JCPenney may have deleted that particular item from their online catalog, but they’re still offering this almost-as-demeaning item for just five dollars:
Hang down your head, frogapplause! This neologism, coined (sources say) by H.L. Mencken in 1957, would apparently be adjectival, rather than nominal; the singular would be *bibliobubulous (someone drunk on books).
Re: frog blog Elmo, I think that is actually Grover, Elmo is on the reverse page, he has a less round head. (and sorry if I’m adding to the whipping, love your lame blog, all things can be revised.
@Teresa: Bibliobibulus is such an uncommon word that you might have gotten away with simply saying nothing. Well, maybe not around this crowd o’ loons… but then, the entire ruddy world makes the same mistake with panini and nobody bats an eyelash. I can’t help ordering one panino, just to mess with people’s minds in the name of grammatical purity.
I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but I think people take things too seriously. The T-shirts are a joke. Laugh. Enjoy life. I have more faith in kids than most people. They get it. It’s a joke.
I believe we see so many endemic problems in society that people search desperately for the causes of the decline that we see. But the real root problems are so complex and so difficult that we latch on to simple answers… ban a T-shirt, and maybe the world is a little better. But it isn’t — it’s worse.
I thought the T-shirt was funny. I bet girls who wear it think it’s funny, too. Telling girls they can’t wear the T-shirt because they’re too stupid to figure out that it’s a joke and they need to be protected from the joke is more demeaning than the shirt itself.
Also, that said…. I would not want my daughters between the ages of 0-17 to wear that shirt because of its message…. even if they felt it ironically funny… because I would think too many people would not view it as ironic but actually as a (very wrong) truism.
@PipeTobacco — See, that’s where I disagree. I don’t think there’s anyone anywhere who would view it as a truism, but there were would be numerous people who would cluck-cluck about all those other unnamed people who don’t get the joke… :)
@Gaijinrabbit: I think that’s just the message in the strip, despite the discussion around the word itself. There is no such thing as blibbletyblobulus because it’s impossible to read too many books…
margueritem about 13 years ago
Sigh, no time to look that up right now.
FLIGHT SUIT about 13 years ago
When Captain Haddock is especially perturbed, he exclaims, “Billions of billious, blue, blistering bibliobibuli!”
FLIGHT SUIT about 13 years ago
Regarding this:
http://obituarytypo.blogspot.com/2011/08/gender-stereotyping.html
JCPenney may have deleted that particular item from their online catalog, but they’re still offering this almost-as-demeaning item for just five dollars:
http://tinyurl.com/3b2esfa
plight about 13 years ago
I’d rather be a bilious bilby!
Sisyphos about 13 years ago
Hang down your head, frogapplause! This neologism, coined (sources say) by H.L. Mencken in 1957, would apparently be adjectival, rather than nominal; the singular would be *bibliobubulous (someone drunk on books).
Ray_C about 13 years ago
Yesterday Teresa couldn’t even spell bibliobibuli. Today she are two or more.
Teresa Burritt (Frog Applause) creator about 13 years ago
At least I know that that’s Henry David Thoreau and not a young Honest Abe.
Cat43ullus about 13 years ago
T., if you construe bibliobibuli it as a genitive singular you should be fine: “one of those who become drunk on books” —a partitive gen., I believe.
Bibulus is the proper Latin form of the word, not “-ous”, by the way It was a Roman family name as well.L. Calpurnius Bibulus
Teresa Burritt (Frog Applause) creator about 13 years ago
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bibliobibuli
NounbibliobibuliThe sort of people who read too much.
kschobert about 13 years ago
Re: frog blog Elmo, I think that is actually Grover, Elmo is on the reverse page, he has a less round head. (and sorry if I’m adding to the whipping, love your lame blog, all things can be revised.
The Old Wolf about 13 years ago
@Teresa: Bibliobibulus is such an uncommon word that you might have gotten away with simply saying nothing. Well, maybe not around this crowd o’ loons… but then, the entire ruddy world makes the same mistake with panini and nobody bats an eyelash. I can’t help ordering one panino, just to mess with people’s minds in the name of grammatical purity.
lewisbower about 13 years ago
Nasty, nasty, nasti. You fight like little children. What button do I push for Family Circus?
Oxnate about 13 years ago
Well, I certainly qualify. From all of us bibliobibuli to you, we thank you Teresa for teaching us wonderful new words.
cleokaya about 13 years ago
Ooooh, can I do the whipping? I have always taken great pleasure in the pain and misery of others.
Nairebis about 13 years ago
I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but I think people take things too seriously. The T-shirts are a joke. Laugh. Enjoy life. I have more faith in kids than most people. They get it. It’s a joke.
I believe we see so many endemic problems in society that people search desperately for the causes of the decline that we see. But the real root problems are so complex and so difficult that we latch on to simple answers… ban a T-shirt, and maybe the world is a little better. But it isn’t — it’s worse.
I thought the T-shirt was funny. I bet girls who wear it think it’s funny, too. Telling girls they can’t wear the T-shirt because they’re too stupid to figure out that it’s a joke and they need to be protected from the joke is more demeaning than the shirt itself.
peachyanddanny about 13 years ago
Bibliobibulosity might induce borborygmous, halitosis and flatus.
booktrout about 13 years ago
too much effort to pronounce it, but it’s definitely me. 4-5 books a week….my legs are numb….gotta walk a mile every few chapters.
Eagleskies Premium Member about 13 years ago
Rats! peachyanddanny beat me to “bibliobibulosity”. Huh!
Pipe Tobacco about 13 years ago
Also, that said…. I would not want my daughters between the ages of 0-17 to wear that shirt because of its message…. even if they felt it ironically funny… because I would think too many people would not view it as ironic but actually as a (very wrong) truism.
Nairebis about 13 years ago
@PipeTobacco — See, that’s where I disagree. I don’t think there’s anyone anywhere who would view it as a truism, but there were would be numerous people who would cluck-cluck about all those other unnamed people who don’t get the joke… :)
The Old Wolf about 13 years ago
@Gaijinrabbit: I think that’s just the message in the strip, despite the discussion around the word itself. There is no such thing as blibbletyblobulus because it’s impossible to read too many books…
LocoOwl about 13 years ago
I suspect the singular would be bibliobibulum. I would vote for that.
EricAlder about 13 years ago
I drink books every day… gotta get my R.D.A.
x_Tech about 13 years ago
My, what a lot bibblebabble today.Most difficult job I ever had was as a proofreader seeing as how I can’t spel worth beens.
The Old Wolf about 13 years ago
Reminicscences of bus travel here…
trekkermint about 13 years ago
i’m going to try to be one, but i’ll just end up a pachyderm as always
The Old Wolf about 13 years ago
I have problems with being a pachyrat…
doc white about 13 years ago
At one time i would read a book a day. My daughter got me this computer and I havent finished one in a year. Must be progress.