A.Word.A.Day -- AWADmail Issue 816

A.Word.A.Day

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AWADmail Issue 816

A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language

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From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Subject: Interesting stories from the Net

Plagiarism Software Unveils a New Source for 11 of Shakespeare’s Plays
The New York Times
Permalink

Babies can spot language, even when it’s not spoken
Science
Permalink

From: Bruce Adgate (rossgate gmail.com)
Subject: Bogart

I’m sure I’m not the only one of my generation who first encountered the verb bogart from a song on the soundtrack of Dennis Hopper’s 1969 film Easy Rider. Overnight it entered the lexicon of Hippies everywhere.

The song, as performed by Fraternity of Man, had the lyrics:

Don’t bogart that joint, my friend
Pass it over to me ...

Bruce Adgate, Spoleto, Italy

From: William Andrews (uncwilly juno.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bogart

While not a verb, Bogart is also used to refer to the first and best of something (along with the associated verb of the act of taking said item). When making drip coffee, the first cup coming out is the strongest and called the Bogart.

William Andrews, California

From: Dave Roselle (drosel winterthur.org)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bogart

At one point, the buses at Cal were painted Humphrey Go-Bart.

Dave Roselle, Newark, Delaware

From: Helen Ross (h.e.ross stir.ac.uk)
Subject: bogart

A bogart (boggart, boggard) is also a bad fairy which causes things to disappear, milk to go sour etc. We were warned about these in the Brownies, and admonished to be good fairies and not bogarts.

Helen Ross, Stirling, UK

Email of the Week: Brought to you by One Up!
From: Sherill Anderson (clintonsherill hotmail.com)
Subject: Hoover

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, many people blamed President Hoover for their predicament. My brother-in-law told me that people who “rolled their own” (rolled tobacco cigarettes, because they didn’t have enough money to purchase them) called the tobacco they used “Hoover dust”.

Sherill Anderson, Seattle, Washington

From: Jim Roach (via website comments)
Subject: Hoover

During the Thirties food scarcity drove people in the Southwest to add armadillos to their cuisine. They called them Hoover hogs.

Jim Roach, Valley of the Moon, California

From: Judith Malkin (jgmalkin rogers.com)
Subject: Hooverize

Re: the verb, to hoover. Years ago, while in the dog park, I met a golden retriever aptly named Hoover. His owner and I shared a laugh when she told me his name.

Judith Malkin, Toronto, Canada

From: Jeff Yates (jeff_yates memsstar.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--molochize

Loved today’s word. “Molochize” hasn’t even crossed my mind in forty-odd years, so this morning it brought back some, shall we say, vivid memories. I always thought it was just a colloquialism, so I was very interested to learn of its biblical etymology.

Back in the early ‘70s when parental corporal punishment was less frowned upon (in fact, was positively encouraged), Scottish parents would routinely tell their wayward offspring, “Dae that wan mair time and I’ll molochise ye!” I suspect most parents would use it simply as a synonym for smacking and would be unaware of its somewhat more serious definition. The word was obviously picked up on by the kids who in turn would use it -- but in the more general sense of inflicting violence on their peers. “Gie me yer lunch money or I’ll mologize ye!” Note the pronunciation. That’s how I heard it at the time.

Great word and one that’s right back into my lexicon (to be used in a metaphorical sense only, of course).

Jeff Yates, Edinburgh, Scotland

From: John W Price (johnwprice38 gmail.com)
Subject: The irony of today’s word

How utterly ironic that molochize is the word today. We have molochized those poor children in Broward County, Florida, and hundreds of other such places to the great god, Guns. Their high priests, the NRA, are very effective in their leadership of their religion.

John W. Price, Houston, Texas

From: Sarah Viaggi (sarah.viaggi gmail.com)
Subject: napoleonize

Oh wow! Today’s word invoked a distant memory! Back in a former career I worked in a large company and we had a Director who perfectly fit this description. Behind his back we always referred to him as ‘Little Napoleon’. I always thought we called him that, not just because of his braggadocio manner, but because of his small stature. When he left the room we’d put our right hand across our waist and inside our jacket (if we were wearing one) in imitation of Napoleon.

