Celebrating – The AtoZ Challenge Competition Nominees…

So the moment has finally arrived where I get to celebrate, by choosing the competition nominees…

                             

I'd like to celebrate small things, medium things, large things… the size doesn't really matter. It's all about the celebration. This awesome bloghop is hosted by VikLit over at Scribblings Of An Aspiring Author.  Check it out!

But before I do so, let me explain my A to Z challenge concept…

RECOGNISE THIS?

The PinYin A to Z Project

                   Yóu xì bî mò fãn yì fei huà……..

— is an old Chinese philosophy which refers to somebody who has the innate ability to decipher unusual words.

JUST JOKING.

SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Yóu xì =  play; game

bî mò =  words; writing

fãn yì =  translate

fei huà =  nonsense; rubbish; superfluous words

So a rough explanation would be something like this: A game where words are given nonsense/silly meanings.

What are the real meanings of the words used during the challenge?

AMAZIA = absence of breasts dating back to ones birth

BAGASSE = dry residue, especially of sugar cane and beet after extraction of juice

CASTRAMETATION = art of laying out a camp

DASHPOT = shock resisting device using air or liquid

EXPERGEFACTION = an awakening

FROTTAGE = rubbing

GEWGAWS =  cheap showy jewellery or ornament on clothing

HEBESPHALMOLOGY = study of juvenile delinquency

INTERTRIGO = inflammation of skin

JUSSOLI = the right to a nationality or citizenship given because one is born in the territory of the state in question

KAKIDROSIS = body odour

LALOCHEZIA = the use of vulgar or foul language to relieve stress or pain

MOURNIVAL = set of four, especially set of four court cards in one hand

NIDIFICATION = construction of a nest

OXYACANTHOUS = having sharp thorns

PAIZOGONY = necking; love-play

QUISBY = an idler

RHINOTILLEXOMANIA = compulsive nose-picking

SLUMGULLION = cheap or insubstantial stew

TRACASSERIE = turmoil

UCALEGON = neighbour whose house is on fire

VESICOUTERINE = of or pertaining to the bladder and uterus

WAQIF = the person making a waqf, that is, the donor of funds or assets in the form of waqf

XENOTIME = a yellowish/brown mineral that occurs in some igneous rocks and consists of a phosphate of yttrium and other rare-earth elements

YUGA = any of the four ages of the life of the world (Hindu philosophy)

ZEUGMA =  a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses

                                 *          *          *          *          *

I'd like to say a special thank you to the bloggers who left a comment ON EVERY POST! That's 26 comments! You guys rock! they are CAROL KILGORE from Under The Tiki Hut;  NANCY LARONDA JOHNSON from Writer's Mark; MEDEIA SHARIF and the ninja captain himself, ALEX J CAVANAUGH!

A shout out to JULIE KEMP PICK from Empty Nest Insider and C.LEE MACKENZIE from The Write Game – these two ladies only missed out on one or two posts! You rock!

                                       *          *          *          *          *

I had such a difficult time choosing just a handful of definitions. There were too many good ones, and it's inevitable that many will be excluded. So please bear with me. I started off with about 70 definitions… can you believe it? Then I sifted through that batch and now have 28 definitions. And I refuse to cut them down any more. I'm leaving it up to the readers. So here are the definitions, in A to Z order, accompanied by the bloggers name…

AMAZIA

It is a word with origins in Latin meaning the dearth of maize flour exactly when you need it to thicken a sauce. – Misha Gericke

Well, ama means a Japanese diver, usually a woman, who tends underwater oyster beds used in the cultivation of pearls and zia means fear so…

it's the fear of woman Japanese pearl divers who can hold their breaths longer than fish. – Clarissa Draper

DASHPOT

Dashpot – the pee trough at the ball park so guys can dash in, pee, dash out, and barely miss a pitch! – Mary Aalgaard

Dashpot – that's where you toss all those overused, unnecessary, and incorrect hyphens and dashes of all sizes that the editor strikes from your manuscript. – Carol Kilgore

I keep meaning to tell you how delovely your new site looks!  Sorry I didn't get here sooner, but I ran into this dishelved derelict drug dealer..He doused me in Drambuie, as we danced away the night. When my devasted husband found us, the dashpot drove his dirt bike out of town. – Julie Kemp Pick

