FINALISTS, FINALISTS! And Your Turn to Vote.
By Therese Walsh | September 19, 2007 |
Thanks to everyone who participated in Writer Unboxed’s CONTEST, CONTEST!
Kath and I enjoyed this word-creation contest even more than our Alphasmart contest, if that’s possible. Each of the over 200 words submitted had a unique bent, but we had to choose just ten finalists. Our process? We alphabetized all the entries, sans reference to their owners, so there was no potential for bias. Then we eliminated any words found in the online urban dictionaries or that were being used gratuitously on the ‘net, and gave props to entries that were 100% unique and 101% inspired.
(We’ll post the complete list sometime soon and acknowledge honorable mentions.)
Now we need everyone’s help to help decide who gets the big prize.
At stake: a set of fabulous market guides:
(Insert drumroll here.)
THE FINALISTS ARE…
1. Appause (noun): the awkward moment in a poetry reading when the audience doesn’t know whether they should clap or not
2. Curbudgeon (noun): a cranky shopper who cuts you off in the checkout line
3. Dreamacidal (Adjective): pertaining to dreamacide, or the killing of a dream by another, esp. a parent, teacher, mentor, colleague or critic
“The newest member of our writing group is particularly dreamacidal in his critiques.”
4. Fretiting: worrying about your edits
5. Philanthrantasy (n.): the hope, usually unrealistic, that some anonymous rich person will donate a lot of money to you
6. Premature e-queriation: sending an e-query before your manuscript is ready
7. Pythong: a really tight thong usually worn by a man
8. Schizofriendic: the person you make friends with before you realize they are annoying/insane, and by that time, it’s too late…you can’t get rid of them
“When Sally showed up at my house at 3 a.m. wanting me to bake a cake with her, I realized that she just might be Schizofriendic.”
9. Tangified: overuse of self-tanner
“After being asked repeatedly if she glowed in the dark, Molly realized being tangified wasn’t as great as she had originally believed.”
10. Vocal point (noun): a person who seeks to become the center of attention through excessive talking
And now for the VOTING RULES: Vote now, but DON’T vote often – only one vote per person and/or URL. Voting ends Sunday at midnight, EST.
Thanks to all who submitted unique creations and used their personal blog horns to help spread word of the contest for us. We had tons of fun (fon?).
Write on, all!
Therese Walsh (she/her) co-founded Writer Unboxed in 2006 and is the site’s editorial director. She was the editor of WU’s only book, Author in Progress, and runs the Writer Unboxed UnConference.
Her second novel, The Moon Sisters, received starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by Library Journal and Book Riot.
Learn more about Therese on her website, and sign up for her newsletter to be among the first to hear about any new projects.
Premature E-queriation-Number 6!
Thanks!
Chris
#7 of course, PYTHONG.
dreamacidal
7. Pythong: subtle yet nasty!
#1 Appause!
#7 Pythong. Eeew!
#5 Philanthrantasy !!
#9!
#7 Pythong…Brilliant!
Oh dear, it must be pythong. So glad fall is here…
#7 pythong—men wearing pythongs, a result of too many wedgies growing up
#7! The word paints a thousand pictures and each one is equally disturbing. :)
# 6!!
#7 Pythong…I feel dirty just uttering the word, could it be any more descriptive yet keep a PG rating?
Pythong, hands down!
#7 4 eva. although the definition should be changed to read “a constrictive thong usually worn by a man”
#7!
#7, Pythong…without a doubt.
#7 Pythong.
Pythong! Ewww!
Dreamacidal
#7 Pythong–where can a get a man that wears one of those?
#7 Pythong… Oh yeah!
#8. I’ve known too may schizofriendics!
I vote for # 6.
#10. Vocal point. There are way too many of these in our narcississtic world!
#9: Tangified — there’s something about “glowing” anywhere, let alone the dark.
I totally vote for #8!!! Schizofriendic!!! I seriously think I’ve known some of those!!! I LOVE it!!! hehehe
#10.
#8!! That’s awesome!!!
It’s got to be the pythong!