Sarah Viaggi, San Jose, California

From: Malcolm Black (malcolm.black38 yahoo.ca)
Subject: Molochize

So the NRA is Molochizing children for the 2nd amendment? Would that be an appropriate use of today’s word?

Malcolm Black, Canada

From: Steve Duke (via website comments)
Subject: verbing names

There is a man at our church whose surname is Gamon. Each Sunday he drives under the canopy at the front of the church to let his wife out. I always park as far away as I can so I can add steps to my Fitbit. But, if the weather is bad or if it is too hot, I ask my wife, “Do you want me to Gamonize you?” She knows exactly what I mean and responds accordingly.

Steve Duke

From: Margaret Mitchell (mitma100 telus.net)
Subject: Name verbing

Growing up with four siblings -- two older, two younger -- we had our designated chores, which included doing dishes after dinner. My older brother, Jeff, quite often managed to get out of doing his share by declaring he had to go to the bathroom ... now even my grandchildren are familiar with the term “doing a Jeffrey” whenever someone in the family disappears when it’s time for chores!

Margaret Mitchell, Kamloops, Canada

From: Sharon Mink (sharonmink gmail.com)
Subject: Names into verbs

Our family talks about to Daniel food. My nephew will calmly finish off food from everyone’s plate, leftovers in the kitchen, whatever. When eating in a restaurant with him and there is not quite enough to ask for the remains to be packaged for home, Daniel will take care of it. We must be careful when telling him to put the food away... into the refrigerator!

Sharon Mink, Haifa, Israel

From: Pete Hill (via website comments)
Subject: To Loeffel something

My longtime friend Paul Loeffel had a penchant for over-tightening bolts when we worked on cars back in high school, sometimes shearing off the heads. We came to say “Don’t Loeffel it” whenever we wanted to warn someone against unintentionally breaking things with excessive force. We still use the term today, 40 years later.

Pete Hill

From: Jeanne Jones (jcjones424 gmail.com)
Subject: Verbing a person

The dear matriarch of our family, the mother of four grown-up daughters, is known for her extended (solo) commentaries. This has led the daughters to coin the verb “to Momologue”. More than one daughter/grandchild/son-in-law has fallen asleep during such Momologuing -- there is something very soothing about that familiar voice going on and on and on ...

Jeanne Jones, Kansas City, Missouri

From: Derek McCulloch (derek.mcculloch aecom.com)
Subject: verbing a name

About thirty years ago, I noticed something about a friend and co-worker of mine named Brian Aubry. We happened to pass one another once in a common office area when I was absently humming or whistling a tune. I, self-consciously, stopped the whistling or humming, only to find moments later that Brian was now whistling or humming the same tune, apparently unaware that he’d picked it up from me. I didn’t think much of it until a few days later, the same thing happened again. I hummed, he passed, I stopped, he walked off humming the same tune. Some days later, I decided to deliberately test the phenomenon, and again it worked!

Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger said “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.” Well, I didn’t suspect enemy action, but I did think it had gone past happenstance or coincidence. It was a definite susceptibility on Brian’s part.

I named the phenomenon -- putting a song in someone’s head without their noticing it -- Aubrying. “Why am I humming ‘Hey Jude’? Did someone Aubry me?” The term has been in common use in both my household and his ever since.

Derek McCulloch, Oakland, California

From: Yvonne Hilst (yhilst gmail.com)
Subject: to Bush

On Saturday evening, I had an Japanese-speaking American friend around for dinner in Amsterdam (where we both live). Dennis brought another Japanese-speaking American friend along. During the course of dinner, it somehow came up (I hope it wasn’t my cooking that prompted it) that in Japan, “to Bush” is now a verb as a result of President HW Bush suddenly vomitting on the Japanese PM during a state dinner.