EXPERGEFACTION

You're almost right. It's how vomit left at room temperature for a long time turns rancid, putrifies, and eventually becomes rock hard. Where do you think all those "fake" vomit gag-gifts come from? They're real! – Lexa Cain

EXPERGEFACTION – To get even with the exacerbating expert, the employee rammed a large object up his superior's exterior. Surprisingly, he received a raise. – Julie Kemp Pick

GEWGAWS

It is a synonym for a gentleman's "family jewels" used in certain quarters of East London. – Nick Wilford

Actually, this is the sound  a rare and almost extinct subterranean moth (cave dweller and distant relation to the common fruit bat) makes when under sever stress. Writers recognize this sound because it's quite similar to the ones they make when they receive a rejection or a bad review. I'm shocked others haven't defined gewgaws accurately. – C.Lee Mackenzie

HEBESPHALMOLOGY

The science that study the hebesphalus modendus. What's that? I don't know. I don't study that science. – Al Diaz

Well this one is a little bit of a challenge, but because I'm so astute at figuring out the real definitions of all your words, here's the real meaning. Hebe was the goddess of youth. She was always the one who showed up at parties with a nice jug of ambrosia, too. Hence, she was one popular party guest. The meaning of hebesphalmology is the simply the study of Hebe's party tricks.Do I get a prize or something? – C.Lee Mackenzie

LALOCHEZIA

You are NOT going to believe me, Michelle, but the first thing that came to mind when I saw your word is a DANCE… honestly. Yup… It is THE NEW DANCE CRAZE… Bah, bah, bah, bah … bah, bah, bah, bah, … shake your hips, and do the Lalochezia… Ooo … Oooo. OOOO and twist… twist… twist …. a kick, a turn, a kick, a, turn …. now a HAIR FLIP!!!! Kick, and turn … kick and turn … SHAKE THAT BOOTIE!!!! LOL. – Michael Di Gesu

NIDIFICATION

Nidification: When the Knights of Ni kneel before their king and receive their new "ni" badges for their Ninja skills. – Tyrean Martinson

Oooh, jargon! NID is the acronym for National Inventory Department. Nidification is the annual process of inventorying everything in your home, including the number of dust bunnies and cobweb strands, and reporting your survey results. The director of NID reports directly to the chairman of the Directorate of Intelligencia Nonsensical. – Carol Kilgore

OXYACANTHOUS

Oxyacanthous: A informal saying used by men when they mumble to themselves.

Used in a sentence:  After Bertha barked at her husband, the only thing she hear him mutter was "Oxyacanthous" – Mina Burrows

PAIZOGONY

Paizogony is sort of hard to explain and it could be nearly impossible to find a dictionary with its original definition. Think of a hounddog polygamist, then think of its opposite. Thus paizogony is when someone refuses to marry, but instead is a diehard singleton who thrives on proving this by flaunting that he/she is single and then blatantly, almost dramatically rejecting anyone who asks them out. – Nancy LaRonda Johnson

Paizogony:  An ailment when the same person get stuck with the bill.

Used in a sentence:  The paizogony John felt was indecribile when he realized once again his friends desserted him the bar tab. – Mina Burrows

QUISBY

It's the word the United Lispers Coalition is trying to get put into general usage. Its meaning? "Crispy." – Lexa Cain

RHINOTILLEXOMANIA

Horn up the arse payback syndrome? – Pat Hatt

Sounds like an advertisment for a flooring store. "Come down this weekend for Rhino Tillex-O-Mania!" – L.Diane Wolfe

SLUMGULLION

Actually my sister dated a slumgullion. He was very cute and charming. Initially.

After awhile you truly got a sense of the meaning of the word. He began complaining about the smallest things at a restaurant, insisted that my sister paid for her own meal, and began telling how it is the wife's job to take care of the husband. Only he meant financially as well as emotionally.

