Down to brass tacks

[Nuzzolese]

It seems like there must be, or ought to be, a shorter way of saying some things that come up pretty often. Even if they don't make much sense or would just become a cliche like saying "when it rains, it pours" at least that would tell people what's going on and they would understand because they'd been there too. Sometimes it's just a matter of borrowing from another language like with "deja vu" and "l'esprit d'escalier."

Yes, a shorter way of saying things. It took me forever to go back and shorten a bunch of these poll options so that they didn't exceed the character limit, without losing too much explanation.

So which one of these would you most like a shorter explanation for, Some little brief name or phrase; and do you have one?

[jabumbo]

how about trying to explain something very simple to one of those very smart/nerdy people who have absolutely no common sense and can't pick up a hit from a mile away?

[TAL]

I usually use the word "oh" when I realize something.

[Nuzzolese]

I usually use the word "oh" when I realize something.

But that doesn't explain anything.

[Nuzzolese]

isnt the first one a 'narcotizing' effect.

I don't know, is it?

[JBernas]

Sudden magnification of awareness of an everyday object/word, so you question your perception of it. -Marcople :D

[Nuzzolese]

Sudden magnification of awareness of an everyday object/word, so you question your perception of it. -Marcople :D

What is that? Is that a word? Where did you get it? How you pronounce?

[SobaViolence]

i don't get it. :confused:

[Nuzzolese]

well there is a phrase called the "narcotizing dysfunction" in relation to watching tv or a movie. You sort of stare at the screen and zone out, as though you are high on narcotics.

so yeah.

Alright, one down. Put it in the books. Done. On to the next. (y)

[jabumbo]

i use brass tacks to hang up pictures from time to time

[Nuzzolese]

i don't get it. :confused:

Have you ever tried to explain the phenomenon of Deja Vu? Isn't it just easier to say "deja vu" and have anyone who hears you know what you're talking about? It's like that.

[Nuzzolese]

i use brass tacks to hang up pictures from time to time

Liar

[TAL]

But that doesn't explain anything.
Oh.

[JBernas]

What is that? Is that a word? Where did you get it? How you pronounce?

Just made it up....does it have to be a real word? Someone somewhere had to make up deja vu....I guess you could either pronounce it mar-cop(as in police)-el or mar-cope-el. And you thought I was all smart busting out with that word ;)

[Nuzzolese]

Well 'deja vu' is actually rather easy for me to describe. I even know what causes it. But I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about.

But it is easIER and faster to just say deja vu. That's my point, more things in life need concise expressions like that. I'm starting to think that the very desire, to condense a phenomenon into a concise defintition, needs a concise definition. :rolleyes:

I don't know how else to explain it. Some of you get what I'm talking about and some of you don't.

[Bob]

the social skills one....we can call them "bobs"

[Nuzzolese]

Just made it up....does it have to be a real word? Someone somewhere had to make up deja vu....I guess you could either pronounce it mar-cop(as in police)-el or mar-cope-el. And you thought I was all smart busting out with that word ;)

It'd be cooler if it was a real word or pair of words. :o

How about, Renoticing, as in noticing again but this time for real as in "whoa has that ceiling fan been up there all this time!? I just renoticed it!"

Or

Cognitardation as in a combination of cognizant and retarded, as in late or delayed cognition of something as in "I was so cognitarded of that ceiling fan, I never noticed it until now"

[Documad]

The one about getting compliments needs a name. At work, we call it "Sean _______ing" after a coworker who does it all the time. He does really painful public compliments and I believe they're sincere but their length and frequency is a product of his gross insecurity.

My favorite Sean _____ism is when he was telling a supervisor what an extraordinarily great writer I am, how he learned so much from me, and I'm an asset to the whole office, and he ended with, "Documad is the one who taught me to use headings when I write long papers." It was so incredibly embarrassing. Yes, I invented headings. He might as well have said that I taught him to put periods at the end of his sentences.

[Nuzzolese]

But then wouldn't anytime we try and describe something, we'd all end up saying these silly little phrases, which unless you know what they mean, they give no clue to what you are trying to explain. And believe me, this is murder for foreigners. The English language is full of silly and confusing things as it is, without us adding things to them. Trying to explain to my Slovak friend what half of our stupid phrases and sayings mean, is very difficult, because quite often the actual meaning, is a load of garbage anyway.

After reading a bit more, I do understand what you are trying to ask. But the fact that the 'question' at the top of the poll, is not actually a question, it threw me a little.

No I think we need more cute localized phrases to add character to our speech. Foreigners have it too easy anyway.

[Nuzzolese]

The one about getting compliments needs a name. At work, we call it "Sean _______ing" after a coworker who does it all the time. He does really painful public compliments and I believe they're sincere but their length and frequency is a product of his gross insecurity.

