Redefining misanthropy for a fresh generation. Standard posts begin with a definition from Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary followed by a modern adjustment. Miscellany on Wednesday and storytelling on Saturday.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Mesmerism
MESMERISM, n. Hypnotism before it wore good clothes, kept a carriage and asked Incredulity to dinner.
2007 Update: A suggestion bypassing reason on the way in and shame on the way out. A pre-emptive memory lapse.
Mesmerism: the....um...gift...of...something in order to, uh, something something something when someone else can't, er...something.
wow. i had a fabulous definition -- but suddenly, i can't remember what it was... go figure. (probably threw it out with the bath water and/or that hilarious post i wrote last night)
well done, beautiful BoheMia -- somehow i suspect teh Penguin is now so mesmerized by the fact that you got here before she did, she can't think of anything to write, either! ; )
mesmerism: - The act of dangling a shiny object in front of someone until they enter a trance and then stealing their wallet and commanding them to bark like a dog.
No name, no fame, I guess, even for things that went on perfectly well without them. Cf. Celsius for centigrade degrees of temperature, Hertz for cycles of radiomagnetic frequencies, etc. etc.
To have your name affixed to a phenomenon of nature is the Taj Mahal of the sciences.
mesmerism in thrall to right-leaning politicians: may manifest through belief in the benign quality of an 18 minute tape lapse, aluminum tubes and yellowcake, the magic quality of a surge. xoxo
mesmerism -- to capture and keep the attention of someone against his/her will and compel him/her to obey as though s/he'd suffered a lobotomy. see also: television commercials
the other day while in the train, i got the misfortune of sitting beside a girl talking with a prospective dinner date... "i'm sooo cute", "i don't know why you wouldn't go out with a hot babe like me", "i'm really pretty", "i'm the nicest", "i have a great paying job". then of course other passengers like me would turn around and check her out. i'm not sure who got "mesmerized" by her incantations, i got off the train before i did.
(to) mesmerize- the last resort of a desperate sales person.
Thanks, Kyah. I agree, I'd have liked to have written Bierce's before he did. Next time I'll start earlier.
I'm glad Sar, because I don't.
Icy, if cats could carry bones, they'd rule us by our own fangs.
Jenna, is that who's wooing you?
Mule, you know I'm looking that up, right?
Minka, this happens to you often?
AS, this is just a man's perspective but I'm guessing no one was mesmerized. Still, you did well to get off the train in case she was still chatty when her call ended.
J.D...must...mail...truffle...
Goldennib, welcome back! I'm glad the hypnosis worked this time. Oink!
The Fibonacci sequence, Square. Keep going. 144, 223
36 comments:
Mesmerism... feeling directly related to being FIRST!!!!!!
WOOH!!!!
Mesmerism: the....um...gift...of...something in order to, uh, something something something when someone else can't, er...something.
wow. i had a fabulous definition -- but suddenly, i can't remember what it was... go figure. (probably threw it out with the bath water and/or that hilarious post i wrote last night)
well done, beautiful BoheMia -- somehow i suspect teh Penguin is now so mesmerized by the fact that you got here before she did, she can't think of anything to write, either! ; )
Mesmerism: being second after MizB
IT'S NOT FAIR; I HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO BE FIRST, AND I FEEL SHAME OVER EVERYTHING
Mesmerism: whatever I said above. Can't remember
mesmerism: - The act of dangling a shiny object in front of someone until they enter a trance and then stealing their wallet and commanding them to bark like a dog.
MESMERISM, n. Hypnotism, ennobled with a name.
No name, no fame, I guess, even for things that went on perfectly well without them. Cf. Celsius for centigrade degrees of temperature, Hertz for cycles of radiomagnetic frequencies, etc. etc.
To have your name affixed to a phenomenon of nature is the Taj Mahal of the sciences.
mesmerism in thrall to right-leaning politicians: may manifest through belief in the benign quality of an 18 minute tape lapse, aluminum tubes and yellowcake, the magic quality of a surge. xoxo
mesmerism -- to capture and keep the attention of someone against his/her will and compel him/her to obey as though s/he'd suffered a lobotomy.
see also: television commercials
Mesmerism: One of Robert Browning's shorter poems.
("Pre-emptive memory lapse" - quite ticklish, thanks, Doug.)
I'm bewitched, bothered and bewildered by this word. Sounds pretty sexy to me.
*blinks eyes, shakes head, sets jaw, starts typing*
Mesmerism: The er...something that something somethings instead of, uh, something... keeping you from moving on to, um, something...
...else. Sometimes all day.