Well, you get the idea. A slumgullion is someone who tricks you into thinking they are a wonderful person until you get into a situation where you can't easily just walk away and slam the door on their face. You have to wait at least until the bill is paid. – Nancy LaRonda Johnson

Oh, Michelle, this is a good word. The Slumgullion is the gopher for a slum lord… he has to do the dirty work and pic up the renter's checks in rundown delapedated buildings. IF he doesn't get the rent, he puts the thumbscrews to them. – Michael Di Gesu

Slumgullion sounds like some street urchin from Victorian times. – Medeia Sharif

TRACASSERIE

When people of varying abilities and musical instruments come together for a special event to play a song. It was a tracasserie of sound. – Mary Aalgaard

It's a new appliance for the modern home. It cleans, cooks, does the laundry and reads aloud to you as you fall asleep at night. If I'm wrong and it hasn't been invented it should be. – C.Lee Mackenzie

UCALEGON

My first thought was some kind of Lego convention. – Nick Wilford

VESICOUTERINE

Vesicourterine is a gel used on the bottom of your feet. It's initial use was to prevent the ghastly hardening of the heels and other areas of the feet. It was very soon learned that when a dab of vaseline is used with it, you can glide unharmed on any surface, and it has become an underground "rave" type competition scene, of different forms of games. You could join in what is very similar to roller derby, ice hockey (boy you go REALLY fast on ice), soccer, motorcross trails. It's unlimited the amount of fun you could get into if you can find one of these very kept secret locations. 

These competitions are actually illegal, because although your feet remain unharmed, you can imagine how many people put the rest of their bodies into harm's way. Several deaths have been attributed to those competitions, since bodies were found with some residue of vesicourterine on the feet. – Nancy LaRonda Johnson

WAQIF

I think it stands for Writers Attempting Queries in Force. – Alex J. Cavanaugh

==================================================

SO THAT'S IT!

CHOOSE YOUR 3 FAVOURITE DEFINITIONS. POST THE WORD AND BLOGGERS NAME IN THE COMMENT BOX. THE VOTING WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR ONE WEEK FROM TODAY.

(If you want to read more about the competition, go HERE)             

69 Comments

  1. Alex J. Cavanaugh on May 2, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    Crap. I'm going to have to come back to this. And obviously I suck at definitions.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:24 am

      I'm still waiting for you to vote! Your WAQIF definition was brilliant…

  2. Al Diaz on May 3, 2013 at 12:29 am

    I laughed so hard at Micheal Di Gesu's definition of Lalochezia, Mina Burrows' Paizogony and Nick Wilford's GewGaws. Actually I'm still laughing. Too good.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:25 am

      There were soooooo many good ones… it was a nightmare when I had to choose… 🙂

  3. J.L. Campbell on May 3, 2013 at 2:14 am

    Slumgullion and dashpot are words I'm sure I'll find use for in a novel. Ya know, I must be the only person around here who didn't know these were actually words. 🙂  Those who commented are truly inventive.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:26 am

      You're not the only one Joy, I also learned some new words… don't forget to VOTE!

  4. Nancy LaRonda Johnson on May 3, 2013 at 5:28 am

    Yes, MDG's Lalochezia definition is great. Clarissa's def of Amazia. And, well, I love my def of VESICOUTERINE. I (copied and pasted the word so I wouldn't spell it wrong again.)

     

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:27 am

      Ha! I switched off my internal editor for the contest… 🙂 And the keyword was FUN! (Who cared about spelling when I was having the time of my life…?)

  5. Lynda R Young on May 3, 2013 at 7:29 am

    lol, They are so funny! I laughed out loud at Lexa Cain's definition of Quisby:  the word the United Lispers Coalition is trying to get put into general usage. Its meaning? "Crispy."

  6. Misha on May 3, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    One of my definitions made it? Awesome! 😉

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:29 am

      Your "amazia" definition was the 1st one that started the chain of ROTFL moments… thank you! 🙂

  7. Tyrean on May 3, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    So many of these definitions are hilarious, and I loved them! I'm going to go with Clarissa Draper's Amazia, Lexa Cain's Expergefaction, and Nancy LaRond Johnson's Slumgullion.

    It was really hard to choose.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:30 am

      Can you imagine how I felt when I narrowed them down to 70 definitions? Then I sifted through those and chose 28… it was really difficult!

  8. Leslie Rose on May 3, 2013 at 3:17 pm

    My fave was C.Lee MacKenzie's take on HEBESPHALMOLOGY .

