Which guru awards will we have this year?

[zoobyshoe]

Zooby, would you shoo in the chickens, please?

No, but I will send in the clowns.

 

[honestrosewater]

How about "Most Bewildering Name"?

Obviously you haven't met yourdadonapogostick.

 

[Lisa!]

S(pr) & S(!r). And what's wrong with being geeky anyway? I thought that was a compliment around here.

Well you've been here for more time, so if you say it's a comliment, it must be true.

it's funniest member and you're not getting it, danger is

Are you ok? Personaly I don't think danger could be funny!

 

[JamesU]

danger is always funny when someone else is in it...

 

[loseyourname]

We had a category for "Most improved member", but no one nominated anyone for it, so it was dropped. I do have someone that wants that ribbon, so I will ask Greg if he will add it back to the list. Anyone else want to be labeled "most improved member" for a year?

Can we have the antithesis of that category? I think I should win the award for member whose post quality has most degraded over the last year.

 

[loseyourname]

Shoo-in is apparently true to the original usage, and I bet you could get close to the origin - just think of shoo-in as a verb:

"Shoo," by itself, is the verb. I'm having a wonderful time trying to get some idea of this word's origins. Some dictionaries claim that it is simply instinctive, but I've seen claimed connections between it and the German schu, French shou, and the Italian scioia, all of which seem to be archaic forms that aren't in use any more ("shoo" itself seems to have experienced the height of its usage in the 1400's). The only one I've found any definition for is schu, which looks like a High German root roughly meaning "wall," which is interesting because I can't find a single German word with schu in it that has anything to do with a wall. Ultralingua claims that it is derived from the German scheuchen, which it says is a verb meaning "to drive away."

Another interesting tangent I went on involves the similar verb "hoosh," which was only used sparingly in the 1800's. I can't any source with anything on the origin of this one, although it was apparently used as a more specific form of "shoo," meaning only to drive cattle, whereas "shoo" was used to mean the driving of any farm animal.

Anyway, can I get the etymology guru award?

 

[arildno]

Here's another explanation:

If for example a stray cat in the neighboorhood gets into the house through the open porch door at summertime, we (that is, many Norwegians, including myself) say (or yell) "Shoo!" (fast, not a drawn-out oo-sound) to it. Then it gets scared and hares off..


As for "hoosh" this is probably the same as in "hysj!" which means "Be quiet!", i.e, the favourite expression of a stern faced librarian with her glasses sitting at the tip of her nose.

 

[ZapperZ]

I'm just glad they don't have a category for the Biggest Disney Sucker... Anything other than a unanimous vote would be a complete shock.

:)

Zz.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Great! The Battle is nearer again! Do you remember the quarrels of the last year? I have never read such flames in those infernal posts as the ones written in that time. By that time, every PFer clicked this page with fear...

Actually, this reflects the report I got. It was complained that these things had "stratified" PF and simply provoked non-productive competitive attitudes.

 

[Moonbear]

Actually, this reflects the report I got. It was complained that these things had "stratified" PF and simply provoked non-productive competitive attitudes.

That did seem to be the case in one category, which was unfortunate. The rest of us had more fun with it with some silly campaigning that was in no way serious (well, most of the campaigning was for the Funniest Member award, so how could we have been serious there?)

The biggest issue that came up was the suspicion of ballot stuffing in one of the categories. One way to address that would be to simply (well, conceptually simple, I don't know if it's simple to implement) limit voting to people who are members prior to the polls being posted; don't allow brand new members who sign up after the polls are posted to vote - I can't see how someone who just signed up would know enough about the candidates to vote anyway. This would eliminate any nonsense such as someone getting all their friends to sign up and vote when they see their name on the ballot, and would also eliminate any suspicion of this.

 

[arildno]

Well, since I'm in no Danger of winning any prize other than PF's own Darwin Award (Finch Award??), I am rather relaxed about it..

 

[Lisa!]

Well, since I'm in no Danger of winning any prize other than PF's own Darwin Award (Finch Award??), I am rather relaxed about it..

But Danger is in Danger because of you!

 

[zoobyshoe]

People campaign?!

 

[Lisa!]

Otherwise it wouldn't be interesting!

 

[zoobyshoe]

PF is already way too "interesting".

 

[Moonbear]

People campaign?!

Not seriously. It was only in GD and all done in fun. But you can't expect people nominated for the funniest member to just sit around and watch quietly, do you? Though I'm quite miffed that the winner just took his ribbon and then stopped being funny. It'll be a tough race this year between you, Artman and Danger, I'm just not sure who I would vote for if you're all nominated. It might be like the Grammy Awards, where you really end up voting for the person you would have voted for last year if there wasn't so much other good competition, and then next year you vote for the person who you would have voted for this year if there wasn't that person from last year still deserving... And then there's the consideration of who I'd most like to see thrown into the volcano...it's really a tough call.

