Miskatonic Jack 2's definitions

melungeons

An ethnic group living deep in the southern Appalachian Mountains that decends from 16th century Turks dropped off somewhere in the Carolinas by Sir Francis Drake, were joined by portugese pirates and others including Jews and Moors escaping the Spanish Inquizition, and intermarried with various Native American tribes as they migrated inland. They were later joined by escaped African- American slaves and others. It is also said that they partly decended from the lost colony of Roanoke, having spoke in Elizabethan english as late as the 20th century. Many were eventually assimilated into the predomminantly English/Scotch-Irish domminated Appalachian culture.

Melungeons are amongst the longest settled non-inigenous people in North America. When the first British settlers came from the Eastern Seaboard, they refered to themselves as "Portugee," which goes back to their Portugese origins.

by Miskatonic Jack 2 January 24, 2007

dogsprawl

A widespread phenomenon whereas a person or persons will buy a house based on it's expansive lawn because they own, or are intending to own, one or more medium to large sized dogs.
One of the leading causes of suburban sprawl, dogsprawl typically involves a ranch house set back from the street with a large open (read-a homogenously treeless lawn) back yard.
Dog Sprawl is similar to, and oftentimes accompanied by childsprawl, except that childsprawl involves children and dogsprawl involves dogs. The presence of large rambunctious yard dogs does nothing for soil productivity and it's use by future generations.

One need only watch HGTV to see the process of dogsprawl in action.
P.S. Control pet overpopulation, spay and neuter your dog.

by Miskatonic Jack 2 February 26, 2007

Special Characters

Any keybord symbol not usually found on one's keybord. Also known as glyphs and symbols among other things.

Any alphabet other than the standard roman inspired alphabet as well as letters with accent marks and mathematical symbols will appear as special characters.

☠ ☮ ☯ ♠ Ω ♤ ♣ ♧ ♥ ♡ ♦ ♢ ♔ ♕ ♚ ♛ ⚜ ★ ☆ ✮ ✯ ☄ ☾ ☽ ☼ ☀ ☁ ☂ ☃ ☻ ☺ ☹ ۞ ۩
εїз Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ξЖЗ εжз ☎ ☏ ¢ ☚ ☛ ☜ ☝ ☞ ☟ ✍ ✌ ☢ ☣ ♨ ๑ ❀ ✿ ψ ♆ ☪ ☭ ♪ ♩ ♫ ♬ ✄ ✂ ✆ ✉ ✦ ✧
♱ ♰ ∞ ♂ ♀ ☿ ❤ ❥ ❦ ❧ ™ ® © ✖ ✗ ✘ ⊗ ♒
■ □ ▢ ▲ △ ▼ ▽ ◆ ◇ ○ ◎ ● ◯ Δ ◕ ◔
ʊ ϟ ღ ツ 回 ₪ 卐 ™ © ® ¿ ¡ ½ ⅓ ⅔ ¼ ¾ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ℅ № ⇨ ❝ ❞ # & ℃
∃ ∧ ∠ ∨ ∩ ⊂ ⊃ ∪ ⊥ ∀ Ξ Γ ɐ ə ɘ ε β ɟ ɥ ɯ ɔ и ๏ ɹ ʁ я ʌ ʍ λ ч ∞ Σ Π
➀ ➁ ➂ ➃ ➄ ➅ ➆ ➇ ➈ ➉ ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➑ ➒ ➓
Ⓐ Ⓑ Ⓒ Ⓓ Ⓔ Ⓕ Ⓖ Ⓗ Ⓘ Ⓙ Ⓚ Ⓛ Ⓜ Ⓝ Ⓞ Ⓟ Ⓠ Ⓡ Ⓢ Ⓣ Ⓤ Ⓥ Ⓦ Ⓧ Ⓨ Ⓩ
ⓐ ⓑ ⓒ ⓓ ⓔ ⓕ ⓖ ⓗ ⓘ ⓙ ⓚ ⓛ ⓜ ⓝ ⓞ ⓟ ⓠ ⓡ ⓢ ⓣ ⓤ ⓥ ⓦ ⓧ ⓨ ⓩ
℘ ℑ ℜ ℵ ♏ η α βεℓℓα
· ¨ … ¦ ┅ ┆ ┈ ┊ ╱ ╲ ╳ ¯ – —
≡ ჻ ░ ▒ ▓ ▤ ▥ ▦ ▧ ▨ ▩ █ ▌ ▐ ▀ ▄
◠ ◡ ╭ ╮ ╯ ╰
│ ┤ ╡ ╢ ╖ ╕ ╣ ║ ╝ ╜ ╛ ┐ └ ┴ ┬ ├ ─ ┼ ╞ ╟ ╚ ╔ ╩ ╦ ╠ ═ ╬ ╧ ╨ ╤ ╥ ╙ ╘ ╒ ╓ ╫ ╪ ┘ ┌

The following are special characters/glyphs:

