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Foo Word of The Moment

Defenestrate

         

digitalghost

8:54 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Defenestrate tr.v - To throw something out of a window. An urge often hard to ignore by smokers that are trying to quit. Phones, books, squawking parrots and other objects may become targets for defenestration.

Nick_W

8:55 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Also experienced when the in-laws come for christmas....

Nick

bakedjake

8:59 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Administrator 10+ Year Member Top Contributors Of The Month



Or when watching the Cleveland Browns get their orange [...] handed to them by an 0-5 team.

troels nybo nielsen

9:00 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Hmmm... I wonder if it might be called defenestration when a certain OS crashes?

olwen

9:01 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I was tempted by a chihuahua last night that saw fit to defend it's master (my partner) when I had a disagreement. Ouch, it hurts still, those things have sharp teeth.

AAnnAArchy

9:15 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Buy Nutriberries & Shredders - buy silence! (translation for non-parrot owners - "Buy snacks and things that are fun to destroy for the birds")

Throw all the phones and books you'd like until it's out of your system. Don't toss the birds. Birds talk. They'll turn you in. ;) I read a story where a parrot told a woman about her husband's affair, but I couldn't find that story. I did find this one. I'm gonna have to teach this to my Grey.

[themercury.co.za...]

Parrot terrifies burglars
October 7, 2003

Kiev: A Ukrainian parrot fluent in police terminology foiled thieves intent on breaking into its owner's home, according to a report in Monday's Cegodnya newspaper.

The incident took place in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium after the parrot's owner, who was described in the report as a retired police officer named Hennady, had left the house en route for the local train station.

A group of boys, who lived next door, were aware of Hennady's planned departure, and broke into the pensioner's home shortly after he had left.

However, their attempt to remove the former policeman's television and electronic appliances failed however when the parrot uttered the words: "Stop! I'll shoot! On the ground!"

The terms are standard language for a Ukrainian law enforcer arresting a potentially dangerous suspect.

The former policemen returned home minutes later after having changed his mind about leaving town that day. He found all three neighbours on the floor of his living room.

Hennady reported the break-in to the boys' parents, but declined to press charges.

The parrot had lived with the former policeman for more than a year, and had never uttered a word before the incident, the newspaper report stated. -

digitalghost

9:20 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I gave the parrot my watch. He shut up. The cockatiel goes nuts every time front door opens, which makes me nuts right now, never noticed it much before, still wishing I would have never taught the cockatiel to whistle the Andy Griffith theme...

The cockatoo just sits in front of one of the stereo speakers and dances. I love that bird.

Sinner_G

7:05 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



An urge often hard to ignore by smokers that are trying to quit.

...and very hard to ignore for anyone working with Microsoft products, when the OS crashes the one and only time you forget to save your 50 pages Word document every two minutes.

EBear

11:23 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Loved seeing this thread. "Defenestrate" was a favourite word of my father, who first introduced me to it when I was about eight. It is, of course, a popular activity [en.wikipedia.org] in what is now the Czech Republic, and uniquely describes one of the most important events in European history.

Sinner_G

11:33 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



one of the most important events in European history

AFAIK, there were TWO defenestrations in Prague.

<edit>fixed quote</edit>

[edited by: Sinner_G at 12:27 pm (utc) on Oct. 21, 2003]

EBear

11:38 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Possibly three; see link above.

jsinger

3:06 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I get daily emails from Doctor Dictionary (dictionary.com). Defenestrate was the Word Of The Day recently. How obscure, I thought. Two days later I saw it used in the Wall Street Journal.

shelleycat

7:29 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Also experienced when the in-laws come for christmas....

Ug, don't remind me. Mine invited themselves this year. So much for our first Christmas at home by ourselves. Sadly we live in small house with small windows. Even if I could get them through they wouldn't fall very far. Or did you mean taking out my frustrations on random inanimate objects rather than pitching the in laws themselves out?