Yvonne Hilst, Amsterdam, Netherlands

From: Troy Wallin (twallin wallinhester.com)
Subject: Bretting

I am the oldest of eight children, six boys and two girls. My brother Brett is just 14 months younger than me. We used to play sports of all kinds growing up in Mesa, Arizona. Because of my height, weight, and skill advantages due to the age difference, I learned quickly that Brett would give up if I beat him too handily. To keep him engaged in the game we were playing, I would always keep the score close and then beat him at the very end. This has become known as Bretting someone. My kids use the term now too when they do the same thing, often to their dad!

Troy Wallin, Gilbert, Arizona

From: Russell Jones (operations vocalevolution.com)
Subject: Doing a Bradbury

To win undeservedly due to the incompetence of others. After the Australian Steven Bradbury, who won an Olympic Gold medal in speed skating from last place when all the other competitors crashed on the final turn.

Russell Jones, Innaloo, Australia

From: Barton Bernard (bart.bernard sbcglobal.net)
Subject: Names into verbs

I once worked on a maintenance crew. Often a crew member would get trapped into a long story-telling session from one particular machine operator. Upon returning to the maintenance shop, the excuse for being late was “Sorry, I was Roebucked.” We all understood.

Later that week I was being Roebucked myself, but I was in a hurry. I explained that we used his name to describe being delayed. At this point he quickly ended the story, only to vehemently deny the accusation. So I was then Roebucked about being Roebucked.

Barton Bernard, Fort Worth, Texas

From: Marcia Ian (gnudle icloud.com)
Subject: Vandenberg, verb intr.

Years ago, my husband and I hired a master electrician named Vandenberg to do all the wiring in our new house, as well as take care of subsequent electrical issues. Always as he worked, no matter who was around or working nearby, he conducted a lively, continuous, and apparently engrossing conversation with himself. Ever since, in his honor, we say that someone who is talking to him- or herself is Vandenberging.

Marcia Ian, Bellingham, Washington

From: Birgit Nielsen (bnielsenb gmail.com)
Subject: People who became verbs

Breaking the rules here today with a German verb, “to merkel”, meaning to wait something out until you can see how and where the chips will fall, then announce your decision. Can be seen as pragmatic, unflappable, maybe even wise, or as indecisive or calculating. After Angela Merkel (currently still in office) whose era is ending, in part because of too much merkeling.

Birgit Nielsen, Guerneville, California

From: Chuck Johnston (via website comments)
Subject: people to verbs

When I was in high school (don’t ask!), we had a classmate who would suction one of those blocks of Jello in the cafeteria into his stomach with one gulp. From then on it was known as “Garsoning” Jello. I think he was the only one who actually ever did it.

Chuck Johnston, Akron, Ohio

From: Steven Ludsin (ludsin gmail.com)
Subject: Name into a verb

I actually had the honor of having someone else turn my name into a verb. A number of years ago I was accepted into an incubator program in New York City for new ideas. It involved dealing with a variety of government entities to pitch the idea. I had experience with two federal government real estate marketing contracts so I knew the challenges involved. I remember realizing that one could grow three beards by the time some of the government officials or agencies made a decision. Lo and behold, the Deputy Director of the Budget Office of the State of New York liked my idea and invited me to discuss the idea with him. I decided that meeting face to face in Albany, New York, would be more effective. The subsequent process involved my persistence. Indeed, an assistant in the Governor’s office described my style as tenacious borderline pushy. Ultimately, the Deputy Director of the Budget Office of the State of New York said that my method is best described as Ludsining someone. I just had to remain tenacious and persistent, which is the equivalent of my name as a verb: you would Ludsin someone. I still use the technique.

