33 definitions by Grinning Cat
A slip, mistake, or unintentional move, followed through with confidence and panache as if it were intended all along. Cats are masters of this: a cat might leap and miss, then calmly look at you as if to say "Yeah, I meant to do that."
"What's the band doing? That's weird... and interesting!"
"I've never heard them play it that way before; maybe it's a feline maneuver."
"Think they'll do it that way on the CD?"
"I've never heard them play it that way before; maybe it's a feline maneuver."
"Think they'll do it that way on the CD?"
by Grinning Cat December 14, 2007
A punctuation mark often erroneously used to indicate "Beware of oncoming S!" as in "Apple's 3 for $2."
Mo Viele speculates on the origin of apostrophe abuse at her blog "fontidious":
the apostrophic epidemic
I often wonder who patient zero was.
I imagine that some lowly shopkeeper went out to paint “Bananas $3” on his sign, and was stricken with an uncontrollable urge to add an apostrophe. And soon his banana was the proud owner of $3. Not to be outdone, his rival down the street advertised “Banana’s 2 Dollar’s.” Then someone from the town full of affluent bananas went on a trip, carrying the contagion with him. “Train’s Departing Every 5 Minute’s.”
The pandemic had begun.
the apostrophic epidemic
I often wonder who patient zero was.
I imagine that some lowly shopkeeper went out to paint “Bananas $3” on his sign, and was stricken with an uncontrollable urge to add an apostrophe. And soon his banana was the proud owner of $3. Not to be outdone, his rival down the street advertised “Banana’s 2 Dollar’s.” Then someone from the town full of affluent bananas went on a trip, carrying the contagion with him. “Train’s Departing Every 5 Minute’s.”
The pandemic had begun.
by Grinning Cat April 6, 2015
To change the ending of a minor-key piece of music to a major key, adding a Picardy third (tierce de Picardie).
One can loosely refer to music that already has a Picardy third ending as "self-picardizing". Some examples include the "Little" Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach, "And I Love Her" by The Beatles, "Roundabout" by Yes, and N.I.B. by Black Sabbath.
One can loosely refer to music that already has a Picardy third ending as "self-picardizing". Some examples include the "Little" Fugue in G Minor by J.S. Bach, "And I Love Her" by The Beatles, "Roundabout" by Yes, and N.I.B. by Black Sabbath.
"The last chord here is D minor. Do you really want to picardize it, using D major instead?"
"Yes, Number One, make it so."
"Yes, Number One, make it so."
by Grinning Cat February 5, 2012
A moronic or ignorant statement about the First Amendment. Named for Frederick County Council Member Kirby Delauter, who threatened to sue The Frederick News-Post for using his name without authorization.
From now on, saying something moronic about the First Amendment will be forever known as a Delauterism. #KirbyDelauter #Delauterism
-- Coin Graham (@CoinGrahamIV) commenting on the U-T San Diego article "Councilman Kirby Delauter says Maryland newspaper can't use his name so it does, gloriously" (The editorial's title is "Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter". It goes on to mention his name 15 times in the first three paragraphs, 30 times in all.)
-- Coin Graham (@CoinGrahamIV) commenting on the U-T San Diego article "Councilman Kirby Delauter says Maryland newspaper can't use his name so it does, gloriously" (The editorial's title is "Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter". It goes on to mention his name 15 times in the first three paragraphs, 30 times in all.)
by Grinning Cat January 7, 2015
The proportion of irrelevant, off-topic, inflammatory, nonsensical, spammy, screaming, content-free, trolling, or otherwise useless statements to actual useful, worthwhile communication.
From the informal sense of signal to noise ratio, but inverted to emphasize the "noise".
From the informal sense of signal to noise ratio, but inverted to emphasize the "noise".
"That discussion board used to be a great place to talk about politics, but now the noise-to-signal ratio is through the roof!"
"Typically, a demagogue actually benefits from nonsensical, contradictory and inflammatory statements and agendas. Ironically, the higher the noise-to-signal ratio, the more effective they become since any useful information would actually rein them in."
(adapted from Raul and JonG)
"Typically, a demagogue actually benefits from nonsensical, contradictory and inflammatory statements and agendas. Ironically, the higher the noise-to-signal ratio, the more effective they become since any useful information would actually rein them in."
(adapted from Raul and JonG)
by Grinning Cat October 10, 2012
Voting for fewer candidates than the number of open positions. Electronic voting machines usually highlight undervotes to remind the voter that they can choose to vote for more people.
There were ten people running for five City Council at-large seats, but I only cared about electing two. Because this was an undervote, the voting machine kept flashing a red light in that section of the ballot, but I didn't choose any more names.
by Grinning Cat April 18, 2008
Someone who's intensely, happily sated, such as after great food or sex, to the point that they can't do anything more than flop around.
(As used by Elsa Moriarty in cracked.com's "The 6 Most Counterproductive PSAs of All Time")
(As used by Elsa Moriarty in cracked.com's "The 6 Most Counterproductive PSAs of All Time")
"You're spent after most anything fun, from sex to exercise to an intense round of Mega Man 2. That satisfied, post-coital and -foodal period is one of the best parts of the experience -- when every desire has been sated, and you're so happy you can do nothing but flop around like an endorphin walrus."
by Grinning Cat February 3, 2012