OT Word Fun

On Mon 24 Jan 2005 04:53:13p, Michael Odom wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

From a friend's email:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
winners.

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until
you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops
bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows
little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of
getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the
subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the
person who doesn't get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these
really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's
like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day
consuming only things that are good for you. (OBFood)

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when
they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after
you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into
your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in
the fruit you're eating. (OBFood)

And the pick of the literature:

18. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an [censored]

modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Imaginative and very entertaining!

Wayne

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:53:13 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

From a friend's email:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
winners.

that's the *washington post*'s 'style invitational,' a weekly contest
of word games, etc., for readers published in each sunday's *style*
section. you can probably access it at washingtonpost.com. as far as
i know it has nothing whatever to do with mensa, the high i.q. club.

your nitpicking pal,
blake

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 04:19:54 GMT, blake murphy <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 24 Jan 2005 17:53:13 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

From a friend's email:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
winners.

that's the *washington post*'s 'style invitational,' a weekly contest
of word games, etc., for readers published in each sunday's *style*
section. you can probably access it at washingtonpost.com. as far as
i know it has nothing whatever to do with mensa, the high i.q. club.

your nitpicking pal,
blake

Thanks for picking my nits, Blake. It appears my email informant was
inaccurate, not to say lying.

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

OBFood: I made us quesadillas with home smoked jalapenos and olives
for a midnight snack.

modom

"Dallas is a rich man with a death wish in his eyes."
-- Jimmie Dale Gilmore

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Damsel in dis Dress said:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that
skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

Carol

Many of them probably have Asperger's Syndrome or some similar disorder.
See http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Aspergers .

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

"[America] is filled with people who decided not to live in Europe. We
had people who really wanted to live in Europe, but didn't have the
energy to go back. We call them Canadians." ---Grover Norquist in
Newsweek, November 22, 2004

Rona Yuthasastrakosol said:

Damsel in dis Dress said:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that
skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

Carol

Many of them probably have Asperger's Syndrome or some similar disorder.
See http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Aspergers .

I wouldn't be surprised at all. Many of the Mensans I've known have been
completely inept socially, but are brilliant. Most couldn't hold a job for
very long.

I learned my social skills as an adult, by reading books. They're not
perfect, but much better than those in my pre-adult years.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

Carol said:

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
good cross-section of the rest of the population.

Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
who are interested in socializing.

There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
Mensa are: (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
people.

Bob

Bob' virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

Carol said:

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
good cross-section of the rest of the population.

Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
who are interested in socializing.

There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
Mensa are: (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
people.

I was once among them. I joined just so I'd have proof (for myself) that I
wasn't stupid, because I often felt that I was. It was a good 2-3 years,
and then I was no longer in a position to pay the fees.

Some of my friends were normalish people. Most were social disasters. I
probably shouldn't have generalized based on my experiences. My apologies.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Michael if you get a chance.
Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.

Pan Ohco

The Earth is degenerating these days. Bribery and corruption abound.
Children no longer mind their parents, every man wants to write a
Book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching.
--Assyrian stone tablet, c. 2800 B.C.

"Pan Ohco" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Michael if you get a chance.
Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.

Pan Ohco

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high on
IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their lives.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Michael Odom said:

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to
take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or
changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's
winners.
(clipped very funnies)

Ovena - the ritual prayer for souffle bakers.

Peter Aitken said:

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high
on IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their
lives.

You mean like Isaac Asimov?

Bob

Bob' virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:

Peter Aitken said:

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high
on IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their
lives.

You mean like Isaac Asimov?

Geena Davis is a member.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_

"Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score high
on IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their
lives.

You mean like Isaac Asimov?

Bob

There are exceptions of course - did I really have to spell that out for
you?

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the [censored] from my email address before using.

Peter said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How right you are. In my experience, Mensa attracts people who score

high

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

on IQ tests but never manage to accomplish anything of value in their
lives.

You mean like Isaac Asimov?

Bob

There are exceptions of course - did I really have to spell that out for
you?

I tell you what: Since you wrote, "In my experience..." how about telling us
what experience you HAVE with Mensa? Your negative attitude seems to
indicate a negative experience (probably a failure to qualify for
membership). I've been a life member of Mensa since 1984, and I've met
hundreds of Mensans during that time. Most of them were at least as
accomplished as their Densan counterparts, and most of them were also
socially skilled.

I think you're just perpetuating a stereotype because you envy those with
higher IQ's.

Bob

On 31 Jan 2005 06:26:02 -0600, "Bob" <virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz>

Quoted message said:

Carol said:

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Extremely common among Mensans.

That's not exactly true. Except for IQ, Mensans seem to represent a pretty
good cross-section of the rest of the population.

Remember that Mensa is at heart a social organization, so it attracts people
who are interested in socializing.

There are plenty of people who *would* qualify for Mensa who don't join
because they lack social skills and are NOT interested in socializing.
There are also many qualified people who don't join because of the
stereotypes associated with Mensa. The two main stereotypes associated with
Mensa are: (1) Buncha socially-inept nerds, and (2) pompous asses who want
to impress each other with how smart they are. But the reality is that most
Mensans are pretty normal; they're just able to think better than most other
people.

Bob

my experience is that it's a bunch of people who like to drink and
talk and laugh and try to get into each others' pants. does this
sound familiar at all?

your pal,
blake

Pan Ohco said:

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 00:14:48 -0600, Michael Odom <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OBMensa: A member of my acquaintance dropped by yesterday. He's
really smart, but socially and interpersonally he's not that skillful.

Michael if you get a chance.
Mensa has an open meeting night every so often, to look for new
members. If you go you will find that your friend fits in very well.
The meeting consist of people saying how smart they are.

Pan Ohco

on the contrary. mensa people don't *have* to try to impress each
other with how smart they are. they know that they score in the upper
2% on any of a number of i.q. tests. not to be snotty, but i'm
guessing you miss the boat.

the key attraction for many is that they don't have to explain their
jokes.

yes, some are socially inept, but i think that occurs in the other 98%
as well.

your pal,
blake

Damsel in dis Dress said:

I was once among them. I joined just so I'd have proof (for myself) that I
wasn't stupid, because I often felt that I was. It was a good 2-3 years,
and then I was no longer in a position to pay the fees.

Some of my friends were normalish people. Most were social disasters. I
probably shouldn't have generalized based on my experiences. My apologies.

Quoted message said:

Carol

i've always though there were lots of sharp people in this group, but
i didn't expect so many closet mensans. anyone else?

your dopey pal,
blake

blake murphy <[email hidden]>, if that's their real name, wrote:

Re: Mensa

Quoted message said:

my experience is that it's a bunch of people who like to drink and
talk and laugh and try to get into each others' pants. does this
sound familiar at all?

Definitely.

Carol
--
"Years ago my mother used to say to me... She'd say,
'In this world Elwood, you must be oh-so smart or oh-so pleasant.'
Well, for years I was smart.... I recommend pleasant. You may quote me."

*James Stewart* in the 1950 movie, _Harvey_