Steven A. Ludsin, East Hampton, New York

From: Mark Raulston (mraulston hbkengineering.com)
Subject: pulling a Todorovich

We used to fondly refer to leaving work early as pulling a Todorovich after Dave Todorovich. He wasn’t a slacker, he just liked to efficiently finish his work quickly and leave a little early, vs. some who routinely filled a day even if it meant stretching out the work.

Mark Raulston, Chicago, Illinois

From: Deborah Stultz (stultzda yahoo.com)
Subject: verbs from names

My favorite comes from the website for Jane and Michael Stern’s Roadfood. The site has a very fun message board. The screen name of one of the participants, “travelin’ man”, became a verb on the message board and then eventually ended up in the Sterns’ book The Lexicon of Real American Food. To be travelin’ manned is to plan a trip to a favorite foodie destination only to find it closed.

Deborah Stultz, Washington, DC

From: Denise Barr Penn (via website comments)
Subject verbs coined after names

To Allie: v. To have a seemingly endless social life.
Named after a friend at work who ALWAYS has some event to go to. Inadvertently tried to Allie over the last few weekends and have discovered not only am I considerably older than her but also in horrible shape! Had to come back to work to get some rest!

Denise Barr Penn, Anaheim, California

From: Miriam Mueller (mmuellersf comcast.net)
Subject: Names > words

When I worked in a government office, I found myself promoted to a job I didn’t like and wasn’t equipped to do well. I went to my supervisor and took a less stressful but more interesting (to me) job, at my previous salary. Actually did that twice in my career there. Found out afterwards that changing jobs for satisfaction even if less status became known as “doing a Mimi”.

Mimi Mueller (now happily retired), San Francisco, California

From: Sophie Clarke (sclarke.sorci gmail.com)
Subject: To Hartley

A coinage after our Uncle Hartley who would pinch one’s cheeks in greeting. If both cheeks are pinched it becomes to double Hartley.

Sophie Clarke

From: Catherine Taylor (katgurian aol.com)
Subject: Names as verbs

Forest Gump... it’s how I have lived my life... forestgumping.

Catherine Taylor, Newport News, Virginia

From: Jean Shepherd (jshepherd sunflower.com)
Subject: Names that become verbs

Börk, my late husband’s last name -- used by family and close friends as a verb, to bork or borking: definition to start a small repair and not be able to stop until a much bigger job is done. Ex: touching up a spot of paint leading to painting the entire room; repairing a bit of bathroom tile leading to a bathroom remodel.

Jean Shepherd

From: Anita Thomas (anitacoffeethomas gmail.com)
Subject: People who became verbs

A co-worker made good use of this practice when I succumbed to the sales pitch of the manager of a local Mazda dealership. His name is Pat Kaballa, and his radio ads with his distinctive voice are ubiquitous on our airwaves in Wilmington, NC.

I confessed to “just stopping in to look” and, instead, drove off in a spiffy teal and tan Miata. My friend hooted at me and exclaimed, “You’ve been kaballa’d!”

Anita Thomas, Wilmington, North Carolina

From: Tom Gutnick (tgutnick gmail.com)
Subject: To be Tuckerized

One of our cats is named Tucker. Unfortunately, he likes to dig his claws, rather forcibly, into things that don’t fare well from the encounter -- shoes, leather bags, mattresses, etc. So we say that the items have been Tuckerized.

Tom Gutnick, Arlington, Virginia

From: Laurie Fahrner (laloofah mac.com)
Subject: A family example of a proper name turned into a verb: “To RG”...

A friend of my husband’s in Texas had a great-uncle named R.G. who was notorious for taking the last piece of communally offered food - the last piece of pie on the platter, the last biscuit in the basket, the last piece of candy in the box -- without first asking if anyone else wanted it. Doing this became known in his family as “RGing”, as in, “Hey, who RGed the last piece of cornbread?” It was later expanded to “RGing in on”, which meant barging in, uninvited and unwelcome, on an in-progress discussion: “Quit RGing in on our conversation!” Naturally, we had to RG this expression for our own use and it’s still going strong (in our family, anyway) nearly 40 years later. Sad how many opportunities we have to use it!

