Alpha Vocaba Dorka's topics - tribe.net

Favorite Mispronunciations

Em — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:10:35 GMT

Hi everyone. I'm hoping some of you will come back and keep me amused, so I'm offering up a favorite word related dorkiness of mine:
Favorite mispronunciations or word replacements.

For instance, in my family (fambly) we have a habit of replacing the word tomorrow with tamale, as in: See you tamale.

Garbage is gabbage (rhymes with cabbage)
Moron is mo-ron

Other words are often said with an accent or the emphasis on the wrong syllable. (em PHA sis, syl LAB le) that's an old one, but a fave.

Won't you please help my fambly become even dorkier and submit your thoughts to this topic?

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

The Washington Post's Style Invitational

deia — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 19:03:43 GMT

The Washington Post's Style Invitational 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. 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.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

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

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

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

9. Karmageddon (n): its 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.

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

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

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

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

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

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 5 replies

It figures...

LynC — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 21:06:25 GMT

I just got all excited about y'all, and joined what appears to be a dead tribe, (based upon the fact that no one has said anything in several months). How utterly dorky of me.

I clearly have SO much to offer...

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 7 replies

New here......

Rowan — Sat, 20 May 2006 22:17:52 GMT

Hello to all the vocabulary obbsessed people out there. It's so nice to find a place where I don't have to worry about being called a "grammar nazi". My name is Rowan and in all honesty I consider myself more of a nerd than a dork, though I have several dork-ish friends.

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 1 reply

Pet peeve du jour: "literally"

AnathemaD — Sun, 16 May 2004 23:58:07 GMT

I am currently afroth over how folks use "literally" as a sort of general purpose intensifier. As in, "I literally cried my eyes out." (No you didn't--that would be really gross and possibly physically impossible.) "She was literally beside herself." (Unless we're talking a little cloning mishap here . . . I doubt it.) Anyone else got any good ones they've heard recently?

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 16 replies

Etymopoeisis

simbubba — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:22:23 GMT

The act of making up words.

And, yes, it's a product of the aforementioned process.

OK, okay, all right already, I know, it literally means the act of making up the history of words. But words change over time, n'est-ce pas? (Did I use 'literally' corectly?)

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 1 reply

Subconscience

PaulaC — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:15:36 GMT

Okay this one bugs me to no end.

Is it something below your ethical radar?

Then there's self-conscience.

Grr

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

steek

Adi — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:29:33 GMT

steek

\Steek\, Steik \Steik\, v. t. [Cf. Stick, v. t.] To pierce with a sharp instrument; hence, to stitch; to sew; also, to fix; to fasten. [Scot.]

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

Redundant?: Very Unique

Mark — Fri, 16 Jan 2004 08:12:59 GMT

Please discuss....

This has been a long running debate among some friends of mine....

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 18 replies

Tribisms

Dar — Thu, 20 May 2004 01:48:14 GMT

Let's use this thread for the stuff we find on Tribe that makes us want to pull out a red pen!

I recently read, in a very thoughtful and intelligent argument mind you, the phrase *kew-des-tas* (I'm not quite sure if I have it spelled the same).

Even if Tribe does not have a check spelling feature, when we have a point that's worth writing about, let's have the sense to consult the dictionary! Not being a total in your face dork, I keep my red pen to myself...sometimes. Heck, I even go back and edit my posts for typos. Ahh, how many times I want to write, your as in your thought/you're as in you are....it's definitly damn it...

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 13 replies

Introductions are in order!

maileman — Wed, 24 Dec 2003 06:02:08 GMT

omg, a tribe where my eccentric and eclectic use of english vocabulary will not fall upon the deaf ears of local rednecks and preppies? Wow! Hi! I'm Rich (well, not really, that's just my name =) ), looking for a good cerebral romp, and looking forward to meet ya all!

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 12 replies

children's books

porsupuerco — Mon, 22 Mar 2004 06:32:58 GMT

Hey all...just joined, but I wanted to tell you about a children's books tribe I just started:

bookchildren.tribe.net

Growing up a dork books were my best friends, and I still dig a lot of children's books. If you do as well, come let us know what you dug/dig and why!

Greetings...

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 2 replies

thanks for giving me a real place to belong...

