A chum in West Seattle reports that his daughter bought a pair of scoodles -- dogs which are the product of crossing a Scottie with a poodle. This seems (a) a terrible thing to do to either breed of dog and (b) a further pollution of the language with silly new words.
Well, hey, they're just dogs. What worse could happen to them? And you got something against portmanteau words?
Ack--I can't decide if that's worse that peek-a-poo (sp?) or not.
Portmanteau words are useful, particularly if the coiner/user is attempting to be tongue-in-cheek funny, but less so in serious discourse. The person who coined the synonym for them -- frankenword -- did a good thing.
tongue-in-cheek funny
Keep your tongue firmly in your cheek next time there's a smog alert.
"Smog" is a good example of a Frankenword. Others are "spork" (spoon + fork) meaning a runcible spoon and "skort" (skirt + shorts) meaning a wrap-around skirt with short legs.
The problem with giving in to portmanteau words like "smog" is that it is a short slide down the slippery slope to words like "snizzle" (snow + drizzle) and "clumid" (cloudy + humid).
Snizzle? OK, Father Snoop Dog.
There is also someone trying to get recognition for the "new breed" of Labradoodles. Originally bred for the serious purpose of providing a guide dog for a woman with severe dog allergies since poodles are non allergenic. Hard to take seriously with that name though.
Some frankenwords do describe a combination of things that is different than the sum of its parts. Like smog - it is neither smoke nor fog. Brunch too is so much more than a combination of breakfast and lunch. What I object to is the making up of cute combinations for things that don't need a word of there own. A piece of bread and cheese at 3:30 is a snack not a lupper.
One of the oldest breeds of dogs is the white dog with black spots bred for German stage performances. The Dalmatian of Faust.
OK, Father Snoop Dog.
That be Dogg with two g's, Home Skillet.
a short slide down the slippery slope
You're using a logical fallacy to bolster your argument?
Besides snizzle is already a word. It refers to those annoying sneezes that fizzle out halfway leaving you profoundly unsatisfied and twitching your nose like TV's Genie.
"Smog" is a good example of a Frankenword.
Run away, run away: the word police is here. Smog, spork, and slithy are all perfectly good words. They've lived amongst us for years. Let's not turn them out because of the parentage.
The problem with giving in to portmanteau words like "smog" is that it is a short slide down the slippery slope to...
I'm thinkin' it's being dragged up... like the beginning of a roller-coaster ride where *one has to be ratcheted up a chain.
Kind-of-a "what goes up must come down" thang.
In reply to:
You're using a logical fallacy to bolster your argument?
Me and Justice Scalia.
http://www-csli.stanford.edu/~nunberg/slipslop.html
Me and Justice Scalia
Now you're trying to tempt me into another fallacy, some variety of ad hominem by association.
Goethe one, TEd.
You owe me one keyboard, eta.
Hard to take seriously with that name though
Ugh, don't get me started on these horrendous "new breed" names. Some of the other offenders I've heard:
Schnoodle = Schnauzer X Poodle
Cockapoo = Cocker Spaniel X Poodle
Yorkipoo = Yorkshire Terrier X Poodle
Goldendoodle = Golden Retriever X Poodle
We used to have a Labrador X Springer Spaniel (probably X a little something else), but we didn't call her a Labraniel, she was just a mutt.
Although I just thought, perhaps a German Shepherd X Springer Spaniel could be called a "Jerry Springer"?
Flat, are you and TEd in them?
O.k., so what is this fascination with breeding poodles with other dogs? Do they have special attributes that make them especially attractive to owners.
I very rarely see poodles so I can't imagine they'd be that popular versus other dogs.
so what is this fascination with breeding poodles with other dogs?
I've heard they were originally bred by the French for hunting. They're supposed to be rather intelligent dogs. I think they just got a bad name from their silly haircuts. OTOH, nobdy ever made fun of the Mohawk to his face.
