the demy story

[Jean-Joseph Cote]

The winner is:
> demy - n. - Either of two divisions of a people, such that a member
> of one demy can only marry a member of the other.
from Pierre.  Correct guess 2, Amy 2, Elliott 1, Linda 2 = 7 points.
Amy:  Hrm, so they're in different demygraphics?  But sounds plausible,
heck, 2 points.
Fran: This is sort of like the fact that my grandmother, of the turtle
clan, could marry my grandfather, of the snipe clan, but could not marry
another turtle clan member.  But there were also bear clan, hawk clan,
beaver clan, wolf clan, etc. so it wasn't two divisions.  The Iroquois
clans had two "moieties," but they didn't necessarily have to do with
marriage...I remember reading that when someone died, the clans of the
moiety s/he belonged to would be the "grievers" and the other moiety
would be the "condolers" and prepare the body for burial.
Elliott:  DEME, but I like the concept of marriage equivalence classes. 
One point.
Linda: Dunno why neither, but 2 points.  By the way, the white-throated
sparrows, which look a lot alike, both male and female, are divided into
two groups--one has white stripes on the head,and the other has buff.  If
you are white, you mate with a buff, and vice versa.  Probably prevents
inbreeding.
Jean-Joseph: I guess the way things generally are in the USA right now,
an example would be "male" and "female", yes?

> demy - adj. - Understatedly confident.
from Arthur.  Correct guess 2, Amy 1, Joe 2, David 1 = 6 points.
Amy:  Which perhaps this definition is?
Joe: By process of elimination, this gets 2 points, though I'm skeptical
that it's right.

> demy - adj. - (1920s British slang, from _demotic_) Popular,
> vulgar, fun.
from David.  Judith 2, Arthur 1, Ranjit 1, Elliott 2 = 6 points.
Judith:  Why not?  Two points.
Ranjit:  i like the derivation! 1 pt.
Elliott:  DEME, but not trying to hide it.  Definition is short but
funny.  Two points.

> demy - v.t. - To harass someone by demanding, in a bullying
> fashion calculated to excite resentment, that they do something
> which they already intended to do.
from Elliott.  Judith 1, Fran 1, Joe 1, Ranjit 2 = 5 points.
Judith:  I *want* there to be a word for this!  Give it a point.
Amy:  No points but there really should be a word for this, though I
don't think it's demy.
Joe: Hee hee...  This gets 1 point for the "There should be a word for
this" award.
Ranjit:  something that needed a name.  2 pts.
Elliott:  Mine.  I've read about this happening in politics, too -- the
Whigs find out that the Tories are about to do something and demand that
they do it, so that when the Tories *do* do it, they appear to be caving
in to the Whigs.  But no points.

> demy - n. - [French] A small backyard shed used as a child's
> playhouse.  Often decorated with pastel colors.
from Linda.  Fran 2, David 2 = 4 points.
Elliott:  If it didn't start out decorated, the kids will make it so.

> demy - n. - A lapdog or coddled pet.
from Ranjit.  Aussie 1, Pierre 1 = 2 points.
Aussie:  One point for nerve.
Pierre:  One point, just because.

> demy - v. - To replace an enemy's flag with one's own upon capturing
> a fortification.
from Joe.  Aussie 2 = 2 points.
Aussie:  Two points for being a verb, and a sound one.
Elliott:  Wouldn't that be "detheir"?  Demying is what you're trying to
keep them from doing to your own positions.

> demy - n. - The abbreviated jacket worn with a bejewelled
> halter top in a harem costume.
from Aussie.  Linda 1 = 1 point.
Linda:  Dunno why, but 1 point 

> demy - n. - A person who stands as a place-holder, as in a line,
> for someone who  needs to leave their own place temporarily.
> Once this applied to lines of applicants for the justice of the local
> lord, now applicable to people waiting overnight for tickets to go
> on sale who have to use the restroom.
from Fran.  No points.
Pierre:  This needs a word - but this isn't it.

> Joke def from Judith:
> demy - v. - To wefuze to adnit.
I regret labeling this as a joke, because although I guess it was, I was
under the mistaken impression that Judith had submitted a real definition
as well.  In the absence of one, I would have like to see if anybody
would have saluted this oddball.

> demy - n., [pl. -mies] - 1. Any of several standard sizes of paper,
> especially: a. In England, paper measuring 15 1/2 by 20 inches
> or 17 1/2 by 22 1/2 inches.  b. In the United States, paper
> measuring 16 by 21 inches.  2. A size of book, 8 3/4 by 5 5/8
> inches.  3. A size of book, 11 1/4 by 8 3/4 inches.
from American Heritage, i.e. the real one.  Arthur 2, Pierre 2 = 4
points.
Joe: I'm always wary of exceedingly technical definitions.  It's too easy
to sound authoritative by dumping in a bunch of numbers.
Jean-Joseph:  I picked this because I liked the notion of a standard that
varies wildly, depending on where you are.  And although the dictionary
says that the etymology is related to "demi", it's worth noting that in
the map printing that I'm involved with, a "half-sheet" is 12 1/2 inches
by 19 inches, which doesn't match any of the above (it may be specific to
the type of offset press we use).

Jean-Joseph