*turns back to study shiny prismatic lights dancing across office wall*
Mesmerism: The blinding headlights on the Mack truck of distraction.
Look into my eyes, Dawg
bahqj: bah! quit joking
mesmerism: a nice way of saying "hey stupid, snap out of it!"
I am caught on Quilly's reference to a lobotomy, however and now have the pleasant Ramones ear worm:
"Now I guess I'll have to tell em
that he's got no cerebellum!
Lobotomy! Lobotomy!"
Miz B, that's sorcery.
Puppybrose, I think maybe in your case mesmerism would be kicking back.
Pia, I wonder if the counting down still works if you're off by one.
Poobah, I wondered how it happened.
Amoeba, it's been the goal of every scientist from Jedediah Sunrise to Al Gore.
Mireille, you somehow left out monogamy.
Quilly, see also fifth grade.
TLP, that must be why you're thinking of Cole Porter.
Neva, to the rest of us, its just a cigar.
Karma, I am getting sleepy.
G, whatever happened to Rock n' Roll High School?
Bypassing reason and shame, I thought that was the official purpose of alcohol?
Cole Porter and I probably would find the same guys beguiling.
'pre-emptive memory lapse'. That's great. I didn't think you could improve on Ambrose's definition but you did pretty well dawgie :-)
Quilly deserves a prize for hers too but I can't bear to part with my Waking Ambrose golden sliderule!
Mesmorism: I caught it from Sting and I don't want to be cured.
(MizB knows of what I speak!)
Cats are that way. They can really confuse me sometimes and make me forget what I was doing.
Sorry...what's the word? Was distracted by MizB being first. She's so purdy.
mesmerism: a cat with her nip, a kid with a clown, Hunter S. Thompson with his Salvia divinorum.
"I-can-do-it,-I'm-a-self-together-young-lady,-the-world-is-my-oyster-and-only-I-can-change-myself;-I-should pay-my-psychiatrist-extra-this-week..."
*wakes up, looks at psychiatrist and says..."Not on my time, sunshine! There are a lot of voices in my head, but yours is not one of them!"
the other day while in the train, i got the misfortune of sitting beside a girl talking with a prospective dinner date... "i'm sooo cute", "i don't know why you wouldn't go out with a hot babe like me", "i'm really pretty", "i'm the nicest", "i have a great paying job". then of course other passengers like me would turn around and check her out. i'm not sure who got "mesmerized" by her incantations, i got off the train before i did.
(to) mesmerize- the last resort of a desperate sales person.
Look into my eyes...
You are now mesmerized.
On the count of three, you will be de-mesmerized.
1, 2, 2 and a half, 3!
Quack, quack, quack.
1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89...
I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?
Square
LOL @Sar!
"shame", that word must have been in it. :)
I knew a guy who said Sade's singing mesmerized him. he didn't exactly say "mesmerized" but men have so many words.
Teehee - thanks Ariel! Oh, and an embarrassingly belated happy birthday to you btw. :)
fpkphal: Sting when mesmorised by moi!
Dammit, make that Mesmerised.
(stop laughing, Doug!)
err.. I forgot to mention the gil was talking on her cellphone.
have a good one doug.
Logo alcohol is for mesmerism.
Probably, TLP, and then end up betrothed.
Thanks, Kyah. I agree, I'd have liked to have written Bierce's before he did. Next time I'll start earlier.
I'm glad Sar, because I don't.
Icy, if cats could carry bones, they'd rule us by our own fangs.
Jenna, is that who's wooing you?
Mule, you know I'm looking that up, right?
Minka, this happens to you often?
AS, this is just a man's perspective but I'm guessing no one was mesmerized. Still, you did well to get off the train in case she was still chatty when her call ended.
J.D...must...mail...truffle...
Goldennib, welcome back! I'm glad the hypnosis worked this time. Oink!
The Fibonacci sequence, Square. Keep going. 144, 223
Sade, I mean, um, Arde, I mean, oh you know.
Sar, I'll do my best.
AS, can you still hear her now?
Twice a week, Thursdays between 3 and 4! WHY? You need somebody to refer you?
Ooo. Ooo. Do Sanforism next.
Al, unless Sanforism starts with a silent M, your pleading won´t be answered!
Doug, still mesmerized, ey? Well, once you re-focus your eyeballs...try hitting your keypad with fingers. :)
How funny, Minka. That's right when they let me out for sky therapy.
Al, you're over my head with that one. I'll consult the great Ambrose.
Great, Minka. Msanforism. How am I supposed to post with words like that flying around.
Garments are Sanforized -- by a process I can only assume is called Sanforism. (Does that help?)
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