Verboticism: Retrosurf

'Wow! Look what my grandpa gave me!'

DEFINITION: n. An old media format that is no longer popular or easily accessible, such as floppy disks, VHS tapes or stone tablets. v. To try to access data stored in an old-fashioned media format, especially it requires the use archaic technology and/or protocols.

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Technoglyphics

Created by: TJayzz

Pronunciation: Tek-no-gliffiks

Sentence: When young Henry was given a set of books for Christmas he spent half an hour looking for the battery compartment, his mum explained that you actually had to read them. Henry was so astounded with the technoglyphics he thought about putting them in an antiques auction.

Etymology: Techno(abbrieviation for technological) + Hieroglyphics(ancient Egyptian script) = Technoglyphics

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COMMENTS:

so sad - Jabberwocky, 2009-01-07: 14:24:00

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Retirosaur

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: ree ty ro sar

Sentence: When Mary reached 65, she knew it was time to stop working. She had become a retirosaur. She no longer spoke the language of her younger boss and co-workers. She could remember working the teletype, a comptometer and her ancient Underwood typewriter had served her well. She had used a dictionary, a thesaurus, knew how to spell; remember people's names; compose grammatically correct sentences and do complex mathematical computations in her head. The staff loved her, but found her to be a quaint walking, talking museum on legs. Yes, Mary had worked for 45 years at the same place and the reason she had been kept on this long was because she knew how to do each job well and she knew where all the bodies were buried!

Etymology: Retire (Withdraw from circulation or participation; cease to work) & Dinosaur (any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era)

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COMMENTS:

"Retirosaur!" Just like the Little Red Hen, let Mary say "Not I!" It's sad we can't make the good things that are in the past, more a part of the good things in the present ... glean the best of the both! - silveryaspen, 2009-01-07: 15:48:00

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Rusticording

Created by: Tigger

Pronunciation: /ruhs-teh-kor-ding/

Sentence: George totally enjoyed bringing his 8-year-old son with him to help clean out Grandpa's attic — where Grandpa had stored all of his old electronics and rusticordings. Grandpa had been an avid technophile in his day and the attic was like an obsolete technology museum. When George showed him the Betamax and VHS video tapes, and explained that they were like DVD-R's, Nathan inpected them and asked where the lasers went. Then, when they got to the cassettes and 8-track tapes, George told Nathan that they were what people kept their MP3's on, and then he showed Nathan the rust-colored tape and demonstrated how it turned. Nathan wanted to know how people selected the song they wanted to hear, and so George had to explain Fast Forward and Rewind, while his son struggled with the archaic concept. The vinyl records were next, and when George showed him the groove on the record, and explained how you had to carefully position the needle so as not to scratch the record, Nathan just winced and said, "Wow, Grandpa really had it rough!"

Etymology: Rust[ic] - iron [ferric] oxide; also, a thin layer of ferric oxide was used in most magnetic tapes, floppy disks and early hard discs (Old German, rost "red") + Recording - storage device containing information (from Old French, recorder "testimony")

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COMMENTS:

Yeah, I can no longer play my rustaccordion either! - arrrteest, 2008-03-14: 12:04:00

Will use it a lot! Excellent word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 18:22:00

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Stereolith

Created by: Jamagra

Pronunciation: ster'/e/o/lith

Sentence: Jacob cringed in embarrassment at every soccer game. When would his parents get rid of that stereolithic camera they had and get with the digital age? It was completely humiliating... especially when the flip flash blinded his teammates just as they tried to score a goal.

