasm!
Tautology (n.): The needless, redundant use of words with the same repetitive meaning more than once in a sentence, without there being a necessity of doing so. As the man walked through the dry desert, he thought about redundant examples of tautology, and then wondered why was he thinking about that while he was lost in the desert and didn't know where he was.
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Post by bandit on Jan 30, 2014 17:11:32 GMT -5
I feel like there's a better joke to be made in the example sentence, but I don't know what it would be. A complaint that's more obviously hypochondriacal, for instance. I'm not sure what you mean by that. The joke is that a sharp pain in the right side is something very serious that should be checked up on immediately, and the doctor is shrugging off the patient as some kind of hypochondriac.
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Post by Teleram on Jan 30, 2014 18:43:14 GMT -5
What about this: Eye ( tattoo of) - Something that has now become the sign of being treacherous, pyromanic, and starting out fires rather than being noble, well-read and putting out fires.
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on Jan 30, 2014 19:59:37 GMT -5
Infenestration - to throw into a window. Fenestration - to throw a window. Rather annoyingly, Infenestration and Fenestration would work best consecutively, which they wouldn't be owing to the alphabetical order of the Snicktionary. I'm reluctant to include the earlier "defenestration" on the grounds that Snicket has actually defined it, but they need some unity... it'd be less snappy, but perhaps if you were to shape the example sentences to fit? I.e.: Fenestration To throw a window. He thought about defenstrating the boy, but fenestrated onto him instead.Infenestration To throw into a window. He had only meant to infenestrate the colonel, but defenestrated him by accident.Good idea cross-referencing the words. Alternatively, I thought, if one were to insist on the two words being next to each other, one could solve it like that: "[here the definition of Infenestration]. Not to be confused with fenestration, which means throwing a window." As for "B", how about: Beekabackabooka, n - a bitter, reddish-brown medicine used to relieve pain, or used as inspiration to write literature "If it looks like laudanum, and it smells like laudanum, then it is probably Beekabackabooka."
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Post by The Duchess on Jan 30, 2014 20:02:03 GMT -5
Are the defenitions going to be illustrated?
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Post by Poe's Coats Host Toast on Jan 31, 2014 3:27:25 GMT -5
Yes, I think we will illustrate some of the definitions, Duchess, but probably not all of them (due to time and space). I feel like there's a better joke to be made in the example sentence, but I don't know what it would be. A complaint that's more obviously hypochondriacal, for instance. I'm not sure what you mean by that. The joke is that a sharp pain in the right side is something very serious that should be checked up on immediately, and the doctor is shrugging off the patient as some kind of hypochondriac. It seems like something serious, but it would also be possible for a hypochondriac to have exaggerated and it being only a harmless stitch or something. It would just lend itself to go over the top to really drive the sarcasm home, and say something like "(...) who kept whining about a pair of garden scissors in his chest." Just as an example. As for the trickier letters left to cover, for Y I've got one idea: yowie, n. - The Australian equivalent of the mythical Bigfoot. "Holy dooley! I think that's a Yowie!" "Nah, mate, that's just someone approaching his mid-forties."which would also tie in to the lycantrophe definition. And for J, I've got three suggestions: jiffy, n. - 1) a second 2) a minute 3) any moment now 4) indeterminate time that could take forever As in: "I'll be there in a jiffy."jerque 1. ( verb) to search a vessel for smuggled goods 2. ( noun) ( informal) a contemptibly foolish person. jobation, n. - [after the biblical Job] a long, tedious criticism; scolding, lecture "We got a letter from one of our readers, who gives us a real jobation. He starts right off with 'How dare you!'"The example sentences (for the J words) could be re-written, though (or in the case of the second one, an example could be added).
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