My favorite Sean _____ism is when he was telling a supervisor what an extraordinarily great writer I am, how he learned so much from me, and I'm an asset to the whole office, and he ended with, "Documad is the one who taught me to use headings when I write long papers." It was so incredibly embarrassing. Yes, I invented headings. He might as well have said that I taught him to put periods at the end of his sentences.

mickill made a whole thread about this. He needs to contribute.

HEY MICKILL!


See if I type in all caps he's more likely to see it if he's not at his computer.

[Nuzzolese]

I was thinking of some sort of...

Surrealization...

Like when you say a word 50 times and all of the sudden it loses all meaning to you...

I LOVE doing that! You even start to wonder if you're still saying it correctly.
Buddhist monks will chant a phrase over and over until it becomes something spiritual. So maybe that moment when the word no longer has meaning, it's not what we think it is, and actually that is the moment when the word finally DOES mean something because it becomes spiritual. Most words are arbitrarily assigned to their objects. Words only have meaning through their coparison with other words, through our memorization and life experience associating them with things. Maybe if we chant phrases, the words finally meet their real spiritual meaning. You know Adam in the garden of Eden was given the task of naming all the animals and he instincually knew the right and perfect name for everything. But when Adam ate the apple and was banished from the garden, spiritual meaning was disjointed from the earth and now we all have to find spiritual meaning for life on our own. I guess that's why we name things, why names are so important. It's all we have.

[Nuzzolese]

But then surely to 'renotice' something, you would have had to first 'noticed' it. And then you'd just be 'remembering' it. "Hey, I just remembered we have a ceiling fan'.

True. That would be a slightly different situation. I like cognitarded better anyway.

[JBernas]

I was thinking of some sort of...

Surrealization...

Like when you say a word 50 times and all of the sudden it loses all meaning to you...

Or when you spell a simple word that you KNOW how to spell like 10 different ways and it still looks weird to you

[Bob]

Or when you spell a simple word that you KNOW how to spell like 10 different ways and it still looks weird to you

like lisence. or is it liscense? license...liscence...goddamnit, bad example

i pride myself on my spelling but that word always trips me up

[Nuzzolese]

A person who habitually mispronounces proper names despite frequent reminders of the correct way.

This one drives me crazy. It's just so disrespectful! A lady I work next to always ALWAYS says the name of one of the doctors incorrectly. Everyone else says it the right way and it kills me that he never corrects her. She really ennunciates the incorrect part too, like as if she's trying to hint to us that WE'VE all been saying it wrong.

And the manager at the bookstore, he says my full name the wrong way. But he never talks to me so it's no big deal. Everyone there calls me by my nikname anyway.

[Bob]

A person who habitually mispronounces proper names despite frequent reminders of the correct way.

This one drives me crazy. It's just so disrespectful!

maybe they're just dumb. don't be so insensitive!

[Nuzzolese]

maybe they're just dumb. don't be so insensitive!

oh and being dumb is an excuse?

[Freebasser]

There's already a word for that kind of person - twats.

[Bob]

oh and being dumb is an excuse?

i happen to be a major activist in advancing the cause of the rights of Dumb Americans, don't you try and rile me

[avignon]

I want to invent one!

To nuzz is to use thrice as many words as needed to get a relatively simple point across.

which is why I applaud your efforts in this thread! (y)

[Bob]

I want to invent one!

To nuzz is to use thrice as many words as needed to get a relatively simple point across.

which is why I applaud your efforts in this thread! (y)

i thought that was a dickens

[avignon]

I thought a dickens was to suddenly iron out your plot conflicts by introducing far-fetched coincidences like completely unrelated strangers who look absolutely identical, or finding out that your nemesis who had made your life hell was really your distant cousin and you were his only living relative and he died unexpectedly and left you all of his money.

[icy manipulator]

just letting you know i just picked the first random one (y)

[mickill]

mickill made a whole thread about this. He needs to contribute.

HEY MICKILL!


See if I type in all caps he's more likely to see it if he's not at his computer.

Good thing I heard this post.

"Sincere" compliments from someone you don't like/respect? Yes, that should be referred to as a snotch. As in, quit snotching me, man.

[Nuzzolese]

I want to invent one!

To nuzz is to use thrice as many words as needed to get a relatively simple point across.

which is why I applaud your efforts in this thread! (y)

A vital part of this defintion is that usage of those excessive words must be done in a pleasing, confounding, lyrical way; and it often ends in something mildly amusing, if you think about. v.

[Sarky Devotchka]

sounds like this all a plot to begin introducing newspeak. you're working for Big Brother, I knew it!

(sorry, I'm reading 1984).

You know how sometimes you like a guy or even a pet, but not sexually...you still really like them and want to squish them and be around them a lot, but you don't want to date them? Cort and I started calling that feeling, "schmoopy".