And then there's the fact, mentioned above, that they don't readily cause/aggravate allergies, because they have hair, not fur. That's why they have to be trimmed.
http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/poodle.cfmis the American Kennel Club standards for poodles. More than you want to know about the standards!
Poodles have a coat that does not shed which great for people with allergies. Highly intelligent, they can take over if owners are not kind and consistant in training.
Good watchdogs, family friendly, - not a dog to leave alone all day as they can become destructive if deprived of human companionship. They are real people-dogs. Good water dogs with gentle mouths, they have proven their worth in the field as water-bird retrievers. CAn be real clowns and love to entertain their owners. Benefit from consistant training as they learn very quickly but tend to forget fast,too which is why they are not used as seeing eye dogs - they learn quickly - for instance - to guide their person around an open manhole but then, one day, they decide it would be fun to just jump over the hole! Oooops!
They are often over-bred because of popularity so best to buy from a reputable breeder. Not cheap to buy or to keep. Their coats must be groomed regularly to avoid skin problems and that averages about $30 a month!
I have owned poodles - standard and mini - and they are great dogs!
And then there's the fact, mentioned above, that they don't readily cause/aggravate allergies, because they have hair, not fur. That's why they have to be trimmed.
Looking at a poodle and its haircut, I am confused how leaving half of its hair intact can have any impact on its alleged allergy aggravation, otherwise they'd be hairless like a chihuahua.
Let me splain you, jheem. The haircuts have nothing to do with the allergy thang; what I meant was poodles have hair, which grows, and needs to be cut, unlike fur, which doesn't. Apparently hair isn't an allergen, while fur is.
"...twitching your nose like TV's Genie"
That was actually Samantha in Bewitched. Genie nodded her head sharply. But I never watch TV...
Remember, I did NOT start this whole thing!!
Airedale + Malamute
Airmal, litters that go first class
Airedale + Spaniel
Airiel, a dog that washes whiter than white
Akita + Shiba Inu
Shikita, a bright yellow, banana shaped dog
Anatolian Karabash + Dalmation
Anamation, a dog often spotted in the company of cartoonists
Australian Silky + Bichon Frise
Austrich, a dog which buries its head in the sand
Basenji + Schipperke
Baserke, a dog that's mad about its owner
Basset Hound + Golden Retriever
Golden Asset Retriever, a dog which tracks down and fetches things of value.
Bearded Collie + Japanese Chin
Bearded Chin, a dog that could do with a close shave
Bichon Frise + Husky
Frisky Bitch, known to her friends as Miss hot dog
Bloodhound + Borzoi
Bloody Bore, a dog that's not much fun
Bloodhound + Labrador
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly
Boxer + German Shorthair
Boxer Shorts, a dog never seen in public
Boxer + Setter
Boxset, always sold in pairs and come in a collector's limited edition presentation pack
Brussels Griffin + Labrador
Griffindor, the ideal dog for Harry Potter
Bull Mastiff + Whippet
Bullet, a fast-moving dog which always makes a great impact
Bull Terrier + Shih Tzu
Bullshitz, a gregarious but unreliable breed
Cairn Terrier + Jack Russell Terrier
Cairjack, a dog who holds up your car when you change a flat tyre
Canaan Dog + Poodle
Canoodle, the perfect pooch for courting couples
Chihuahua + Whippet
Chiapet, as advertised on TV ...
Chow Chow + Powder Puff Chinese Crested Dog
Chowder, a dog from thick and hearty stock
Cocker Spaniel + Maltese
Cocktese, the bitch that says she will, but then she won't
Cocker Spaniel + Shiba Inu
Cockinu, what the philandering husband owns before acquiring a Cockrot
Cocker Spaniel + Poodle
Cockerpoo, a sulphur-crested dog ideal for parrot-lovers.
