[Fictionary] fub results!

[Ranjit Bhatnagar]

--- still a tie, I'm afraid, and I can't keep stretching out the
voting forever.

We could say that Hutch wins because he received nothing but two-point
votes.  Or that David wins, because he got votes from more people.  Or
Hutch, because he dared to propose a verb rather than a noun.  Or
David, because even Hutch voted for him!

Well, let's just say that it's up to Hutch ("to be mistaken") and
David ("a skinned rabbit"), each with six points, to settle this
through fisticuffs, wagering on the hounds, or a friendly game of
gleek.

And the real definition was--- well, I'll let you read the results to find out.

 - Ranjit




General comments -

Eric said "I love the Shakespeare thing this round."
Jean-Joseph said "After I sent in my def, I realized that what I
should have done is to use 'Ay, there's the fub!' as my quote and
claim that there's some dispute as to the proper transcription of
Hamlet's soliloquy."


And now the definitions:


Jim M: 4 points

fub - n. - a strip of cloth used to protect the hands when pulling rope.
"Oh, that I were a fub upon that hand!" -- Romeo and Juliet, act II,
scene 2, Marcer (transcribed) edition

David gives this 1 point, for lack of drama.
Nicolas awards 1 point for innuendo humor.
Hutch dissents: The quote feels like it oughta be "glove" instead, and
I'm *pretty* sure that I recall that as being the quote.
Elliott holds his tongue: "Looks like we're supposed to infer that
there's a real line with "thumb" instead of "fub", and that the
shorthand reporter transcribed it wrong. But what would Shakespeare
have meant by such a line?  The mind boggles. I'm betting this is
edited natural Shakespeare.  The award I want to give it is not fit to
be named in a wholesome forum like ours."
Linda gives this definition 2 points.
Jean-Joseph chimes in: "Romeo and Juliet, huh?  My knowledge of the
Bard's work is meager, but I think that there are probably others here
who know this play well enough that they'd know this if it were real."





Jean-Joseph: 2 points

fub - n. - A lacing-cord.
  But as thy blouse the fub so tightly bound
  So 'neath its folds thy bosom lies conceal'd;
  And ne'er to me its pleasures be reveal'd
  Though do I beg, my knees upon the ground.
     Wm. Shakespeare, "Sonnets to Sundry Notes of Music", VII.

Jean-Joseph's comment: "I figured a good approach would be to take a
real obscure work and add an additional section.  "Sonnets to Sundry
Notes of Music" (the penultimate thing in my Complete Shakespeare
book) only goes up to VI.  And I wanted to see if I could get anybody
to vote for an ersatz Elizabethan rendition of "Show us your tits!".
(Apologies if appropriate.)"

Hutch:  Another tempting one, but nothing left to offer.
Elliott shoots a near-miss: "This round's winner of the David Randall Award!"
Nora gives 2 points: "I like this definition and the verse."



Webster's 1913 via thefreedictionary.com: 2 points

fub. n. A plump young person or child.
v. t. To put off by trickery; to cheat.
I have been fubbed off, and fubbed off, and fabbed off, from this day
to that day.
- Shak.

Eric gives this one two points and says "'Fob off', but I like the
plump person bit."
Hutch, on the other hand, says "The quote sounds good, but I don't
really believe the definition."
Elliott says "Almost believable -- the quotation is prosaic enough to
sound like Shakespeare without sounding like fake Shakespeaere.  But
the quotation doesn't illustrate 'fub', it illustrates 'fub off'."
Jean-Joseph wonders "Hmm, not from anywhere in particular?" and, after
voting and looking up the real def, adds "(Nope, looks like it was the
fat kid and the cheating.)
(And the example is from Henry IV, Part II [II, 1], a line of Mistress
Quickly.  Looks like some sources, at least, have it as 'fubb'd' all
three times, and some use 'fubbed' rather than the contraction.  And
this is the only place where Shakespeare used the word.)"



Linda: 5 points

fub, n.  A common name for a cat or dog, similar to Fido or Kitty in
modern times.  "Fub, Fub, quiet Fub.  Hell's bells, in or out?"
Macbeth

Nicolas hands out 2 points for making Macbeth funny.
Hutch says "I don't recall there being a dog (or a cat) in Macbeth"
and has clearly forgotten about that damned Spot.
Elliott gives a point: "This is hilarious.  The quotation is blatantly
synthetic, and I like blatancy.  I would guess Ranjit, if he weren't
running the round.  One point."
Jim puts 2 points in the pot.
Jean-Joseph: "Even moreso than R&J, somebody would surely know Macbeth."




