rich brown's definitions

egoboo

Short for "ego boost," seeing one's name (preferably in print) in a positive context.

You liked my story? Thanks for the egoboo!

by rich brown August 8, 2004

gafiate

Verb form of the acronym GAFIA, which in sf fan use stands for "Getting Away From It All."

The shorter term "gafia" was coined by sf fan Dick Wilson and used as early as 1940 when there was a Loyal and Benevolent Order of Gafia. Originally intended to mean fans "getting away" from mundane activities to participate in fandom, it quickly flip-flopped and became the reverse -- fans who gave up fandom for more real world pursuits.

He had to gafiate when he entered college.

Alt.:

He hit the road to gafia when college began taking up all his time.

by rich brown August 8, 2004

minac

In science fiction fandom, short for MINimum ACtivity. Members of any given apa usually have a specific number of pages they must publish and contribute in a given period of time.

"He had to publish eight pages by the end of the year to meet his minac requirements."

by rich brown August 12, 2004

apa

Acronym for amateur press association. In sf fandom, it is a bulletin board-like system conducted through snail mail that produces actual artifacts in the form of apazines. For each edition (called a "mailing" or "distribution"), members contribute preprinted personal informal fanzines (apazines), many of which include or consist mostly or entirely of comments on the contributions published in the previous mailing or distribution. The contributions go to an Official Collator (OC) or Official Editor (OE), who makes up mailings/distributions consisting of one copy of each zine and gives or mails them out to each of the members. To remain a member, generally one must meet minimum activity minac requirements, usually defined as a certain number of pages of original material within a given timeframe, plus (in most instances) pay dues to defray the costs of bulk postage for the mailings/distributions that are not handed out and the publication of an Official Organ (OO) which accompanies them.

"He started a new apa to discuss politics."

by rich brown August 11, 2004

crottled greeps

A term used in science fiction fandom, implicitly a foodstuff, which derives from (1) “crottles,” the curved lines in cartoons indicating that a character is falling over backwards and (2) “grippe” (influenza) as spelled by the English and pronounced by the French. It is said that crottled greeps are to food what blog is to drink; many fans have presented their ideas of what the true recipe for both must be, even though the Geneva Convention expressly describes the transmission of the true recipes of either by any means as a Crime Against Humanity.

If you don't like crottled greeps, why did you order them?

by rich brown August 11, 2004

deadwood

In science fiction fandom, someone who joins an amateur press associaton, pays dues but does not contribute and thus receives a full year’s mailings without providing input or feedback. Alternatively, someone who remains a member of an apa by paying dues and meeting only the absolute minimum activity requirements, usually badly and at the last minute.

"Jim is deadwood in FAPA."

by rich brown August 11, 2004

crifanac

In science fiction fandom, mean CRItical FAN ACtivity. Some aspect of an activity in sf fandom deemed more important than others, i.e., meeting minimum activity requirements in an amateur press association at the last possible minute. Coined in the late 1940s by Charles Burbee and usually (but not always) used with satirical intent.

He didn't stop to eat; he was involved in crifanac.

by rich brown August 11, 2004