[Fictionary] inchpin results

[E Cohen]

I'm so sorry that after all your lovely and prompt definitions and 
votes, personal matters kept me from posting this for so long.

The real def is the deer's sweetbread, and this round's result is a tie 
between Linda and Elliott, each with five points.

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General comments:

Jean-Joseph: Eliminating obscure organisms and obvious jokes about what 
the word superficially seems to mean (like the joke definition I thought 
of sending in, "a critical but essential component" doesn't leave many 
choices.  But I'm delighted to see such high participation this round. 
Glorious!

Linda: Great selection, love the Sprite def--must try it.

Ranjit: I have no idea which is the true definition so I'm voting for 
the ones I think are the funniest.


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Real definition:

inchpin, n. (obs). Deer’s sweetbread.

4 points: 1 Elliott, 2 Pierre, 1 Jean-Joseph

Elliott: I can see how come it's obsolete.  One point for being 
unrelated to ``inch'' or ``pin''.

Jean-Joseph: One point by elimination.

Hutch: Wild mountain oysters :-D

Nicolas: Ew.


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Elliott

inchpin, n. A secret message written in Sprite and read by laying the 
paper on an anthill.

5 points: 2 Jean-Joseph, 2 Ranjit, 1 correct vote

Jim: Thank You Elliott award

Elliott: Mine.  Determined not to be inspired by the actual meanings of 
``inch'' and ``pin'', I let ``inch'' be ``ink'' (like pinch/pink, 
stench/stink, linch(pin)/link), and ``pin'' be ``pen''.

Fran: These two are hilarious. I loved them but I am not giving them any 
points.

Jean-Joseph: Absolutely not correct, but definitely worth two points.

Hutch: And the ants eat away the sugar-soaked paper, leaving the message 
to be read from the negative space? Does this actually WORK???

Nicolas: My son would love this.


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Fran

inchpin, n. 1) Any of the Rhabditida family of nematodes, commonly found 
as a parasite in the small intestines of reptiles and amphibians, and 
primarily endemic in the subtropics. 2) Any short, thin parasitic 
roundworm found in the gut of an animal.

3 points: 1 Jim, 1 Pierre, 1 Nicolas

Pierre: That's an order; families end in -idae. Still, I give it a point.

Hutch: I never vote for scientific terms.

Nicolas: 1 point, realistic and gross.


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Jean-Joseph

inchpin, v. To fraudulently list a person as a dependent on a tax document.

3 points: 2 Jim, 1 correct vote

Jim: I like that it's a verb.

Hutch: Seems a curiously specific sort of crime with very little 
remuneration.

Nicolas: Maybe this does have a word, but I'm out of points.


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Pierre

inchpin, n. (Scots Gaelic innispeann, island feather.) An auklet of the 
species Aethia nesiota, found in the Hebrides.

2 points, correct vote

Elliott: I like it, but I'm out of points.

Hutch: I never vote for scientific terms

Nicolas: Porg?


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Hutch

inchpin, n. A nail driven lightly into a board to hold a measuring tape 
in place. v. to drive in such a nail.

3 points: 2 Linda, 1 David

Jim: A very sensible etymology presents itself. Therefore, too 
plausible. No points.

Nicolas: This is probably the real one.


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Linda

inchpin, n. A spacing device for drilling holes in a belt or similar 
piece of leather or other material.

5 points: 1 Fran, 2 David, 2 Nicolas

Fran: Very believable, 1 pt.

Hutch: Too similar to mine.

Nicolas: 2 points for the special awl (?)


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Nicolas

inchpin, n. 1) The primary equipment for miniature tabletop bowling, a 
game briefly popular after the World's Columbian Exposition. 2) Any 
inexperienced local politician ineffectually running for state or 
national office.

3 points: 1 Hutch, 1 Linda, 1 Ranjit

Jean-Joseph: Entertaining enough that I almost  gave this one a vote.

Hutch: Isn't there a new Columbian Exposition every two or four years? 
Which one? And how do we go from "tabletop bowling" to a political 
term??? This is weird enough to be real: 1 point

Nicolas: Mine, sassing Mayor Pete.

Ranjit: 1 point and the I Think That's Probably Elliott Or David Award.


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David

inchpin, n. The crime boss of a small city.

2 points: 2 Elliott

Eliott: Two points for being very funny and not being a kind of pin.

Fran: These two are hilarious. I loved them but I am not giving them any 
points.

Hutch: a "kingpin" but only for "inches".

Nicolas: Hahaha


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Jim

inchpin, adj. A Shakespearean insult deprecating another’s manhood.

4 points: 2 Fran, 2 Hutch

Jim: Why did I make this an adjective? It would make much more sense as 
a noun. I mean, yeah, it could be used as an adjective, like in “thou 
inchpin blaggard!”, but… remind me to proofread before sending in my 
entries in the future!

Fran: Very believable: 2 pts.

Hutch: This feels very Shakespearean. 2 points

Nicolas: Doesn't sound like Willy Shakes to me?


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Ranjit

inchpin, n. A Flat Earth believer.
	
Jean-Joseph: I guess I don't have any specific reason to exclude this, 
but I'm out of points.

Ranjit: author's note: because flat, earth, inch, and pin are all kinds 
of worms

Hutch: Much too good a word for them.

Nicolas: If you give them an inch…




-- Eric   |   eac at inbox.com