  9. Nick Wilford on May 3, 2013 at 6:48 pm

    Never thought I'd be nominated! This was one of my favourite themes of the Challenge. I don't know how you narrowed it down. I vote for Tyrean's Nidification, Lexa Cain's Quisby and Mina Burrows' Oxyacanthous.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:32 am

      I really, really loved your "Gewgaws definition"… I couldn't stop laughing!

  10. Carol Kilgore on May 3, 2013 at 8:00 pm

    This was so much fun to do. Thanks for tossing a couple of my daffy definitions into the mix!

    Since I won't vote for my own, I vote for Clarissa Draper's definition of AMAZIA, Nick Wilford's for GEWGAWS, and C. Lee McKenzie's for TRACASSERIE.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:33 am

      You did well with the definitions, Carol! I loved them! Thanks for the laughs!

  11. Shelly on May 3, 2013 at 10:43 pm

    Oh my goodness…. WHat a hoot!

    Hugs and chocolate,

    Shelly

     

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:34 am

      Yes, I had a blast! I bet that no other blogger laughed as hard as I did, during the challenge!

  12. Viklit on May 4, 2013 at 11:38 am

    I like Nancy's slumgullion definition!

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:35 am

      It's really funny… great interpretation… and well-expressed.

  13. DL Hammons on May 4, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    GEWGAWS  – Nick Wilford

    And Michelle – I corrected your comment count on my blog.  I went back and figured out what happened.  When I created the log to track comments, I mistakenly entered your name with a capital M.  Then midway through the posts a blogger named Michelle (with a capital M) commented and thats where the confusion started.  Sorry!

  14. Hilary on May 4, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Hi Michelle .. I came over from someone's comment elsewhere (sorry should have noted!) .. but they were in praise of your theme .. and I have to agree – I'll go with Quisby by Lexa Cain.

     

    I'll see you around – cheers Hilary

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:36 am

      Thanks for the visit Hilary! And thanks for voting too!

  15. Ida Chiavaro on May 4, 2013 at 4:16 pm

    Michelle i simply can't choose, but for the 'save the rhino's' sake the payback syndrome deserves another  mention 🙂 Your theme and the sheer genius of definitions and comments made me laugh throughout the challenge.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:37 am

      Yes, that was quite a hilarious one… especially the mental image accompanying the definition… *giggles*

  16. Pat Hatt on May 4, 2013 at 9:10 pm

    Not even close from the cat, I guess no mice reward at my mat haha

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:38 am

      Mr. Pat Hatt – your "payback syndrome" definition was sheer genius! 🙂

  17. Medeia Sharif on May 4, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    I did look up many of your words, but there were a few I couldn't find a definition of. 

    I'm glad I was fast catching up on comments. 🙂 Sometimes I commented on two posts a day if I was slightly behind. 

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:40 am

      I did the same… commented on two/three posts, especially on the blogs where I didn't want to miss a single post.

  18. Jemi Fraser on May 4, 2013 at 11:10 pm

    Those are some awesome definitions! Very creative!! 🙂

  19. Meradeth on May 5, 2013 at 12:37 am

    So many amazingly funny definitions! I'm still giggling over Alex's waqif definition 🙂

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:41 am

      You giggled over one definition… I giggled for 26 days… imagine that? 🙂

  20. Emily R King on May 5, 2013 at 2:59 am

    Hmm, anything Michael said was awesome. He gets my vote!

    Congrats on finishing the A to Z!

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:42 am

      Michael left great answers…  full of life and energy!!

  21. Julie on May 5, 2013 at 9:34 am

    Thanks so much for the shout-out, and for including some of my wacky definitions! You really did a fantastic job with this Michelle, and I'm sorry I missed a few. Now for my votes: Mina for "O," Nancy for "S," and Lee for "T."  Best of luck to everyone! Hope you can take a much needed break after this Michelle!

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:43 am

      Julie, you are a star! Thanks for playing along so faithfully!

  22. Rhonda@Laugh-Quotes on May 6, 2013 at 11:45 am

    Really fun.  Thanks.  I am sorry I didn't find you in AtoZ.  Looks like it was awesome. 

