Subject: MOFETTE results!

From: Ranjit Bhatnagar <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 14:19:31 -0400 (EDT)

WHAT WAS THE REAL MOFETTE?  The volcanic vent.  French, gaseous
exhalation, from Italian moffetta, diminutive of muffa, mold, moldy smell,
probably of Germanic origin, says the American Heritage dictionary.

WHO WAS THE MOST CONVINCING FICTIONIZER?  Kir, with the old-fashioned cap.
With 10 points, the cap was twice as popular as any of its rivals.

Take it, as they say, away, Kir!

General comments ---------------

Kir votes ...after long puzzlement over fabrics and cheesey treats...

James: Tearing my way through yards and yards of cloth, I submit my ballot.

I had no basis for making my choice, except to try and avoid definitions
that resembled guimpe (still my only round as leader, I think). [James
earned 2 points for finding the REAL mofette]

MyS: Implausible, every one.

And the votes! ----------------

mofette (n) - a marionette with only basic articulation, i.e., of the
shoulders and hips
-- MyS (4 points)

2 - Aussie: because it's the kinda word Ranjit would know.
2 - Linda

mofette, n. A servant who is employed to take care of falcons.
-- phma (4 points)

2 - Jean-Joseph: Nah.  Unlikely.  Two points.
1 - MyS
1 - James

mofette - n. - A fitted cloth cover, usually embroidered, for an
overstuffed chair, sofa, or ottoman.
-- Jean-Joseph (5 points)

2 - Hutch
1 - David
1 - Kir
1 - Pierre: Sounds like an antimacassar but I'll give it a point.
Fran: like a tuffet, which little miss muffet sat upon, eating curds &
whey?  no, and I'm not voting for cottage cheese, either.  Instead, I'm
voting for clothing-type articles
Linda: sounds nice and soft, like the word.

mofette - n. - a stand with fabric sling used as an infant bath.
-- Aussie (1 point)

1 - Jean-Joseph: Basinette, or something like that.  But I'll give it a
point anyway.
Linda: Is this the real answer?

mofette - n - a delicate, decorated handkerchief (often silk) for display
rather than use
-- Hutch (4 points)

2 - MyS
2 - Fran: I have one of these, from Bulgaria, which was a gift on my 21st
birthday
Pierre: I thought these were just called silks.
Linda: Got a lot of thses made by ancestors.  Well, maybe a few.

mofette, n. women's cap c. 1700, characterized by a plain front, lace
ruffles at the back, and tying under the chin. (10 points)
-- Kir

2 - David
2 - Judith
2 - Pierre
1 - Aussie: because, if I was wearing one and someone told me to remove my
mofette, I'd take it off.
1 - Hutch
1 - Linda: plausible, but at least a good def.
1 - Fran: I have had to wear one of these (or its close cousin) in
colonial costume for dance demos.  I think they look pretty dorky.  I
haven't heard it called a mofette, but hey.

MOFETTE: (v)  To fool around with food, instead of eating nicely.
-- judith

mofette, n. 1. An opening in the earth from which carbon dioxide and other
gases escape, usually marking the last stage of volcanic activity.  2. The
gases escaping from such an opening.
-- American Heritage

2 - James
Pierre: This sounds like a solfatara.

mofette--n.--a Breton cottage cheese made from goat's milk.
-- David (3 points)

2 - Kir
1 - Judith

Mofette, n.  A soft mint candy usually sold around Easter.  From Mofette's
in Paris.
-- Linda

Kir: Yum.

---

From: Aussie Meyer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 06:47:34 -0500

> mofette--n.--a Breton cottage cheese made from goat's milk.

I thought, "Kir DOES sound like a Breton cottage cheese made from goat's 
milk!"

Then I realized we could, actually, fictionalize names pretty well - I 
have visual images to go with a lot of your names which have nothing 
whatsoever to do with what you actually look like. The mysterious 
MyShaner, the unusual haircut of Fran Poodry, the solid New England 
charm of Hutch, Pierre Abbat in his sackcloth, Jean-Joseph as some wild 
French photojournalist in Mongolia, David as a sort of Rube Goldbergian 
mad inventor with coke bottle eyeglasses, Judith reclined on a chaise 
lounge (with a bunch of grapes) tossing off one word descriptions, 
Elliott looking like the picture on the back of the bookcover with 
tweeds and pipe.  We won't even get into Ranjit, who sounds (and 
sometimes acts) like some kinda monkey wrench.

And I already know that the physical description of myself is so 
unlikely that no one would ever buy it.  Hehe, "51 year old lady hipster 
  exceeding 450 lbs. avoirdupois and living in Texas". YeeHAW!

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 10:09:02 -0400 (EDT)

Whoa, I won. I had no idea. I have no words ready! So... *scrounge scournge
scournge, ahah!*

Please email me by really-dang-late Wednesday night if you know this:

LANGRET

Kir

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2004 06:34:59 -0400 (EDT)

I hadn't expected no one to know LANGRET but hey, I've gottom some good
definitions in already, and no one claims to recognize it.

With that in mind, I'll send out the assembled defs for voting early next week,
so get _all_ defs to me please by Monday May 3 noon Eastern time.

Thanks!

Kir

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 07 May 2004 10:12:32 -0400 (EDT)

You know the drill: pick two, one for 2 and one for 1.

Oh wait, deadline... um.... next Thursday night midnight your time. (I'll
probably check my email around 8 or 9 Friday morning New England time.)

Cheers!
Kir, who had a busier week than expected.

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

LANGRET - n. - A tall wading bird.

LANGRET - n. - In Scotland, a sad, slow, melodious song of unrequited love. cf.
Am. torch song or Port. fado.  

LANGRET - n. - The sadness one feels when one realizes that one will never
speak
French like a native. 

LANGRET - n. - A kind of loaded die.

LANGRET - n. - 1.  An oscine songbird, Mimus proteus, whose eggs are laid in
the
nests of other species and whose young develop song, plumage, and size similar
to those of the host.  
2.  (Also langrette; more at -ETTE. pej.)  A graduate student who unconsciously
takes on mannerisms, turns of phrase, style of hair and clothing, or other
incidental traits of his or her adviser.

LANGRET - v. - In the game of innebandy (floorball), to move the ball forward
across two lines without making the required lateral pass to another player.

LANGRET - n. - A tool used in an evaporation pool to stir or collect sea salt.

LANGRET - n. - An elevated observation post.

LANGRET - n. - On some birds, an area of bare skin between the beak and the
eye.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 07 May 2004 10:48:53 -0400 (EDT)

I know you all will have figured out that I sent that ballot with the wrong
subjext line. But my apologies anyway!

Kir