Laurie Fahrner, Port Ludlow, Washington

From: Robert Fenyo (rfenyo yahoo.com)
Subject: To Kramer

I have a friend with the last name of Kramer. Whenever a group of us were out walking, there would be a time when we couldn’t find Kramer because he had dawdled somewhere or was looking at something. We decided to call it Kramering, the act of disappearing from a group when something extraneous catches one’s attention.

Robert Fenyo, Carlsbad, California

From: Pamela J Kaster (pamjkaster yahoo.com)
Subject: Names becoming verbs

My husband Lee passes out rather frequently due to arrhythmia, so that now, in our circle, passing out is termed “pulling a Lee”.

Pamela J. Kaster, New Orleans, Louisiana

From: Sarah Goodman (sjanegoodman gmail.com)
Subject: Names, adapted

I have been Georged. As in the driver in front of you does not turn on his left turn signal until well into the intersection. My father’s habit.

Sarah Goodman, Vancouver, Canada

From: Rayna Rabin (rabin shaw.ca)
Subject: This Week’s Theme

We have a childhood friend, Roz, who was famous for her organizational skills. She was good at cleaning things up, crossing things off, and straightening things out. When we needed help we would call her to rozerize us.

Rayna Rabin, Calgary, Canada

From: Steve Pratt (StevenLPratt live.com)
Subject: Re: Turning a name into a verb

I have a friend named Dick. He hates to be interrupted when he is speaking. Sometimes, we speak over him just to see his reaction. One time several of us did this too often and Dick got mad and stood up and left.

Today when we interrupt someone with side chats or questions, we refer to that as “You’ve just been Dicked.”

Steve Pratt, Springfield, Illinois

From: Frank Brown (frank.brown travelport.com)
Subject: people who became verbs

One of the Senior Directors in my office coined the word “franked” to describe a member of the Senior Leadership Team who had received an email containing either criticism or correction which had been phrased in a very blunt straightforward manner. The email had been sent by one of the senior software developers named Frank, who was known for either asking very direct questions in meetings or sending very direct emails. The initial reaction of the recipient was often angry, but the content of the email was often right on the money, which did a lot to defuse the anger. Profitable discussion often followed. The word was coined in a meeting where it turned out the Chief Information Officer had been “franked”.

The verb form would be “to frank”. Used as a question it would be “Are you going to Frank him?”

Frank Brown, Atlanta, Georgia

From: Bruce A. Randall (melismata hotmail.com)
Subject: Re: People who became verbs

Boston-area people might be familiar with Storrowing, referring to driving (or attempting to drive) a high truck under a low bridge. The name comes from a notorious overpass on Storrow Drive, named after the local Storrow family.

Bruce Randall, Haverhill, Massachusetts

From: Nathaniel Rayle (rayle.nathaniel pbgc.gov)
Subject: verbing people

Because eponyms are often proper nouns, we seem to like eponymous nouns more than eponymous verbs, even when we mean the verb. Thus, for example, in reference to something blundering in the wrong direction, we do not say that it riegels, but rather that it is pulling a Riegels.

I have heard cops ask “Did you Miranda him?” in reference to reading someone his Miranda rights.

Mythology has given us quite a few people-derived verbs, e.g., vulcanize, as well as adverbs, e.g., hermetically.

Nathaniel Rayle, Virginia

From: Michael Aman (michaelaman274 gmail.com)
Subject: People to verbs

As kids, we were a large group of very close cousins. One younger cousin was the fourth in line according to age, but she was the first to launch out and get married. At 15, she was dating the minister’s son and couldn’t wait to get married. They married as soon as she graduated from high school and she was still 17. He turned out to be a philanderer and left her in the most ignoble way. We rallied around her and would have evenings of food and card games and support. The cheater’s name was Robert Morris. It occurred to me that Bob Morris and Bowel Movement had the same initials, BM. It caught on quickly: soon everyone was taking turns leaving the card game with a theatrically loud announcement. “I have to go do a Bob Morris. It may be really huge, so give me a minute, then I’ll flush it.” In our family to this day “bob morris” equates to excrement.