    Rhonda @<a href="http://www.laugh-quotes.com&quot; rel="nofollow">Laugh-Quotes.com</a>

     

  23. Tina Downey on May 6, 2013 at 12:13 pm

    Mina Burrow's paizagony – been there so many times, glad I now have a word for it!

    Lexa Cain's Quisby – reminds me of Krepke on Big Bang Theory

    L. Diane's rhino tile sale – brilliant!

    What an awesome series this must have been – love word games.  Nicely done and nice to meet you.  Alex sent me, of course.

    Tina @ <a href = "http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.com/">Life is Good</a>

    Co-host, April 2013 <a href = "http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/">A-Z Challenge Blog</a>

    @TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge

  24. Sherry Ellis on May 6, 2013 at 5:13 pm

    I like Alex's W word.  I can't believe those are all real words!

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:45 am

      Yes, they are all real words. Most of them were brand new for me, as well.

  25. Suzanne Furness on May 6, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Some amazing definitions here, very creative! Loved Slumgullion by Nancy. Poizogony by Mina great too.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:46 am

      The bloggers really went "all out" with the definitions… stretched their creative muscles to the max!

  26. Elise Fallson on May 6, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    So many funny and creative definitions! Hard to pick just one. Great theme Michelle and glad you had such a fun time during the challenge! 😀

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:47 am

      I had lotsa fun! Don't forget to vote for your fave ones! 🙂

  27. Mina B on May 6, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    That was a ton of fun! Did I miss the voting? I'm sorry I've been swamped. 🙁

  28. C. Lee McKenzie on May 6, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    I'll go with Nancy's def of Slumgullion. Carol with nidification and Nick for ucaligon. Still laughing at all of them.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:49 am

      You also invented some amazing definitions! Thanks for playing along during the challenge!

  29. Hilary on May 7, 2013 at 6:41 am

    Hi Michelle – great fun .. I'm in with 

    Nick Wilford – Ucalegon

    C.Lee McKenzie – with Tricasserie

    Mina Burrows – Oxyacanthous

     

    Good luck to one and all .. chers Hilary

     

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 11:51 am

      Hi Hilary, you voted for one definition during an earlier comment, so I'll just take the first two into consideration. Is that okay with you? Or would you rather make some changes…?

  30. Sam on May 7, 2013 at 3:24 pm

    Nick Wilford's Gewgaws still has me giggling:)

    Lexa Cain's Quisby or "crispy" is hilarious!

    Pat Hatt's Rhinotillexomania sounds like a helluva payback!

    • Michelle Wallace on May 7, 2013 at 4:50 pm

      Thanks for voting Sam! I'm off to your place now=========== whooshes away!

  31. Mina B on May 9, 2013 at 9:56 am

    Tyrean's nidification is my fav. 🙂

  32. Clarissa Draper on May 9, 2013 at 11:50 am

    RHINOTILLEXOMANIA

    Horn up the arse payback syndrome? – Pat Hatt

    DASHPOT

    Dashpot – the pee trough at the ball park so guys can dash in, pee, dash out, and barely miss a pitch! – Mary Aalgaard

    TRACASSERIE

    It's a new appliance for the modern home. It cleans, cooks, does the laundry and reads aloud to you as you fall asleep at night. If I'm wrong and it hasn't been invented it should be. – C.Lee Mackenzie

    • Michelle Wallace on May 9, 2013 at 12:54 pm

      Some of the scores are close… I'm so happy that the final decision is out of my hands… 🙂

  33. melanie schulz on May 9, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    I'll go with dashpot. Always liked that one.

    • Michelle Wallace on May 10, 2013 at 6:28 am

      Thanks Melanie… but you'll have to specify which entry because I've nominated 3 different entries for this word… 🙂

  34. mary aalgaard on May 10, 2013 at 1:24 am

    WAQIF Alex J. Cavanaugh

    Slumgullion Nancy Johnson

    Lalochezia Michael Di Gesu

     

    Really fun challenge theme and posts. I enjoyed participating and reading these entries!

  35. Michelle Wallace on May 10, 2013 at 6:46 am

    THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO VOTED!

    VOTING IS NOW CLOSED.

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