|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
addict
|
OP
addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677 |
After much deliberating, the results are now all in and are as follows:
A) Yegg - clinical jargon for an embryo, derived as a contraction of the phrase "young egg." Created by: Beck123
B) A gelatinous adhesive used to attach the seal to a wood stove door. Created by: Faldage Voted for by: Candy
C) Yegg ( or Yeggya)......the pseudomythological creatures created by the American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, in the book, Lost City of R'lyeh. Description: The Yegg appear like large white flatworms, possibly of extraterrestrial origin, and they are able to project organic darts into other creatures (humans) to enslave them. Though they can live anywhere, they prefer to spend their time in the catacombs beneath the earth. Created by: Candy Voted for by:Jackie and Aramis
D) Yegg: a burglar or safe-breaker. Origin unknown – possibly from surname of well known itinerant burglar The elusive True Definition (COED) Voted for by: Beck123
E) Yegg: The first stone placed at the bottom of a cairn. (Welsh) Created by: Buffalo Shrdlu Voted for by: Faldage
F) Yegg: a natural channel or fissure in a peat moor Created by: BranShea Voted for by: Owlbow, LukeJavan8 and Buffalo Shrdlu
G) A wooden pipe with a sliding lid, chiefly for smoking marijuana or hashish. Created by: Coffeebean Voted for by: Avy
H) Yegg: actually Y'yegg- A drink found among the rural tribesfolk of Mongolia, made from fermented yak milk, and spiced with a particular ground root from a plant called yoyegg. Created by: LukeJavan8 Voted for by: BranShea and Coffeebean
I) A schlemiel Created by: Jackie Voted for by: tsuwm and olly
Thanks everyone for sending some incredible daffynitions and for voting (13 of you I think!), especially considering how busy this time of year is and I hope you all enjoyed the round! The daffynitions were all brilliant. Thanks again for participating, bexter
p.s. congratulations everyone who scored points and well done Beck123 on finding the elusive TRUE MEANING of yegg
----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
actually, I prefer the more specific 'safe-cracker' as the definitive definition. this is probly due to what I'm sure is my original sighting of 'yegg' in the wild:
"he was a lockman-that was his specialty-
he could open safes better than jimmy valentine. but this safe was already standing open, and there was nothing in it of any value anyway. he was along simply as a yegg this time, part of the team.
well, it was for the cause. still, it would have been nice if there'd been a safe around to open." - Donald Westlake, Bank Shot (1972)
(if you like your crime fiction with a large dash of comedy, Westlake's Dortmunder series is for you!)
Last edited by tsuwm; 12/09/10 08:31 PM.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
addict
|
OP
addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677 |
The slang use of yegg - as a safe-cracker/member of criminal gang with lock picking abilities - was added on later to the original definition and so I felt it unecessary and irrelevant to put a slang definition on as slang can cause so much confusion...
----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
well, just for the record, here is the entire OED entry, with citations:
Etymology: Said to be the surname of a certain American burglar and safe-breaker. U.S. A burglar or safe-breaker.
1903 N.Y. Evening Post 23 June (Cent. D. Supp.), The prompt breaking up of the organized gangs of professional beggars and yeggs. 1905 N.Y. Times 2 Jan. (Cent. D Suppl.), Detective Sergeants‥captured on the Bowery three men who, they say, are among the most successful ‘yeggmen’, or safe~crackers, in the business.
(the online OED has been relaunched, it looks great from what I've just seen!)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677
addict
|
OP
addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 677 |
Well my COED has it different tsuwm: yegg n. N.Amer. informal a burglar of safe breaker. ORIGIN early 20th cent.:of unknown origin, possibly surname of well known itinerant burglar. Also: slang for member of gang with safe-cracking/lock-picking capabilities My COED is in paper form so... :p
Last edited by bexter; 12/09/10 08:49 PM. Reason: typo
----The next sentence is true. The previous sentence is false----
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
by the bye, I wonder if someone has actually noticed that zmjezhd gives his location as R'lyeh..
yes..I noticed too. 
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
I) a schlemiel sure, I'll vote for I if no one else will.
(although I don't think we actually need yet another word for schlemiel, as Yiddish already seems to have several (I recall reading somewhere a differentiation amongst shlemiel/shmendrick/shlimazel/schlump/etc. (your spellings may vary.))
he expands on the quote.. "The most popular pair of Yiddish words is “schlemiel & schlimazel.” Both words refer to unlucky guys. A schlemiel is a bungler who continually causes disasters (accidentally); a schlimazel is a guy who’s continually the victim of disasters (caused by schlemiels). For example, suppose two waiters accidentally spill hot soup onto your lap — five times each. The waiters are schlemiels; you’re a schlimazel." And the guy at the next table that laughs at you when it happens is a Schmuck [not to be confused with a putz]. Your brother-in-law is a putz, but your ex-brother-in-law is a schmuck. [Don't ask me to explain; I barely understand it myself, being a goy, but my ex-office-mate would explain to people that for a goy I was a pretty good mensch.] And then there is a Schmendrick, similar to a schlemiel, but I'm not quite able to explain the difference, except that a Schmendrick is more likely to mess non-physical things up. "A [schlemiel] is always knocking things off a table; the [nebbish] always picks them up." - Leo Rosten, The Joys of Yiddish (1968)
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
"The most popular pair of Yiddish words is “schlemiel & schlimazel.” Both words refer to unlucky guys.
Koinda loik Lenny & Squiggy.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Great round Bexter! Thanks a lot. @Aramis. Actually Mr. Aramis, there are natural channels and fissures in a peat more. Whether they can be used for navigation I don't know. @tsuwm. My mother used the word achge-nebbish when she meant something was not up to her standards. Lots of Jiddish words in our language that seem to be dissappearing now. Pity.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706
Pooh-Bah
|
Pooh-Bah
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,706 |
Thanks awfully, Bexter. A great round. Your word certainly generated lots of discussion.
Interestedly......beck123 was the only one who took the correct guess and he was the only one left with out a vote.
How does that effect the scores?
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,809
Members9,187
|
Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
0 members (),
832
guests, and
0
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|