Cocker Spaniel + Rottweiler
Cockrot, the perfect puppy for that philandering ex-husband
Collie + Husky
Hussie, the perfect companion for the owner of a Cockrot
Collie + Komondor
Collandor, a dog full of holes
Collie + Lhasa Apso
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport
Collie + Malamute
Commute, a dog that travels to work
Collie + Thai Ridgeback
Collar-and-Thai, a well dressed woofer
Corgi + Basset Hound
Corset, a pooch notable for its narrow waist and once popular with refined ladies
Doberman + Poodle
Doodle, a messy pup
Dalmation + Puli
Dali, a surreal hound
Dingo + Maremma
Dilemma, a dog which is always in two minds about everything (okay, so I had to cheat to get this one)
Doberman + Poodle
Doodle, a messy pup
Duck Tolling Retriever + Corgi
Ducki, a dog with camp behaviour
Finnish Spitz + Dalmatian
Spotz (cheating, but fun); or Spit-Spot - a dog for Mary Poppins
French Poodle + Rhodesian Ridgeback
Fridge, a really cool dog to have
German Shepherd + Springer Spaniel
Gerry Springer, cool-headed pooch for controlling talk show participants
Golden Retriever + Wheaten Terrier
Golden Wheat Retriever, a dog which fetches your breakfast
Great Dane + Scottish Terrier
A "Great Scott! How did they ever manage it?"
Great Pyrenees + Dachshund
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed
Great Pyrenees + Jack Russell Terrier
Pyrajacks, don't bet on 'em
Greyhound + Skye Terrier
Grey Skye, a dog for a rainy day which goes quickly
Harrier + Pit Bull
Hairy Pits, more common in Europe than in the USA
Highland Terrier + Jack Russell Terrier
Hijack, gets you in trouble on airplanes
Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle
Jack Russell Terrier + Labrador
Jackdor, a breed to crow about?
Japanese Chin + Collie
Chillie, a dog that loves Mexican Food
Japanese Chin + Mexican Hairless
Chinless, a dog for civil servants, bureaucrats and other petty functionaries
Japanese Tosa + Setter
Toaster, a well bread dog which pops up when ready
Keeshond + Setter
Keester, you can't get this dog off its duff
Kerry Blue Terrier + Bloodhound
Blueblood, a dog of royal descent
Kerry Blue Terrier + Golden Retriever
Kerrygold, a dog which butters you up
Kerry Blue Terrier + Skye Terrier
Blue Skye, a dog for visionaries
Kuvasz + Golden Retriever
Kuvasz Gold
Labrador + Elkhound
Label, the dog you can stick anywhere
Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists
Malamute + Pointer
Moot Point, owned by....oh, well, it doesn’t matter anyway
Mastiff + Spaniel
Maniel, a dog which comes with its own user guide
Mastiff + Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Stiff Staff, an upstanding member in canine society
Newfoundland + Basset Hound
Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors
Papillon + Cocker Spaniel
Papicock, a dog that talks arrant nonsense
Pekingese + Dachshund
Peking Dach, owned by Chinese restauranteurs
Pekingese + King Charles Spaniel
Peeking, a shifty-looking dog with excellent corner-of-eye vision
Pekingese + Lhasa Apso
Peekasso, an abstract dog
Pekinese + Rottweiler
Parrot, repeats everything you say
Plott Hound + Setter
Plotter, a dog which keeps shady company and makes plans behind your back.
Pointer + Setter
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet
Pomeranian + Komondor
Pomandor, no more doggy odour with this sweet smelling mutt!
Pomeranian + Shar Pei
Pompei, the perfect pooch for scholars of classical history and vulcanology
Poodle + Chinese Foo
Poo-Foo, suffers from frequent diarrhoea
Poodle + Great Pyrenees
Poopyree, a dog that smells good
Portuguese Water Dog + Thai Ridgeback
Porridge, the perfect pooch for someone serving time
Puli + Foxhound
Poxhound, a dishevelled, disease-ridden dog which spreads illness wherever it goes
Puli + Saluki
Puki, a dog renowned for its vomiting
Pyrenees + Akita
Pyrakita, a dog for the budgerigar fan (related to the Cockerpoo)
Rottweiler + Otterhound
Rotter, canine companion for the cads, bounders and unfaithful men
Samoyed + Japanese Tosa
A Samosa that really bites back.
