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Posted By: darkpond delight in another person's misfortune - 12/11/04 05:19 AM
Is there a word that means "a person who delights in the misfortune of others?"

Posted By: tsuwm Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/11/04 05:57 AM
you want a word for the person who exhibits schadenfreude? (or in English, perhaps, epicaricacy?)
I would call this person a sadist.

Posted By: plutarch gloomjoy - 12/11/04 12:38 PM
I would call this person a sadist

In general usage, I believe, a sadist is someone who enjoys inflicting pain, physical or psychological, on someone else.

What might be wanted here is a more generalized, 'innocent' enjoyment of another person's misfortune which celebrities and politicians often complain about when they fall from grace.

Your word "epicaricacy" is a good word, tsuwm, altho a bit of a mouthful. If "epicaricacy" means "taking pleasure in others' misfortune", then someone who takes such pleasure is an "epicaricacist" [which is even more of a mouthful].

Perhaps a new coinage is in order.

Taking inspiration from the word "killjoy" [meaning "party pooper"], how about: "gloomjoy".

Thus, a person who delights in the misfortunes of celebrities (and others) as reported in the news [and often fabricated for their peculiar delectation in gossip magazines] is a "gloomjoy".

Judging from the popularity of gossip magazines like the National Enquirer, I fathom there are a lot more gloomjoys around than there are sadists. That's a good thing ... I guess. [It probably keeps some gloomjoys from evolving into sadists.]





Posted By: darkpond Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 06:16 AM
Thanks. I knew I came to the right place.

Posted By: Wordwind Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 11:02 AM
Schadenfraulein and Schadenfrauboy. It's stretch, but, hey, it's early.

Posted By: plutarch Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 01:53 PM
Schadenfraulein and Schadenfrauboy

Good one, Wordwind.

People who haze college freshman are known as Schadenfratboys.

re "It's stretch, but, hey, it's early."

Hey, it's always a good thing to stretch first thing in the morning. We humans could learn a thing or two from cats -- and not just about cat naps.

At Cat Tech everyone practices catastenics before they make a feline to the cateteria for breakfast.

They call it the pause which refreshes.





Posted By: themilum Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 03:12 PM
What's a word that means "delight in another person's misfortune"?

Thanks. I knew I came to the right place.

__________________________________________________

Uh, maybe I'm just a little bit overly suspicious but...uh,
what exactly does a person named Darkpond mean when
he says I've come to the right place? _________________



Posted By: plutarch Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 03:34 PM
what exactly does a person named Darkpond mean when
he says I've come to the right place?


The enigma is likely to remain an enigma, themilum.

Darkpond can't see his own reflection.

Aside to Darkpond: That's not really a reflection on you. I'm just trying to be funny. If you don't enjoy my sense of humor, don't worry about it. No-else does either.
Posted By: themilum Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 07:29 PM
What good luck! I am signing onto a thread that has 7 replies and 77 views...777.

Now Darkpond, don't you go take Plutarch's proverbs too literally. On occassion he says things just for the effect! But on the whole he's a pretty good fellow, his problem is the same as many guys who have been bright since birth - he thinks in absolutes.

For example look over in Fun & Games where all the kats and Chicks are singing and laughing and playing Hogwash.
Do you see Plutarch over there joining in the fun?
Of course not. Plutarch will tell you that he doesn't join the frivolities because he is not wanted over there,
and there-in lies the crux - he is right, some don't want him over there, but some do.

Meanwhile Plutarch plays the martyr...overtly.
Invertly Plutarch leads a tilt at the windmills of his own very good mind.

Posted By: plutarch Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 08:25 PM
there-in lies the crux - he is right, some don't want him over there, but some do

I guess that's my crux to bear, themilum.

Dear Darkpond, if you think this is a mixed review of Plutarch's virtues, I should warn you in advance [as a "Stranger"], it doesn't get any better than this.

In fact, some people think themilum is my sock puppet. But themilum insists it isn't true.



Posted By: plutarch Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/12/04 08:59 PM
tilt at the windmills of his own very good mind

Tilting at the windmills of his mind.

That could be your best line yet, themilum.

I know it's confusing, themilum. I never go where I am not wanted, but, once there, the more fervently I am wished away, the more fervently I wish to stay.

A martyr without his principles is like a crusader without his crusade.

The only way you can kill a martyr is with kindness.
Posted By: Sparteye Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/14/04 07:56 PM
I would call this person "my son." *sigh*

My seven-year-old has been testing boundaries (as usual) by using obscenities, and has suffered the consequences.

Last night, following an incident in which he aggravated his older, autistic, brother and then enjoyed the resulting meltdown, I removed him from the scene and marched him upstairs, declaring that I'd "had enough of the schadenfreude." Son was shocked at my language. Could you hear my eyes rolling from here?

Posted By: Jackie Re: delight in another person's misfortune - 12/16/04 03:25 PM
Son was shocked at my language. Heh heh--that's the way, Sparteye--keep 'em guessing!

Posted By: plutarch epicaricastic - 12/19/04 03:18 PM
Is there a word that means "a person who delights in the misfortune of others?"

There is, Darkpond. But I'm not going to tell you.

BTW over in Wordcraft, they have taken up the cause of convincing OED to recognize "epicaricacy" as a word.

So far, OED has demurred.

Do you think they might be taking some kind of epicaricastic pleasure in that?


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