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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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such a person is a bane, a pest, a bête noire, a bugbear, a curse... and speaking of a curse, could be personified (so to speak) by Joe Bfstplk, the Al Capp cartoon character who walked around with a storm cloud over his head and was a total jinx but otherwise was pretty likable.


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The epithet that springs to my mind is, "pillock."


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A sociallydestructive person is an illwind, because it's an ill wind that brings nobody any good.


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A sociallydestructive person is an illwind

Ahem. Not to be confused with a wordwind, Dr. Bill.


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I also think it is a mythical term... or maybe biblical.

When I have time, I'll have a look through my Facts on File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, and Literary Allusions and see what I can find....but don't have time at the moment, should be heading off for bed, dammitall, what am I doing here AGAIN?!

Let us go in peace to love and serve the board.

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plonker or dipstick are good words for hapless mayhem magnets ( thinking rodney trotter here)


#76283 07/18/02 12:23 PM
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> I'll have a look through my Facts on File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, and Literary Allusions

Please do, MG, you might find what I'm trying to think of.
I like tsuwm's options; a bête noire is a little fav. of mine (sic).
I was lying round reading last night and it occured to me there there is probably a classical literary character that fits this description perfectly. I'm no expert on Greek lit. but I'm sure there's a Euripidean play that deals with this. Perhaps there is a character who fits this context? What about Deianeira? ...she certainly causes disaster unwittingly, when her desire to protect her marriage leads to Herakles' death, and her suicide. I don't know all those plays well enough to round down too well. Maybe someone else can. You'd think that in all the tragedies that Euripides or Aeschylus, or one of those blokes wrote, that they would have to have dealt with this topic.




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plonker or dipstick are good words for hapless mayhem magnets

Only thing is that neither specifies someone who brings bad things to others, dody, though certainly the unintentional aspect is there.

However, I think the term "mayhem magnet" is brilliant, and should be included in the world-famous AWADictionary


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How 'bout Frankenstein?..."I only wanted to be friends with the girl, but she just kept screaming."


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I can't for the life of me remember title or author of a story I read once about a lorry driver that couldn't escape the rain. That meant he could never stay long in one place because then there would be floods. Could it be Douglas Adams? This is now driving me nuts, TYVM! Admittedly, it's a short drive!


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