Thursday, February 23, 2006

Tedium

Tedium, n. Ennui, the state or condition of one that is bored. Many fanciful derivations of the word have been affirmed, but so high an authority as Father Jape says that it comes from a very obvious source -- the first words of the ancient Latin hymn Te Deum Laudamus. In this apparently natural derivation there is something that saddens.

2006 Update: An excess of stimulation, intoxication, gratification, invigoration, appreciation, civilization, imitation, explanation, creation or love of nation. There is no standard for measuring the volume of tedium as the common unit, the instant (metric aeon,) expands with age, shrinks with time and multiplies in recitation.

Unrelated to today's word, please keep your eyes on this site to vote for Pia as the best writer of a lefty blog.

32 comments:

Sar said...

I've got nothing for Tedium beyond it's a fun word to say, doesn't apply to my visits at Waking Ambrose, and I'm first baby!

mireille said...

I like it best mixed with brief periods of terror ... often found on the job ... close relative to depression ... often a result after extended periods of stress. xoxo

Unknown said...

tweedledee, tedium. yaddayaddayaddayaddayadda

Anonymous said...

Tedium, n. A satiation based malady widespread in the land of plenty, with peculiar exception noted among registered voters in the state of Massachusetts.

Omnipotent Poobah said...

tedium - That's when you are at a modetrate level of being teed off isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Tedium: life before blogs.

Jamie Dawn said...

Tedium: The same old, same old... like eating oatmeal without adding brown sugar or like walking out to get the mail instead of skipping or hopping.

dddragon said...

Of course, if this was TRULY tedious, then I wouldn't be commenting at all ...

Sar said...

Amen to that, Jenna!

Minka said...

Tedium? I swear you have run out of words and are juts making them up now.
How tedious that must be. The word above sounds a bit like podium, but it is not!
That is all I have!

Minka said...

Oh, and teh voting hasn´t started yet, it seems!

Miz BoheMia said...

Jenna, you nailed it baby! Uh-huh, uh-huh!

Tedium... a word that has no place here at Waking Ambrose, NONE WHATSOEVER!

Miz BoheMia said...

Pssssst Doug! Monika said something about you over at Sar's... can she be our little sis now? Can she, can she?

Jay Noel said...

Tedium: (derived from Jamie Dawn)
Like walking out to get the mail without hoping.

~Daydreamer~ said...

Tedium: *A very long list* My old job, my ex boss (not Retardo, I mean the pharmacy owner), Retardo in every sense of the word, re-runs of "Friends" and "Seinfeld", cold pizza, long empty nights and having nothing to do...

Sar said...

Doug - while you're being talked about behind your back on my site, I snuck over here to suggest a way for you to break out of the tedium - my place Friday!

Doug The Una said...

Hey, thanks, Sar.

Oh my, Mireille your x's and o's look almost desperate today. This will pass eventually. ZOCKSO!!!

Nyuk, nyuk, KKewl

Duxfine, just a guess here, Cape Cod?

It is for me, Poobah.

Jenna, don't know. Us paramecia had a blast!

Why would anyone do that, Jamie D?

Dddragon, thanks for the comment.

OK, ok, Sar. Amen, I guess.

Monika, you're not the first person to connect the podium and tedium. Separating them, that would be an accomplishment! It seems not, I'm trusting Miz B to let me know since Pia's too modest.

Sure, Miz B. I guess we can keep her. I better find out what you're talking about, though.

Nice twist, Phoenix. The first two sentences of There Eyes Were Watching God just came back to me.

Marwa, you had me at "Long list."

Sar, Daddy all always told me not to turn my back on a Belle. Shoulda listened.

Tom & Icy said...

...a series of words ending in -tion. Woof!

Karen said...

tedium = muidet

Sar said...

Doug - further proof your Daddy is a wise man, though I'll have you know I had no part in the chatter behind your back. This time.

Doug The Una said...

Icy, thanks for breaking it down. Good girl!

Karen, are you saying math is boring?

Actonbell, you were just looking for an excuse and you know it. (And thanks)

Sar, I checked. You're clean.

Anonymous said...

No,no...longstanding aversion to capes, either as geographical features or shoulder adornment. Please, no levity at the expense of those unfortunates afflicted with cape fear.

Anonymous said...

"You stole all my time corrupted my mind
Made all your profits and left me behind
Treated me like nothing,a line on a chart
It's your mindless TEDIUM that tore me apart" - AUS-ROTTEN

Lila said...

Tedium. Rhymes with medium. Hey, I'm tired.

Doug The Una said...

Duxfine, I am somberly not smiling. The C__e is the Devil's strand.

Nice lyric, Shayna. Yours?

That'll do for tonight, Aral.

Alana said...

too much tedium today to come up with anything other than...
Tedium, Budget updates

Cooper said...

whatever it is my day was full of it and...I guess I'm not here early enough for the next post so I'm going to bed.

Indeterminacy said...

Tedium: A new drug, a distant cousin to valium, but used primarily to counteract amphetimine highs.

Minka said...

You guys make it sound like I was really nasty :)
It was just a little tweezing that would get me closer to the family. Doug asked for it!

Doug The Una said...

Square Girl, it depends on who presents the budget update and how they're dressed. In a gorilla suit, they're kind of fun.

Alice, I think the word was invented by college students for college students. Sorry I was late this morning.

Works like a charm, too, Indie.

Monika, I'm quicked!

Anonymous said...

Nope... can't take the claim for that one- Aus-Rotten

Doug The Una said...

What's an aus-rotten?