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.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Mediate
Mediate, v.i. To butt in.
2006 Update: To distract from provocation, for example, with a fatuous smile or a little pink paper umbrella.
Mediate Clear the state Activate Now radiate A perfect state Food on plate Gravitate The Earth's own weight Designate your love as fate At ninety-eight we all rotate
Hallucinate Dessegregate Mediate Alleviate Try not to hate - INXS
Whoops! Sorry 'bout that. I misremembered. His definition is for Perseverance. But, hey, I said that I twisted it. I'm afraid that I misremembered it badly enough that you won't recognize it. Old age is ugly.
Mediate. Hm. Isn't that what my mom called it when my brother & I were fighting and she'd pull out the Wooden Spoon from The Drawer? The war would end and we'd scatter until the next time.
When someone, out of a misguided sense of their own penultimate wisdom, offers to help you deal with your problem by having a quiet talk with the "troublemaker" who then escalates the whole thing (passively aggressively of course) out of sheer resentment at you not devoting your own intense attention to it -- which was their goal in the first place: to get your intense attention. Does that help?
Rio, you just gave me an earworm: Pick me a town in any clime Where people like a rocking time and stay awake both day and night 'Til everyone is feeling alright And throw me smack dab in the middle-Ray Charles
I know, wrong earworm but I'm old.
Mireille, the clinical term is "social work."
Nice, Jamie Dawn, and the person stuck is a mendicant.
How funny, Karma! Took me a minute but clever. Take over from here. And I'll never moderate as well.
Mediate- to butt in to the messy business of others, with an air an neutrality, in order to help level their heads and open their minds despite the fact that you haven’t had an open mind or level headed thought in years and have enough problems of your own.
mediate, a fart during sex. (see Ovidius' romantic poetry.)
ReplyDeletemediate,n. a wise guy between two opposing forces, that has the forsight to wait and see which party has the winning argument and than picks his side.
ReplyDeleteMediate
ReplyDeleteClear the state
Activate
Now radiate
A perfect state
Food on plate
Gravitate
The Earth's own weight
Designate your love as fate
At ninety-eight we all rotate
Hallucinate
Dessegregate
Mediate
Alleviate
Try not to hate
- INXS
Doug's peril when there's only one bone left after supper.
ReplyDeleteMediate,v.i., to practice a lowly virtue achieving a success of mediocrity. See twisted Bierce definition of mediocrity.
ReplyDeleteAriel, it's right to start the day with romantic poetry.
ReplyDeleteSo, Monika, the guy behind the bully?
Sar, I'm surprised you didn't go with "Flank 2 position."
Icy, that's why I have a hacksaw and a hatchet. It's also why I keep them where the dogs can't reach.
TLP, I like your definition. Bierce has one for mediocrity?
Doug - "Flank 2 Position" Aaah!
ReplyDeleteGood doggie!! *pat, pat, pat, pat, pat*. :)
Whoops! Sorry 'bout that. I misremembered. His definition is for Perseverance. But, hey, I said that I twisted it. I'm afraid that I misremembered it badly enough that you won't recognize it. Old age is ugly.
ReplyDeleteMediate -- one letter shy of something useful... put a "t" between the "i" and the "a", and then you have a worthwhile verb.
ReplyDeleteMediate. Hm. Isn't that what my mom called it when my brother & I were fighting and she'd pull out the Wooden Spoon from The Drawer? The war would end and we'd scatter until the next time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing up that memory.
A counselor's job: referees the crying & yelling.
ReplyDeleteSar, I needed credit.
ReplyDeleteAh, TLP, perseverance, still clamoring for that one, huh?
AP3, where does the "I" go?
Jenna, I'm hoping to help you get back in touch with your inner child. The cynical one.
Jamie Dawn, my patron, at least they don't ever have to deal with remorse.
Welcome. MW. Any friend of Jamie Dawn's is a pal of mine. Sorry to hear about your dad's imprisonment.
Sar's getting too good at this; I must mediate upon it
ReplyDeleteWhat Doug slips me virtually, oh no, mean medicate
I have an inner child?! Good grief. How did I miss that?
ReplyDeleteMediate: Usually done in the lotus position while invoking guidance…oh wait!
ReplyDeleteWrong word…I often find myself easily distracted by fatuous smiles and paper pink umbrellas
Arbitrarily Enabling
ap3, I actually prefer putting a "c" in between the "i" and "a". Now that's something worthwhile!
ReplyDeletePia, the line between medication and mediation is getting blurrier and blurrier.
ReplyDeleteJenna, I think you've been looking in the wrong place.
Anonymous Alter Ego, that's our stock in trade.
Medeate, a4g! Brilliant as ever!
TLM, now I know you listen to Rush too much.
what? little pink umbrella? im happy to be stuck in the middle with you
ReplyDeleteWhen someone, out of a misguided sense of their own penultimate wisdom, offers to help you deal with your problem by having a quiet talk with the "troublemaker" who then escalates the whole thing (passively aggressively of course) out of sheer resentment at you not devoting your own intense attention to it -- which was their goal in the first place: to get your intense attention. Does that help?
ReplyDeleteMediate: Between a rock and a hard place.
ReplyDeleteMeditate to calmly get yourself out of it.
Medicate when you realize you're stuck there.
ariel, that's hysterical! and embarassing
ReplyDeleteMonika, those fence-sitters are cool
Sar, my SIS, i'm crazy about Hutchense. too bad he's not around
Tom & Icy, i guess that's the bone of contention
TLP, i like twisted minds
Om Shanti Om, AP3
Jenna, great memories, what?
jamie, that's a tough job
thank you, mw. Doug sent me
pia, tomaytoes, tomaatoes
anon, Doug has that effect on everyone
a4g, the things politicians do! thank goodness for candid camera
tim, you're making me learn the alphabet all over again
rio, sorry, the position has been taken already
mireille, i didn't understand a word of that. but it was good
Doug, this is not my blog is it? my butt usually gets in everywhere, no wonder it ends up getting whipped in the process
yctpucom: you cut in and push . com
Rio, you just gave me an earworm:
ReplyDeletePick me a town in any clime
Where people like a rocking time
and stay awake both day and night
'Til everyone is feeling alright
And throw me smack dab in the middle-Ray Charles
I know, wrong earworm but I'm old.
Mireille, the clinical term is "social work."
Nice, Jamie Dawn, and the person stuck is a mendicant.
How funny, Karma! Took me a minute but clever. Take over from here. And I'll never moderate as well.
Mediate-
ReplyDeleteto butt in to the messy business of others, with an air an neutrality, in order to help level their heads and open their minds despite the fact that you haven’t had an open mind or level headed thought in years and have enough problems of your own.
wow, what a day on waking ambrose!
ReplyDeleteShall I meditate, or mediate?
To help work out a dispute. Less random than "arbitrate."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Actonbell. They don't use umbrellas in beer, do they?
ReplyDeleteAlice, that's because you don't have an alice to open your mind and level your head.
Logo, somehow you just reminded me of another rhyme I'm glad no-one used.
Weirsdo, and moreso than pepper spray.
Pansi, wait'll I get my hands on that cave troll.
Sounds like a great cocktail. Woof woof.
ReplyDeleteThis word is too hard. Couldn't we put together all the definations that everyone wrote and make one?
ReplyDeleteCairo, have one!
ReplyDeleteNo, Indie, there can only be one winner. Last one standing, I says.
Mediate, v. To postpone the inevitable for interpersonal gain.
ReplyDelete)+(
To render an experience meaningless by broadcasting it.
ReplyDelete