Oh, here's something worth inquiring about...will last year's winners be eligible in the same category again this year? Or should we be prepared to pass the torch on to someone new? I rather like the idea of not being eligible in two consecutive years (despite all the joking last year of my aspirations to have the longest running guru record at PF). I know there are new people in biology worthy of recognition, and I'm sure that's true in all the other categories too. Plus, that would make it more fun and maybe reduce some of the over-the-top competitiveness if everyone knows it's just one term and then someone else will get their recognition the next year.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Hmmmmmm...I think PF is already too "interesting."

 

[honestrosewater]

Can we have the antithesis of that category? I think I should win the award for member whose post quality has most degraded over the last year.

Whew, I'm glad you agree - that award presentation might have been awkward.

 

[Evo]

Not seriously. It was only in GD and all done in fun. But you can't expect people nominated for the funniest member to just sit around and watch quietly, do you? Though I'm quite miffed that the winner just took his ribbon and then stopped being funny. It'll be a tough race this year between you, Artman and Danger, I'm just not sure who I would vote for if you're all nominated. It might be like the Grammy Awards, where you really end up voting for the person you would have voted for last year if there wasn't so much other good competition, and then next year you vote for the person who you would have voted for this year if there wasn't that person from last year still deserving... And then there's the consideration of who I'd most like to see thrown into the volcano...it's really a tough call.

Oh, here's something worth inquiring about...will last year's winners be eligible in the same category again this year? Or should we be prepared to pass the torch on to someone new? I rather like the idea of not being eligible in two consecutive years (despite all the joking last year of my aspirations to have the longest running guru record at PF). I know there are new people in biology worthy of recognition, and I'm sure that's true in all the other categories too. Plus, that would make it more fun and maybe reduce some of the over-the-top competitiveness if everyone knows it's just one term and then someone else will get their recognition the next year.

All great suggestions. I hate to tell you this, but I'll bet you will be a nominee for funniest member. It will be a bloody battle for funniest member this year.

Also, people that were formerly funny and/or stopped posting in GD won't be eligible, people need to be consistent.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It will be a bloody battle...

I'm pondering. Perhaps a "Funniest Mentor" popular vote is in order. Some names come to mind.

 

[Evo]

I'm pondering. Perhaps a "Funniest Mentor" popular vote is in order. Some names come to mind.

I have a feeling that you're making the list too. muwahahaha

 

[honestrosewater]

"Shoo," by itself, is the verb.

I was demonstrating my excellent communication skills by trying to not confuse those who would be put off by 'verb phrase' or 'phrasal verb'.

I'm having a wonderful time trying to get some idea of this word's origins. Some dictionaries claim that it is simply instinctive

I doubted that until arildno said that he and his friends also use it. I wonder if its history is similar to 'boo'. ??

Anyway, can I get the etymology guru award?

Yes, what color would you like for your ribbon? Gold, pink, and rainbow are already taken.

 

[honestrosewater]

I'm pondering. Perhaps a "Funniest Mentor" popular vote is in order. Some names come to mind.

ZapperZ is excluded; He already won Biggest Disney Sucker Guru.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I have a feeling that you're making the list too. muwahahaha

And checkin' it twice.

ZapperZ is excluded; He already won Biggest Disney Sucker Guru.

Fictional categories suggested by way of humorously highlighting a particular person's idiosynchratic interests, even when done by themselves, are not considered exclusionary to the "Funniest Mentor" popular vote. There may, in fact, be no means of weasling out of it.

 

[ZapperZ]

ZapperZ is excluded; He already won Biggest Disney Sucker Guru.

I won already? Then where the hell is my Mickey Ears tiara??!

Zz.

 

[honestrosewater]

I won already? Then where the hell is my Mickey Ears tiara??!

Zz.

Sorry, funds for your tiara are being used to incorporate a hand pump into the Funniest Member's beer hemlet, so they won't have to suck anymore. (It was Evo's idea, though I'm sure she won't admit to it now.)

 

[Moonbear]

Sorry, funds for your tiara are being used to incorporate a pump into the Funniest Member's beer hemlet, so they won't have to suck anymore. (It was Evo's idea.)

Are you saying the funniest members suck?

 

[honestrosewater]

Are you saying the funniest members suck?

No, I have been practicing my subtlety - my insults are no longer visible to the naked eye.

 

[arildno]

Are you saying the funniest members suck?

 

[Lisa!]

Funniest not est!