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December 12, 2007

My Word

Okay, we haven't done this for a while. We've been sidetracked by world events: Annapolis, Gaza, Syrian Nukes, Iranian Nukes, the NIE Report. Gee-willikers, the sheer weight of world events is just exhausting. But you know what? We should never stray too far from our core passion: language and its awesome power.

That's why we never tire of this verse:

Death and life lie in the power of the tongue.

—Mishlei, Proverbs 18:21.

Anyhoo.

If you're new to our little contest, here's the drill: we've listed three really obscure English words. Your job—if you choose to risk the assignment—is to compose one single coherent and witty sentence using all three words.

Send the sentence to our comments section.

And the best Seraphic Sentence is the winner.

Good luck.

apodyopsis
n. the act of imagining a person naked

dyscallignia
n. the dislike of beautiful women

snoutband

n. one who constantly contradicts his companions

Hat Tip: Futility Closet. And to Soccer Dad for reminding me to put up this post.

Posted by Robert J. Avrech at December 12, 2007 09:04 AM

Comments

Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.

1. No profanity.

2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism.

That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.

Siggy Freud recalled his fairweather friend, Louise -- the snoutband! -- who was a jealous yet imaginative type who suffered from both dyscallignia AND apodyopsis. [Ewww, gross!!!]

Posted by: Pearl at December 12, 2007 09:54 AM

A Code-Pink snoutband, suffering, as most of her counterparts do, from dyscallignia, has proposed that the women of 'Boobs not Bombs' should radically alter their strategy, and publicly protest while completely unclothed, and so, accomplish their goals by threatening a mass terror of apodyopsis among all sane men and women who hear of their project.

Posted by: exdemexlib at December 12, 2007 10:18 AM

Stephen acted a snoutband and demonstrated his dyscallignia when he refused to be the only one of the group to engage in apodyopsis with Elisha Cuthbert in mind.

Posted by: soccer dad at December 12, 2007 10:48 AM

Mike's wife considered him a snoutband since he repeatedly disagreed with her conviction that pretty girls might also have great personalities, he thought she was a pest as he didn't enjoy her constantly bringing it up (due to his combined conditions of dyscallignia and a tendency towards apodyopsis) - but she was ugly enough for it not to threaten their marriage.

Posted by: Can't tell you at December 12, 2007 12:12 PM

Fred really had to be a snoutband, given that his companions managed to somehow combine apodyopsis and dyscallignia.

Posted by: david foster at December 12, 2007 01:34 PM

According to Ben Franklin, snoutband is the apotheosis of snotmouth. According to Chasidim, mikveh is the cure for apodyopsis. According to King Solomon, a gloibhc produces dyscallignia. Siman LeDavar: a snout of a pig with a gold ring.

Posted by: hmmm at December 12, 2007 03:01 PM

Treatment for one who suffers from dyscallignia includes careful apodyopsis; however when dealing with a snoutband, it is best to suggest fantasizing eskimo huntresses.

Posted by: Michal at December 12, 2007 04:29 PM

Hey, Robert, why don't YOU come up with a sentence offering, too. You're granted permission to have the last word.

Posted by: Pearl at December 12, 2007 07:37 PM

Congratulations to Soccer Dad for composing the single best sentence in this Seraphic contest. All the sentences have their particular virtues, but Karen and I feel that Soccer Dad's simplicity and wit just win the day.

Thanks so much to everyone for participating. We'll do it again in a few weeks.

Posted by: Robert J. Avrech [TypeKey Profile Page] at December 13, 2007 12:29 AM

Congratulations to Soccer Dad!

a related side question,

i couldn't find 'dyscallignia' anywhere,

but after reflecting that it meant a dislike for beautiful women,
thought that the term perphaps is spelt with the 'gyn' root for woman, as 'dycalligynia',
and have found a source for its spelling that way:

http://www.reference.com/search?q=dyscalligynia&db=web

gyn == woman
calli == beautiful
(as in 'calligraphy' == beautiful writing)

as spellings often become shortened or adapted in their transfer from foreign language roots,
is there a source for the shortened form of
'dyscallignia' ?

Posted by: exdemexlib at December 13, 2007 06:58 AM

congrats to soccer dad.
I wanted to try my hand at a sentence Robert, but I was still so flustered by the title of your last post...I thought it was about me.

Posted by: cruisin-mom at December 13, 2007 07:31 AM

Bill, ever the snoutband, would get nervouse during debates, utilizing apodyopis to overcome his fears, but never of women, for he was a dycalliginian.

Posted by: Michael at December 13, 2007 08:10 AM

Exdem:

Nice detective work. Not surprised you couldn't find the word in any dictionaries. These words were usually used by one or two clerics in medieval times.

Sorry, we can't help you out with dyscallignia.

Posted by: Robert J. Avrech [TypeKey Profile Page] at December 13, 2007 07:10 PM

Cruisin Mom:

Um, yeah, I was thinking of you too when I wrote that post; sorta, kinda... whatever.

Posted by: Robert J. Avrech [TypeKey Profile Page] at December 13, 2007 07:13 PM

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