Samoyed + Norwich Terrier
Samwich, bread to perfection
Scotch Terrier + Water Spaniel
Scotch & Water, served throughout England (as opposed to watered scotch, served throughout the USA)
Shih Tzu + Saluki
Suzuki, goes for miles on a single tank of fuel
Shih Tzu + Spitz
Shitz, a dog with an incontinence problem
Smooth Fox Terrier + Chow Chow
Smooch, a dog who loves to kiss
Spaniel + Dachshund
Spandachs, in gyms everywhere
Spitz + Bloodhound
Spitz Blood, a dog prone to extreme anger when provoked
Spitz + Chow Chow
Spitz Chow, a dog that throws up a lot
Springer + Spitz
Spritzer, a dog with a sparkling whine
Sussex Spaniel + Cocker Spaniel
Sucker, a mutt that believes everything it's told.
Terrier + Bulldog
Terribull, a dog that makes awful mistakes
Tibetan Terrier + Brussels Griffin
Tiffin, a dog which always stops for tea
Treeing Walker Coonhound + Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Bay Tree Retriever, a dog owned by horticulturalists and garden centres
Wiener Dog + Rottweiler
(Okay, so this is really cheating!) Bratweiler, a German dog found at the snack bars at sporting events
Wirehaired Dachshund + Mexican Hairless
Wireless, an entertaining dog popular in households with no TV
Whippet + Husky
Whisky, the perfect pooch for someone who likes a tipple.
Whippet + Norwegian Elkhound
Whelkhound - the fisherman's friend!
Whippet + Retriever
Whip Retriever, the choice canine for the dominatrix
Remember, I did NOT start this whole thing!!
How, again, does one put the genie back in the bottle?
Let me splain you, jheem. The haircuts have nothing to do with the allergy thang; what I meant was poodles have hair, which grows, and needs to be cut, unlike fur, which doesn't. Apparently hair isn't an allergen, while fur is.
My head is spinning. I must needs look into this. Sounds fishy to me.
Fur and hair're the same thing.
http://www.bartleby.com/61/74/F0367400.htmlhttp://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/zoo00/zoo00146.htmNB: I don't doubt that poodles are more hypoallergenic than some other dogs, including their cousins the
bichon frise, but it's not because they have hair instead of fur. As for allergins, it's not the hair nor fur, it's the dander.
Remember, I did NOT start this whole thing!!
Thank you, TEd. That laugh (plus assorted snorting and giggling) was worth coming to work for!!
jheem is correct about dander (discarded skin) being the real problem. (take it from someone who was once allergic to nearly *everything.) the onliest relation to pet hair (and its length) is that long-hair pets which run around outside tend to collect other allergens such as grasses, molds and pollen.
I allus understood that it isn't even the dander, it's the saliva of the mites that live in the dander.
I allus understood that it isn't even the dander, it's the saliva of the mites that live in the dander.BLEAH
strangest mix I have seen was Sparky who looked like a a black lab lying by the couch. Then he started moving and I realized that he had actually been standing up. Somebody's black lab had escaped and met a beagle. The result was a slightly overweight, extra-droopy black lab with 3 inch legs.
Scoodles is starting to look like it should mean lots and lots, as in "I met this really dreamy Dr. and he's just got scoodles of money."
"I met this really dreamy Dr. and he's just got scoodles of money." 
scoodles of money
Scary oodles of moolah? Mooscaoodles.
Oh, Ted !
Scary oodles
I later parsed it as a portmanteau word (where have we heard that recently?) formed from scads and oodles.