Etymology: stereo - three dimensional (as in stereoscopic photography & stereotype print); also stereophonic sound reproduction + monolith - something formed of a single slab of stone

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COMMENTS:

Innovative etymology and word. Well done! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 18:03:00

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Passéimperfect

Created by: Nosila

Pronunciation: pas say im pur fect

Sentence: Young Billy adored his grandfather and loved it when the old geezer told him stories about the passéimperfect. He knew his grandpa made this stuff up, but he loved to hear about the good old days anyway and in particular about the ancient tools they used. He regaled Billy with yarns about how his phone had numbers that went round and round when he stuck his finger in the holes for each set of numbers. Grandpa also told him about watching tv shows on the one channel in black & white and for some reason you needed a rabbit's ears to see the tiny picture better. (As if!) He also told him of cooking without using a microwave (yeah, right!) and buying big blocks of ice to keep everything in the fridge cold (you've got to be kidding!). That crazy Grandpa, he told Billy that a log on was something you put on a bonfire and that a link was something you put on your sleeves to keep the cuffs closed. He said a password was something you spoke into a grill on a door to get into a speak-easy (must be some kind of spellcheck for voice actioned computers?) Billy loved the really old things that Grandpa gave him. Like most boys his age, he loved dinosaurs. He was so excited today, because Grandpa was coming over and bringing him a thesaurus...he couldn't wait to play with it!

Etymology: passé (out of fashion) & past imperfect (grammar: tense imperfect refers to an action that is uncompleted or abandoned)

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COMMENTS:

Rrrawr! Oh no, here comes the fierce Thesaurus Rex!... That's hilarious. - Tigger, 2008-03-14: 03:09:00

All that was makes me curious about what is to come! Great etymology ... conveys the way passages from the old ... lead to the knew ... growing, evolving, better and better ... perfecting! A Perfectly wonderful sentence and word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 17:08:00

Thanks, Tigger & silveryaspen. I always thought the best name for the Toronto NBA Team was TorontoSaurus Wrecks...but no one would listen... - Nosila, 2008-03-14: 23:16:00

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Paleodata

Created by: stache

Pronunciation: pā'lē-ō-dāt'ə

Sentence: Jose threw the remaining 3.5" floppies in the drawer with his cassette, VHS, 8-track and reel-to-reel tapes, 5" floppies and other miscellaneous paleodata.

Etymology: paleo-, a combining form meaning “old” or “ancient;” data, information

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COMMENTS:

picabomama I must say, this is nearly as good as my verb! Well done! I will probably use this word, a lot. - picabomama, 2008-03-14: 08:16:00

The throwback all the way to the dinosaur age ... Terrific word! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 18:00:00

Great word! - OZZIEBOB, 2008-03-16: 17:04:00

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Exprise

Created by: Ekovox

Pronunciation: Ex-prise

Sentence: He uttered complete exprise at realizing he lost on Jeopardy.

Etymology:

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Betavate

picabomama

Created by: picabomama

Pronunciation: bay/tuh/vate

Sentence: Kelly's family had long maintained a fine collection of home movies spanning several formerly cutting edge film and video formats. This was a great comfort to Kelly, because although the tragic video of her junior prom still existed, it would take a significant effort to secure the proper equipment to betavate it.

Etymology: excavate- to extract material + beta- the sad and long dead video format

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COMMENTS:

I see what you mean. A fine verb indeed. - stache, 2008-03-14: 17:50:00

Beta-hooked on betavated! Great creation! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 18:15:00

It is indeed beta to give than receive. Good One, picabomama! - Nosila, 2008-03-14: 23:07:00

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Harmedium

Created by: bigveg

Pronunciation: har-mee-dee-um

Sentence: son: dad, the kitten chewed my new shoes! father: here son, execute him with this laserdisc! son: nice harmedium dad! dad: i know

Etymology: harm, medium.

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COMMENTS:

Evokes lots of different thoughts! Wonderful originality! - silveryaspen, 2008-03-14: 18:01:00

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Calookle

Lazberg

Created by: Lazberg

Pronunciation: Cal ook el

Sentence: Individ 1: "Hey, let's go to the library and rent some good old-fashion calookles!" Individ 2: "Ah yes, i totally agree, i haven't read a calookle in a while, better get reading."

Etymology:

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