Eric: 1 + 2 points for correct guess

fub, n. A brightly-enameled decorative tile.

  "Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
   Is thick inlaid with fubs and orbs of gold,--
   There's not the smallest star which thou behold'st
   But in his motion like an angel sings,
   Still quiring to the wide-eyed cherubims."

Hutch gives 1 point-- This feels right: both the definition and the quote.
Elliott is inclined to think that the quotation is entirely synthetic.
"Jessica" sounds too modern, and there would be no reason to insert a
modern name if all you were doing was replacing some other
monosyllable with "fub" in a real quotation.  Also, why ",--"?
Jean-Joseph says, accusingly: "Another one that doesn't say what work
it comes from.  Cowards."



Elliott: 4 + i points

fub -- 1 (n.) If F = (f_1, f_2, ...) is a sequence of continuous
functions from R^n into R, then F is said to have a (pointwise)
functional upper bound if the function f_{ub} defined by

    f_{ub} (x) = sup {f_k (x)}, k = 1, 2, ....

exists for all x in R^n.  2 (v.) (See quot.)

MISTRESS BAIRE:
       Know, then, my husband of these seven years,
       Bounded is above, and more below.
       Fubb'd by sin his function wobbleth,
       And nowhere dense he is below the neck.

-- Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act I, Scene 2.

Eric gives this the Most Likely To Be By Elliott Award, and one point.
David awards 2 points, for persuasiveness by mathematical hand-waving.
Nicolas says "I'm pretty sure Liebniz coined this use of function, and
that would have post-dated Shakespeare a bit."
Hutch: "This is very tempting: the function presumably named after the
quote. However, I have no more points. Give this one my imaginary
tie-breaker point."
Elliott adds "That would be 'sin ()', of course."
Pierre awards one point for one class containing one item: "This def
is in a category by itself!"
Jean-Joseph just wanted to use the words chutzpah, elan, and huzzah:
"Well, it certainly shows some chutzpah and elan!  But carries no
believability whatsoever.  Huzzah!"



David: 6 points

fub - n. - a skinned rabbit.

Toby, Twelfth Night II.iv: (Aside.) I’ll waste and spend that silly
youth till he be but a fub.  (Aloud.)  Money, Andrew!  How wilt thou
win my niece unless thou woo her with thy purse? -- So thy purse will
open her purse, and easy clip her coin, to breed affection.  Money,
Aguecheek! (Aside.) A very fub, more in his body than his soul, if
that be possible.  A fub!

Hutch awards two points--  Twelfth Night is my favorite Shax play:
Fool: "Darkness? I say to you, there is no darkness but ignorance!" I
recall this bit of business, but I can't recall the exact lines. But I
like it: 2 points.
Elliott's resources are depleted: "I rather like this one, but I'm out
of points.  Sounds like edited natural Shake -- who today would think
of coin-clipping?"
Jim gives it 1 point.
Nora also gives 1 point.
Linda, too, awards 1 point.
Jean-Joseph has 1 point for this too: "Twelfth Night, a bit less
mainstream than R&J or Macbeth.  So I'll take it, one point."




Hutch: 6 points

fub - vi - 1. err, be mistaken, make a mistake 2. speak falsely,
prevaricate - n - 1. a mistake, an error 2. a lie, a prevarication
"Yet, in good faith, some say that thee behold / Thy face hath not the
power to make love groan: / To say they fub I dare not be so bold, /
Although I swear it to myself alone." Sonnet 131.

Elliott, while handing out two points, says "Most plausible, from the
sound of it (like "flub").  The quotation could be edited natural
Shakespeare, or real.  Two points."
Pierre also gives this one two points.
Jean-Joseph also also gives two points: "Not sure how many sonnets
there are, and this could be the same trick that I tried to pull, but
I'll give it two points."




Also, apologies to Pierre, whose definition, reproduced below, arrived
in my mailbox just minutes after I sent out the ballot.

fub, n. 1. One of the peripheral stones in an arrangement of jewels.
2. The peripheral stones considered together.

As rubies work with sapphires in the fub
To set apart the diamond they surround
Sonnet 52