h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And here I thought there was no tribute to liffs on this place.
I've been etertaining my grade with them all year. We even came up with a few. But this list beats all.
I actually wanted to start a page kind of like this one, but with a select word of the day which people should actually use. I know my freind used one in her reaction-paper, and it was great. It eliminated a nice long sentence. (The word was Kelling.)

I am, nominally, in charge. The main contributor is JPR, who is sadly only occasionally a researcher these days.

If you want to add any to the list, let me know, and I'll 'audition' them.

B

Well, off hand right now, I can think of a few definitions taht need words. I dont know if you've found some already, since there's no way of looking up definitions, but here's some of what we came up with:
That whining noise that TV screens and computer monitors make.
Neices and nephews both (like siblings.) someone suggested Nanoosh which is a place in africa.
being achey all over, like after a heavy duty aerobics class, or when you have the flu.

um...gtg. more later.

Do i need to suggest words with them too? shoot, dont know where the atlas went.

It would help. I'm better at creating definitions than finding obscure place names.

It's not obligatory, though.

B

Campo Grande
Olinda
Woomera
Woonsocket
wormeldange
wroclaw

(OK, yeah, I'm reading the index of Encarta's atlas, but hey, some of those words are just itching for definitions.)

Tshane
Trat
Triangle
Toulouse
Togo
Tifton
Tignish
Gan
Gander
Galax- (hmmm... the high end solar systems? Kind of like the beverley hills of the milky way? something to think about.)
Bansang (where it's illegal for tone deaf people to the public?)
Bar
Baraboo

Anyway, there's my contribution, along with one more definition:

The facial expressions made by a woman putting on makeup.

PS: I read in someone's personal space that there are two liff books. 'zat so? I've only read "The deeper meaning of liff"

There was the original "Meaning of Liff," fewer definitions, not illustrated, genuinely pocket sized

I don't really want to use Gander, or Bar, or any word that has a 'real' meaning, but I might try working on some of the others.

B

Both of the original books are still on sale. Just go to Amazon and do a search for "liff".

Since these books are obviously still in demand, has anyone thought about getting the h2g2 Liff collection published as a book? I'm sure it would sell quite well, and the proceeds could be donated to a suitable Douglas-Adams-type charity?

just a quicky, The Meaning of Liff- its the same words, just less of them? OR different words?

There are a few that got left out for Deeper Liff, but a lot that got added. And some that stayed the same, as well.

B

Douglas Adams also wrote some new Liffs (which are in neither of the books) for a Comic Relief charity book. I've been trying to get hold of a copy for years now. I found one on e-bay last year but got gazumped in the last 3 microseconds of the auction

I sympathize, I've had ebay experience like that. I blame it on our lack of broadband- but hey, I'm not old enough or rich enough to influence the internet connection yet.
I was thinking,

Tulouse is definitely an antonym for too tight. But i think it might be a liff already. (Unless it sound familiar becuase i know my geography?)

I bet, if one in ten h2g2 members bought a copy of the liffs on this page, it would sell pretty well. A lot of people would get a kick out of seeing their words in print to boot. And advertising is easy by just breezing through forums. Now, for a publisher...

Say, who published the Starship Titanic? They'd probably be interested in a Douglas Adams spinoff.

Hi Leo Alpha ...

I've found Place Names for 2 of your definitions, expanded on your original ideas a bit, and also done some new definitions for some of the Place Names that you suggested ... hope you like 'em ...

-------------

Whissendine (n.) The irritating high-pitched noise emitted by a badly adjusted or badly designed TV or computer monitor. (The subjective or perceived loudness will vary according to the aural cutoff-frequency of the listener.)

Whissonsett (n.) A TV or monitor emitting a Whissendine (qv) at over 100 dB. Almost unbearable to humans, possibly fatal to cats, and completely unnoticed by old age pensioners (who may be puzzled as to why their cat is so desperate to leave the room).



Kinclaven (n.) Collective term for a posse of visiting relatives, particularly one that includes two or more Kinfauns (qv).

Kinfauns (n.) Generic term for young Nephews or Nieces, especially of the energetic and boisterous variety.

Kingarth (n.) Feeling of dread immediately prior to the arrival of a Kinclaven (qv).

Kinloch Bervie (vb.) To hurriedly lock away all valuable/breakable objects prior to the arrival of a Kinclaven (qv).

Kinmuck (n.) The general chaos and detritus left in your house by a Kinclaven (qv). Mostly due to the knocking-over and trampling-upon of biscuits, bottles, plates, cups, crisps, CDs, book cases, etc.

Kineff (n.) Expletive uttered whilst standing and staring at the unbelievable amount of Kinmuck (qv) that you now have to clean up.


Campo Grande (adj.) In the style of Quentin Crisp.

Olinda (n.) A bombshell remark delivered in a casual throwaway manner between departing females. (Example; "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you ... my baby's DNA test matched you husband. Bye")

Now I really am going to have to do an update...

B

Since you're planning to do an update ...
Did I mention that I got some people from my old-school-mailing-list to write some Liffs? I gathered them together on a page called "Liff at Alsop" A981218 .
IMHO they came up with some really funny ones.

Note; since I just gave them a list of place names, some places got defined by more than one person.

Cheers Dave.

I think what I'll do is weed out the weak ones and then update with the remainder.

I might be involved with all sorts of high-level h2g2 projects at the minute, but the last couple of weeks, and re-reading the archives, has reminded how much fun Liffs are.

B

gotta luv 'um!

kinfaun is definitely a winner.
(not to mention all the words that go with it. Lucky me, I've been spared that anguish since my siblings tend to move as far away as possible as soon as they can

cant wait to see them in the list. (And every day people approach me with more things that need words. I'm kind of like the official 'liff-person' in school. Some are just plain ol' experiences that are so common they need a word, a few are actually funny. So far I haven't got any new ones worth posting though.)

They're on the list.

At least, the ones I like are.

B

The motion someones finger makes when they really want to keep your attention so they can tell you something important, but their mouth is full and htey dont want to be rude.