Friday 11 May 2007

New word needed

I am struggling to answer this question!

Is there a single verb to describe the actions of someone walking along a pavement in London, or any other city for that matter, when that person casually/frantically retrieves a mobile phone from a part of their body or clothing; stares at it enigmatically, often purses the lips, then puts it back from whence it was retrieved.

There is never a sound from either the machine or it’s owner.

The action spells despair, hope for unrequited love, position in a hierarchy, peer gropu pressure, insecurity in their society…

I wish I knew, as the word hasn’t been invented yet.

8 comments:

Tuscan Tony said...

Suggest you buy Roger's Profanisaurus if you don't have it alreday, it contains the vital and essential phrases to cover most, if not all, contingencies.

Electro-Kevin said...

I agree with Tuscan - Roger's Profanisaurus cannot be beaten.

Here are some examples:

Take an air dump - to pass wind

Take Captain Picard to warp speed - to masturbate aggressively

Spasm Chasm - vagina


My edition is nine years old now. I can't find the word you're looking for, but I do understand what you mean. You can tell a person's status by how anxiously they treat their phone. Real high rollers have one of their entourage carry their phone for them.

I'm not important enough to have a mobile phone, so that puts me beneath teenagers, chavs and spivs.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Thanks Chaps, I'd forgotten about that one!

There was a time when a chum used to call me and introduce the 'Rusty Sherriff's Badge' into every statement he made!

Have you seen this link?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Actually, I've just thought of something...

I'll ask Melvyn Bragg; he knows every word in the dictionary, and I just can't understand him any more!

I do like the man though, because he introduced Mike Oldfield playing the whole of Tubular Bells live on his show, in November 1973!

In that performance, (which I watched in ecstasy while Mrs S slumbered), Mick Taylor was playing guitar. I met him a couple of years later when my firm were building a 'meditation room' for him at his house near Rye! It was the closest I've ever got to stardom...

Actually, this is a more important subject to think about than some kid wandering about peering hopefully at his/her mobile...!

The Rooms Gallery said...

dangle-ber·ry (dan gal běr'ē)
n. pl. dangleber·ries

Unpleasant attachment.

Medical. The small, dark egg of derived from a pubic hair, skin scurf and excereta, having the whole wall fleshy, such as the grape or tomato.
A small, juicy, fleshy bitter fruit, tasting as a kidney or liver, regardless of its structure.

Old BE said...

I think the verb is "to check the time"

I haven't regularly worn a watch since I got my first mobile in '99

lilith said...

Sorry Scrobes, we are all just finding out what the time is!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Lilith and Ed,

Thanks for the offer of a word but...


Ed - Good point! Except that without my glasses, which steam up reglarly, I can only see bugger all!

Lilith - I was going to elaborate on the insecurity bit until you replied, so, back to the drawing board!

There is a way...if only we can find it. I may ask John Humphrys!