☠ ☮ ☯ ♠ Ω ♤ ♣ ♧ ♥ ♡ ♦ ♢ ♔ ♕ ♚ ♛ ⚜ ★ ☆ ✮ ✯ ☄ ☾ ☽ ☼ ☀ ☁ ☂ ☃ ☻ ☺ ☹ ۞ ۩
εїз Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ξЖЗ εжз ☎ ☏ ¢ ☚ ☛ ☜ ☝ ☞ ☟ ✍ ✌ ☢ ☣ ♨ ๑ ❀ ✿ ψ ♆ ☪ ☭ ♪ ♩ ♫ ♬ ✄ ✂ ✆ ✉ ✦ ✧
♱ ♰ ∞ ♂ ♀ ☿ ❤ ❥ ❦ ❧ ™ ® © ✖ ✗ ✘ ⊗ ♒
■ □ ▢ ▲ △ ▼ ▽ ◆ ◇ ○ ◎ ● ◯ Δ ◕ ◔
ʊ ϟ ღ ツ 回 ₪ 卐 ™ © ® ¿ ¡ ½ ⅓ ⅔ ¼ ¾ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ℅ № ⇨ ❝ ❞ # & ℃
∃ ∧ ∠ ∨ ∩ ⊂ ⊃ ∪ ⊥ ∀ Ξ Γ ɐ ə ɘ ε β ɟ ɥ ɯ ɔ и ๏ ɹ ʁ я ʌ ʍ λ ч ∞ Σ Π
➀ ➁ ➂ ➃ ➄ ➅ ➆ ➇ ➈ ➉ ➊ ➋ ➌ ➍ ➎ ➏ ➐ ➑ ➒ ➓
Ⓐ Ⓑ Ⓒ Ⓓ Ⓔ Ⓕ Ⓖ Ⓗ Ⓘ Ⓙ Ⓚ Ⓛ Ⓜ Ⓝ Ⓞ Ⓟ Ⓠ Ⓡ Ⓢ Ⓣ Ⓤ Ⓥ Ⓦ Ⓧ Ⓨ Ⓩ
ⓐ ⓑ ⓒ ⓓ ⓔ ⓕ ⓖ ⓗ ⓘ ⓙ ⓚ ⓛ ⓜ ⓝ ⓞ ⓟ ⓠ ⓡ ⓢ ⓣ ⓤ ⓥ ⓦ ⓧ ⓨ ⓩ
℘ ℑ ℜ ℵ ♏ η α βεℓℓα
· ¨ … ¦ ┅ ┆ ┈ ┊ ╱ ╲ ╳ ¯ – —
≡ ჻ ░ ▒ ▓ ▤ ▥ ▦ ▧ ▨ ▩ █ ▌ ▐ ▀ ▄
◠ ◡ ╭ ╮ ╯ ╰
│ ┤ ╡ ╢ ╖ ╕ ╣ ║ ╝ ╜ ╛ ┐ └ ┴ ┬ ├ ─ ┼ ╞ ╟ ╚ ╔ ╩ ╦ ╠ ═ ╬ ╧ ╨ ╤ ╥ ╙ ╘ ╒ ╓ ╫ ╪ ┘ ┌

by Miskatonic Jack 2 August 5, 2010

yardape

A small child, roughly between the ages of 1 and 6 years, who hangs out in a back yard, usually white, usually male and usually suburban. They don't say much but tend to take themselves way too seriously.

This was the definition used extensively in magazine advertisements and television shows, especially comedy, during the 1980's and 90's

"Heavens to burgitroid, what is that detestable little yardape doing in my movie? He's ruining it!"

- Sir Boris von Orloff,

Eerie Indiana

from the episode "America's Scariest Home Video (a.k.a. Scariest Home Videos)"

Air Date

Sunday October 20, 1991

by Miskatonic Jack 2 June 28, 2010

Paducah

The largest city in western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase region, and the only significant city in Kentucky who's name is of native american origin. Has alot of character for a town it's size, even having it's own Symphony Orchestra. Paducah once had a light rail system, as all significant cities once did, now has a bus system. The founder of Dr Pepper was from here, and the first factory was in the nearby suburb of Lone Oak (also the hometown of Jeri Ryan).
Paducah has long had a significant jewish community, which was periodically evacuated during the civil War.
Lower Town, which borders downtown to the northeast is Paducah's fine arts district. Once a slummy red light district with crackhouses, meth labs and crime, but thanks to the artist relocation program, artists from as far as NYC, San Fransisco, Hawaii and Paris France have relocated here and have fixed up the dilapidated old mansions which were often sold for less than $10 apiece. This is where the Yeiser Art Center and many galleries are.

Paducah Is finally being reborn, like a phoenix from the ashes.
Did you see the story about Lower Town on the national news the other night?

by Miskatonic Jack 2 December 13, 2008

urban forest

an oxymoron.

While "urban" refers to a densely developed area, the very definition of "forest" refers to an area that is undeveloped.

While Wikipedia describes the Jefferson Memorial Forest as "the largest urban forest in the United States" it should be worth mentioning that the area it covers is surrounded by open country (mostly hilly).

by Miskatonic Jack 2 December 11, 2006

childsprawl

A widespread phenomenon which occurs when (usually) a couple will buy a house based on it's expansive lawn and one story layout because they have, or intend to have, two or more children.
One of the leading causes of suburban sprawl, childsprawl typically involves a ranch house set back from the street with a large open (read-a homogenously treeless lawn) back yard (which is often used to build another room onto the back, since zoning won't allow the front yard to be built on no matter how deep it is).
Dog Sprawl is similar to, and oftentimes accompanied by, dogsprawl, except that rather than use a public baseball diamond or other playing field, they use the yard for this purpose (which, in turn, compacts the soil and renders it unproductive.)

One need only watch HGTV to see the process of childsprawl in action.

by Miskatonic Jack 2 February 6, 2007