#8
#8
#7 Pythong – I’ve seen one of those and it was not a pretty site
I vote for #7. Cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!
#10: Vocal Point
Good one!
I think #7 is great and would certainly add any pics of it to my files.
#1 Appause
#6.
Pythong has my vote. The word even sounds like it might be venomous.
#10 :)
Vocal point… I’m sitting next to one right now… *sigh*
Without a doubt, my pick is #3
Dreamacidal
I wonder how many thousands of times it has happened to our youth (and adults too!)
#8 Sad but there are people out there like that LOLOL
#8 That is the perfect word to describe it!!
Schizofriendic — I know so many
#8
# 5 Philanthrantasy — terrific!
#10 – Great word!
Do I have to pick just one? Tough choice, ladies.
I like dreamacidal, appause, or philanthrantasy, but if I have to pick just one, it’s dreamacidal.
#10 for sure! Who hasn’t ended up beside one of those at a dinner party? Annoying!
Writing nag #7 please
#3, Dreamicidal
#6
Number 10. It’s funny!
#3 dreamacidal
#8! Does anyone ever recognize themselves as being the
schizofriendic one???
#9 Tangified
Dreamacidal… unfortunately a common experience
vocal point
Vocal Point.
Pythong!
#7 – Pythong! It brings up all sorts mental images of Borat and his “swimsuit” – i think it must be a “pythong”.
#7 pythong
PYTHON!!!!! the visual could scar me for life.
Holy typo, I mean pythong #7
No. 7: PYTHONG
I don’t want to know the vision they must have seen to come up with this one.
#7 Pythong!
#8 is the best yet.
#10 Vocal point-I seem to know lots of folks that need that T-shirt that says “Help, I’m talking and I can’t shut up!”
#3
Dreamacidal–it’s perfect!
#8 For Sure!
#10 — The cure for vocal point: a tablespoon of peanut butter!
#10 – Vocal Point
#8 – Schizofriendic … known a few. Bless their hearts…
#8 schizofriendic…sometimes i feel i am.
#8 – I’ve got friends like that
I say #3-dreamacidal
#8 most def!!! Who hasn’t known at least one person who fits this description, I mean come on!!! lol I think we have a winner!
I vote for Schizofriendic-I’ve known a few people like that :)
#3 Dreamacidal
#6 – although I’ve not done this, yet – lol – E :)
#7
#6! #6! #6!
*shake my booty*
#8!
Fretiting gets my vote. I will always be thinking this word now as I edit.
#7 pythong – makes me chuckle everytime I think about it – wouldn’t it make a good cartoon?
#7 gets my vote!
python. it’s not just a runner-up, or a bum deal. Although it is, isn’t it? Python gets my vote.
No. 6 of course, but they’re all great
Schizofriendic! But it’s hard to narrow it down to just one, as I have a couple favorites.
I loved pythong!
#8
#3 dreamacidal
#8!!!!!!
I read that and have been speading it around work like wild fire, there are so many schizofriendics out there!!!!!!
Loved pythong
Schizofriendic!
Pythong! The constrictive comment above was great.
My schizofriendic neighbor modeled his pythong at the block party–we didn’t know he was so tangified!
#6–Premature e-queriation!! Go #6, go!
Schizofriendic! Oh how I wish I could have been pre-warned!! Love it!!
Dreamacidal
Pythong – definitely a close relation of Borat’s mankini!
I vote for #8!
#8 a great new word
Rich
#3
#8 – unfortunately I understand the meaning of this word!
Tangified! I laughed out loud the first time I read it!
#8 Definitely! :)
schizofriendic! #8
Pythong. Makes me syck just consyderyng…..
#6. Love it.
I vote for Andrea’s word, # 8 – schizofriendic
I vote for #8 schizofriendic
When angry one could say” A pythong upon you and your children” Number 7 of course
#3 – Dreamacidal
#7 Pythong!!!
Dreamacidal
VOTING IS NOW CLOSED as of midnight (EST) on Sunday the 23rd. Thanks for all who played and voted. Stay tuned for results!