Since we all know that the sports section of your average newspaper is written at an 8th-grade level of English comprehension, I figure we all could use a little smartification* so that we may one day be able to fully comprehend the one mystery word in every Charley Rosen column.

* NOTE: smartification not actually a word

gallimaufry \gal-uh-MAW-free\, noun:
A medley; a hodgepodge.

Despite the gallimaufry of players available in this year's NBA draft, the Pistons chose three shooting guards.

I like it.

bibelot \BEE-buh-loh\, noun:
A small decorative object without practical utility; a trinket.

Kevin Garnett's nuts rattle around in his shorts like a pair of bibelots.

Its clearly a winner.

These better be real fucking words and their correct definitions because I've already used bibelot.

Bibelots bobble but they don't sag down.

I like it.

I also liked the concept, but was deeply afraid to post my innermost thoughts on it.

Thank you MoTown for leading the way with your thoughtful and kindhearted posts.

I figured my approval was all this thread needed to get going. As usual, I was correct.

I love this thread myself. This should help expand my vocabulary beyond its current 39 word capacity.

Scrumtrulescent?

Scrumtrulescent

Littel treats that come in a bundle of two that can be had in a pile up during a game of rugby.

tortuous \TOR-choo-us\, adjective:

1. Marked by repeated turns and bends; as, "a tortuous road up the
mountain."
2. Not straightforward; devious; as, "his tortuous reasoning."
3. Highly involved or intricate; as, "tortuous legal procedures."

Clinton Portis offered up a tortuous defense of Michael Vick's dogfighting activities.

Tortuous: Hearing, like, someone, like, using the word "like", like a few dozen times in, like, a sentence.

nonage \NON-ij; NOH-nij\, noun:

1. The time of life before a person becomes legally of age.
2. A period of youth or immaturity.

Darko Milicic will surely be able to play non-retarded basketball when his nonage ends.

That definition has been recently revised:

Nonage: When your Vonage VoIP goes out to lunch.

Scrumtrulescent?
I'm so happy that got thrown out there.

trenchant \TREN-chunt\, adjective:

1. Characterized by or full of force and vigor; as, "a trenchant
analysis."
2. Caustic; biting; severe; as, "trenchant criticism."
3. Distinct; clear-cut; clearly or sharply defined.

Bill Simmons be a trenchant-ass motherfucker.

Are these just the dictionary.com word of the days?

Yeah, too much effort to do anything else.

"re-branding" at it's finest

Are these just the dictionary.com word of the days?

I was wondering the same myself. The fact it is makes this thread even cooler.

trenchant: An ant in a trench. Also see: Flip Saunders.

I like how they get applied to local sports. Makes my word of the day e-mails seem so useless.

confabulation \kon-FAB-yuh-lay-shuhn\, noun:

1. Familiar talk; easy, unrestrained, unceremonious conversation.
2. (Psychology) A plausible but imagined memory that fills in gaps in
what is remembered.

The Lions were never good. Anyone who claims to have fond memories of a great Detroit Lions season is experiencing a confabulation.

Confabulation: How convicted non-felon Chris Webber crumbled the Fab Five's hopes for an NCAA championship.

serendipity \ser-uhn-DIP-uh-tee\, noun:

The faculty or phenomenon of making fortunate accidental
discoveries.

Let's all hope that the Pistons' draft of Rodney Stuckey is an example of serendipity and not dumbassery.

I'm angry at words.

Why did they go away?

Let's all hope that the Pistons' draft of Rodney Stuckey is an example of serendipity and not dumbassery.

I think the drafting of Stuckey is a case of future Lot-tery

This has become the companion thread to the "Zip Goshboots Elvis pic of the day", the "William Hung pic of the day" and "MoTown's Tool of the day".

I need to figure out a couple of more tools. No one in Sports and/or Showbiz has really developed tool status in the last couple of weeks - at least none that need exposing.

Hey, this reminds me!


nebbish \NEB-ish\, noun:

A weak-willed, timid, or ineffectual person.

Woody Allen, while famous for playing nebbish types in the movies, is in real life a vershleggener mamzer with a gedunkt gehirn.

with a gedunkt gehirn.
So that's why he and Mia adopted!

So that's why he and Mia adopted!

That's one of the reasons.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x147/dspiewak/_39147272_allen_yiap203.jpg

IT LIVES! AGAIN!


antiquarian \an-tuh-KWAIR-ee-uhn\, noun:

1. One who collects, studies, or deals in objects or relics from the
past.
2. Of or pertaining to antiquarians or objects or relics from the
past.
3. Dealing in or concerned with old or rare books.

Anyone who would seriously try to lure Reggie Miller out of retirement is an antiquarian.

plangent \PLAN-juhnt\, adjective:

1. Beating with a loud or deep sound, as, "the plangent wave."
2. Expressing sadness; plaintive.

For the first time in what seems like centuries, Lions fans do not have a reason to sound plangent after week 1.

cogent > plangent

One of these days this thread will generate a word greater than cogent. Don't touch that dial.

That's WTF Blasphemy.

Pretty good one today:


ne plus ultra \nee-plus-UL-truh; nay-\, noun:

1. The highest point, as of excellence or achievement; the acme; the
pinnacle; the ultimate.
2. The most profound degree of a quality or condition.
This year, the Lions are performing at their ne plus ultra.

"acme" means pinnacle? Who the fuck knew that?

I did, but then again I am Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x147/dspiewak/80932-big.jpg

Well, being around before the invention of cartoons probably gave you a 70% greater chance of knowing it. WB ruined the actual use of that word for the rest of us

The whole "Acme Co." is kind of an in-joke for people who grew up with Abraham and the dinosaurs.

Things were different back in the day, whipper-snapper. If you needed a plumber, you picked up your Bell Yellow Pages and opened it up to the "Plumbers" section. Since all the companies are listed in alphabetical order, you wanted to be close to the top of that list to get people's attention. So in every town in America there was always an Acme Co. in every category, since "acme" is one of the very first nouns in alphabetical order. Acme plumbers, Acme window repair, Acme muffler shop, and so on. Eight miles. With twelve pounds of books. Through the snow. Uphill. Now go fetch me a beer, junior.

Same reason you used to see companies like "AA Television Repair", lol.

That's also why there is "AA Liquor Stores"