Sunday, July 8, 2007

portmanteau

Yes, that's right - it's competition time - with many excellent prizes!!!

This site is called a blogston in honour of the fact we appear to be in the portmanteau word capital of the world (and you know how I love them) ... so I thought this sounds like a cue for a competition (and I know how you love them, you know who you are, people).

Here are a few that I've encountered in the last 12 hours to get you started - what are all these about?

scanalyzer
temptrol
nasagestion

3 points for the correct answer, 2 point for any funny Bb/conference/SHU-related suggested translations, 1 point for a funny non-related suggestion.

Also there is 1 point available for any newly-made Bb/conference/SHU-related portmanteau.

Here's my go at a newly-made one:

tipulator (anyone who is not Paul) - is that worth a point?

Enjoy

19 comments:

gs said...

ah, the first two are easy peasy - there are obviously a lot of scandinavians out there.

scanalyzer = swedish drink-driving tester: scandinavian + breathalyzer.

temptrol = siren-like female scandinavian animated character: temptress + moomintroll(sorry richard).

Louise said...

2 points for Liz (both v funny, but not the actual things I came across in Boston) plus a bonus point for resurrecting the Educause moomins debacle - nicely done.

Two more appeared yesterday:
Tacorito
Humilified

enjoy...

gs said...

hurrah for bonus points!

here are my attempts at new ones:

hotecrete = the amount of concrete one can see from one's hotel room (hotel + concrete. example usage: "sir, i must request a change of room as the hotecrete level is unbearable in this one")

and

ribbousy = envious feeling brought on by the large amount of ribbons sported by one's colleagues (ribbon + jealousy: example usage, "At BbWorld07, reports of a severe outbreak of ribbousy were reported amidst sheffield hallam attendees")

mmmmm, like the sound of a tacorito...

Brian said...

temptrol - either temperature control, or mind control over your temporary staff members.

nasagestion - either digesting things by snorting them through your nose, or the feeling you get while eating your lunch when the person next to you has a booger (bogey) hanging out of their nose while talking to you.

Brian said...

Tacorito is obviously taco plus burrito. Perhaps a burrito in a hard shell? Strangely in Spanish this would mean "little taco" or "little taco boy"

Brian said...

Liz's hotecrete sounds like a fancy word for sweat to me!

Brian said...

Humilified - humiliating someone by making them seem evil (humiliation plus vilified)

gs said...

eugh, brian, you should get points deducted for mentioning the 'b' word and the 's' word in your comments. i feel the sudden need to 'v'.

nb, louise, hope the jetlag wears off soon - am assuming that's the reason you're online at 5 AM. ooo ooo! jetference: jetlag + conference - the uneasy feeling one gets in the last conference session of the day, having been awake for 36 hours. eg, "a senior Bb executive fell asleep rather publicly during a particularly unstimulating talk. he was later heard protesting "no, really, it wasn't dull, i was just jetferenced"

smodge said...

Hang on a minute, Brian must have heard me telling liz that I was going to win by getting all the right answers, but he just snuck in there. Bah!
>:-(

Louise said...

OK people, slow down, I can't keep track of the scores. Yes, Liz you have correctly identified the 5am problem. Also I see with your Bb exec reference that you are aiming to win this competition on bonuses alone...

Changes to the scores:
2 points Liz for hotecrete and ribbousy
3 points to Brian for temptrol - it is the name of the tap in my bathroom!
-1 from Brian from grossness (although scarily close to the correct answer)
3 points to Brian for tacorito - latest great taste from the Taco Bell company
1 more for Liz for jetference plus a bonus for the shameless Gilfus reference.

Don't give up Helen...but keep your guesses close - it is a dog eat dog competition

smodge said...

isn't dog eating against the law?
one could say... ahem.. "illbeagle"

(I laughed)

Brian said...

nasagestion is not digesting your snot is it?

Brian said...

scanalyzer - a machine you had to enter at the airport to be searched which both scans you and analyzes you for explosives, drugs, etc?

Louise said...

oh Brian - if you don't win this competition it will be because you can't contain your grossness.

-1 for snot digestions (you need to "con"centrate to solve this one.
1 point for Helen not strictly a portmanteau but funny non-the-less and right on topic with the newly emerging "BbWorld goes to the dogs" theme.
3 more for Brian - yes a machine that scans and analyses (but documents not people)

smodge said...

he asked me how to spell bogey earlier - its a bit of a theme here today.
(hooray I got a point!!)

Brian said...

oh, it was nasal congestion, huh? I just can't stop thinking about snot, sorry.

I think combining something that Liz said, the scanlyzer should be part document scanner, part breathalyzer, in case you had too much to drink that you shouldn't be operating office equipment.

Brian said...

obsucus - my current obsession with mucus

Louise said...

Brian score update:

+3, +1, +1, -1...I think we have a new leader...as much as I wish I could keep this up, I have to go get ready for serious stuff - be back later.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, I think I have entered the twilight zone...