Michael Aman

From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com)
Subject: bogart and napoleonize

Who better to illuminate the catchy Larry Wagner/ Elliot Ingbar tune, “Don’t Bogart That Joint”, than the suave actor Humphrey Bogart and octogenarian tunesmith, tireless performer, and inveterate pot-head, Willie Nelson? This lyrical paean to not hogging “weed” was officially launched by the folk-rock group Fraternity of Man, premiering in the 1969 cult-classic film, Easy Rider. The band Country Joe & The Fish later covered it.

Spectator “Emperor” Trump has reportedly been over-the-moon effusive in his praise of the French Republic’s President Emmanuel Macron’s Bastille Day Military Parade in July of last year. He recently announced that the US will stage an even “more fantastic, much bigger” military procession down Pennsylvania Avenue, either this coming July 4th, or on Veterans Day in November, marking the centennial of the end of WWI. Here, playing on Hans Christian Andersen’s shortish cautionary tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, Trump is under the delusion that the ornate Napoleonic bicorne hat is the crowning touch to his grand military parade-day ensemble. Hope his alleged bone spurs won’t act up on his BIG day. Ha!

Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California

From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Subject: Anagrams of this week’s words

1. adonize 2. bogart 3. hooverize 4. molochize 5. napoleonize	=	1. adorn 2. hog (booze?) 3. economize 4. pivotal in zeal 5. heroize	=	1. bedizen 2. hog 3. economize 4. or to zap over a halo 5. lionize
		-Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com)		-Robert Jordan, Lampang, Thailand (alfiesdad ymail.com)

From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
Subject: limericks

If Mothers their sons would adonize,
The heroes of legends to epitomise,
A diet they would devise --
No burgers or french fries!
Sorry guys, I really do sympathise!
-Monica Broom, Morogoro, Tanzania (monicabroom2015 gmail.com)

It is so much more than just one bad hair day,
Trump’s puff of big hair could use gel or hairspray.
It’s time to prioritize:
Find a way to adonize
The “head” of our country -- perhaps a toupee?
-Judy Distler, Teaneck, New Jersey (jam1026 aol.com)

Aware of her bareness, Eve agonized,
then slyly decided to adonize
herself with a leaf,
in mistaken belief
that she’d seem more appealing in Adam’s eyes.
-Anne Thomas, Sedona, Arizona (antom earthlink.net)

Said Cain to his brother, “We’re Adam’s guys,
And oughtn’t our God to antagonize.
Your beard looks unkempt;
It will make Him verklempt.
Sit right here, and your neck I will adonize.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

Bartending wore out the proprietor,
So she split the scene, went someplace quieter.
If the man she appoints
To keep tabs on her joint
Wants to bogart it? She’ll stay in Florider.
-Phyllis Morrow, Fairbanks, Alaska (phyllismorrow1 gmail.com)

Our Commander-in-Chief likes to bogart.
Just like Kim, thinks this tactic is so smart.
(Humphrey B., bye-the-bye,
was a really nice guy.)
As for Donald, I wish he’d depart.
-Zelda Dvoretzky, Haifa, Israel (zeldahaifa gmail.com)

He raged at the Central Park Five
As their guilt he tried to contrive.
His pompous solution
Was for swift execution
While bogarting in full overdrive.
-Gayle Tremblay, Saint John, Canada (gayletremblay hotmail.com)

When the bully you work with is, sadly, your boss
You think that the hours with him are a loss;
The weekends then reign --
They rescue from pain;
If only that bogart were one you could toss!
-Marcia Sinclair, Newmarket, Canada (marciasinclair rogers.com)