Dar — Tue, 11 May 2004 04:36:25 GMT

tres dorkee...or whatever...

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

Etymology question

Sat, 20 Mar 2004 06:09:12 GMT

How did "Colonel" come to be pronounced "kernal"?

Please help!!!

Thanks

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 4 replies

Etymology moments

AnathemaD — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 06:36:03 GMT

Confession: I'm an OED addict. I love looking up the etymologies for common words. But what this thread is about is . . .

You know how sometimes you'll just suddenly realize the likely etymology of a common term? Like, "disaster." Literally, bad stars. (The "aster" being the same as in astrology, astronomy, etc.) So, a disaster occurs when our stars are badly aligned.

Similarly, "disoriented." Being so confused that you don't know where the east is. "Companion"--someone you eat bread with. And so forth. Helps to have a good grounding in Greek and Latin but then, what word geek doesn't!?!?!

Who else has had good etymology moments? Share! If you're tragically OED-less and want me to look them up, make sure they're accurate, you know I'll be happy to. Because I am, well, a big dork . . .

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 4 replies

The Text Messagizing of English

Patrick — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 01:27:43 GMT

I understand that languages evolve, but it still frightens me to think that in a hundred years or so, something like "U R gr8" might be considered acceptable or even proper. Do you think this slimming down of language to license-plate length will become more pervasive?

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 5 replies

New constrained literature community site

joehalliwell — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 20:50:40 GMT

Apologies if this is off-topic -- I'll keep it short.

I've just launced a new community website for constrained literature at http://www.constrained.org

At the moment we have a couple of open challenges: 'Stop your lip' (for lipograms of 'e') and 'The exact opposite' (every word must contain an 'e' -- polyvocalic ok).

Cheers,
Joe

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

Last night...

Mon, 03 Nov 2003 04:43:06 GMT

I got into a grammar discussion at a bar. Actually, I do that quite often!

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 7 replies

articulation inspiration

Emmazon — Sun, 11 Jan 2004 03:39:42 GMT

Important question for all you unrepentant nerds:

Who was your childhood literary hero(ine)?

Mine:

English : Shel Silverstein, with Seuss as a close second

"Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, would not take the garbage out..."

German: Wilhelm Busch (Max & Moritz)

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 22 replies

New Dork!

deirdre — Sat, 31 Jan 2004 22:13:30 GMT

Hi fellow dorks and dorkuses! Mind if I dork around?

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 2 replies

Some great websites...

Mark — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 21:55:35 GMT

Hello fellow word-o-philes.

Here are some of my favorite word web sites:

www.urbandictionary.com

http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/index.html

http://www.wordorigins.org/

And for the word game people, who are also NPR junkies like myself: http://www.wgbh.org/radio/saysyou/

Smiles to all!

-M

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 1 reply

The Word Spy: check it out

mel-o-nee — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 04:08:22 GMT

Not a web site for language traditionalists!

http://www.wordspy.com

Yes folks, here you will find a definition of the word "metrosexual".

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 1 reply

MORE WORD GAMES!!

Adi — Sat, 11 Oct 2003 00:20:44 GMT

Follow yet another link to hours of word fun!

http://www.wordplays.com/

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

Dictionary.com

Adi — Thu, 09 Oct 2003 23:34:19 GMT

Dictionary.com

Go there kids, when you need to know what a word means, no matter how obscure or how obselete, it will be there! Also, register to get word of the day. Now there's no excuse for not learning at least ONE new word a day.

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

WORD GAMES!!!

Adi — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 17:47:24 GMT

Follow this link for definitions and word games galore
www.merriamwebster.com

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies

Alpha Vocaba Dorka Song

Adi — Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:15:22 GMT

We are Alphaaa Vocaba Dorka
We have a big pet Orca
We like to ride his back
That is so sleek and black

We're extra smart and lovable
We're kinda nerdy, but hugable
We're quite obsessed with our words
We're afraid of our very own terds

We'll bore you with vocabulary
So much so that we get hairy
Because we forget to shave our legs
But we'll always eat our eggs!

We are soft and clean
We come complete with a spleen
We're older than a teen
We think we're into peeing

We are Alphaaa Vocaba Dorka
We got hungry and ate our Orca
Now we have no friend
So this must be the e-end.

posted in Alpha Vocaba Dorka - 0 replies