Trump’s a bigger bully than Bogart
And perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte.
But what have they got
That our POTUS has not?
Oh yes, that. But who needs a heart?
-Joe Budd Stevens, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (joebuddstevens gmail.com)

“My show was like driving a go-cart,”
Said the one-time political upstart.
“But the Oval’s a race car,
A rocket, a Death Star!
From here the whole world I can bogart.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

The young cook liked to economize,
Thus he cut all his food down to size.
All his plates were so lean,
Owed to nouvelle cuisine,
His one mission was to hooverize.
-Judith Marks-White, Westport, Connecticut (joodthmw gmail.com)

“Food stamp budgets we will downsize,
So poor people must hooverize,”
Said Speaker Paul Ryan.
“Republicans are tryin’
To give the Koch brothers their prize.”
-Glenn Ickler, Hopedale, Massachusetts (glennwriter verizon.net)

It’s tough for a fellow to hooverize
When McDonald’s says, “Why don’t you supersize?”
Steer clear of those arches,
Avoid fats and starches,
Or ladies won’t see you with cougar eyes.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

The bachelor hated to socialize,
But for one girl his shyness might molochize.
“To meet all your friends,”
He suggested, “depends
If your virtue you’re willing to compromise.”
-Janice Power, Cleveland, Ohio (janicepower25 gmail.com)

I, with a fine-tooth comb analyse,
a major and many a minor vice,
that have long dogged me,
I’m set upon being free.
Even all bonne vie I’ll molochize.
-Shyamal Mukherji, Kolkata, India( mukherjis hotmail.com)

A Russian who loved sturgeon roe
would ask for some sour moloko
to dip his khleb in
(Stolichnaya’s too thin!),
then he’d molokhize all, sighing “Oooh!”
-Brenda J. Gannam, Brooklyn, New York (gannamconsulting earthlink.net)

Not once has the NRA compromised;
They’d rather see schoolchildren molochized.
With every mass shooting
Their horn they keep tooting,
For Congress they’ve conquered and colonized.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

He loves the pomp and circumstance.
His status he can thus enhance.
And here’s why I’ve surmised
He’s napoleonized:
“Let’s parade like they do in France.”
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

I do not think it is very wise
To attempt to napoleonize
A room you walk into.
It’s not all about you!
Try not to capture everyone’s eyes.
-Lois Mowat, Orinda, California (lmowat1810 gmail.com)

Said Josephine between sighs,
“Bonaparte, you win zee prize.
Your amour, it is true,
Makes me shout, sacre bleu!
S’il vous plaît, Napoleonize!”
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“Melania views me with rolling eyes,”
Says Trump, “when I’m spouting unholy lies.
Though she may not buy it,
My great no-fact diet
Has won me the world to napoleonize.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

From: Phil Graham (pgraham1946 cox.net)
Subject: People who became (so I could defame) verbs

I claim to enjoy adonize to words like “clam”.

Architecture around 1900 was beaux arts, but forgeries of paintings are bogart.

That plain-jane should use mascara to be-hooverize.

Turned down for a date I said, “You really know how to molochize ego!”

Iffn a Pole he an’ I’s to fight, I wonder who’d win? (“Napoleonize” might never have come thru.)

Phil Graham, Tulsa, Oklahoma

From: James Ertner (jde31459 gmail.com)
Subject: The eyes have it

After building a snowman that had only a nose on its face, the child was told to adonize to it.

The infamously tongue-tied Rev. Spooner cheered on Homer Simpson’s son in a race by yelling, “Bogart!”

When she was asked how the carpet was going to get cleaned and who would do it, the maid replied, “Hooverize going to do it.”

What does a word that means “to sacrifice” have in common with what snails and clams see with? They are both molochize (mollusk’s eyes).

How did Bonaparte see? Through Napoleonize.

Jim Ertner, Greensboro, North Carolina

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own. -Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (18 Feb 1883-1957)

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