Comments on: Portmanteau of the Day http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/2006/10/08/portmanteau-of-the-day/ random rantings Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:32:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Janusthorne http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/2006/10/08/portmanteau-of-the-day/#comment-3880 Janusthorne Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:18:52 +0000 http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/?p=372#comment-3880 The first time I encountered this word was in Mervyn Peake's "The Gormenghast Trilogy". Not sure exactly where but I remember failing to find it in any dictionaries at the time. It is one of only 4 words in the english language that end with the letters "endous". It's useful for stumping trivia buffs. The other words are of course tremendous, horrendous and stupendous. I have read Snow Crash a few times and don't recall the word but I will look out for it the next time through. The first time I encountered this word was in Mervyn Peake’s “The Gormenghast Trilogy”. Not sure exactly where but I remember failing to find it in any dictionaries at the time. It is one of only 4 words in the english language that end with the letters “endous”. It’s useful for stumping trivia buffs. The other words are of course tremendous, horrendous and stupendous. I have read Snow Crash a few times and don’t recall the word but I will look out for it the next time through.

]]> By: Eric http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/2006/10/08/portmanteau-of-the-day/#comment-2659 Eric Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:57:17 +0000 http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/?p=372#comment-2659 Thanks for the correction, Cory! Despite Snow Crash being one of my favorite novels, and having read it multiple times, I did not recall the use of "grotendous". I'll have to read it again. :-) Google only turned up Psyche's use of the word, though I didn't really think you had necessarily found it there. Anyhow, it's a great word, whatever the origin. Thanks for the correction, Cory! Despite Snow Crash being one of my favorite novels, and having read it multiple times, I did not recall the use of “grotendous”. I’ll have to read it again. :-)

Google only turned up Psyche’s use of the word, though I didn’t really think you had necessarily found it there.

Anyhow, it’s a great word, whatever the origin.

]]> By: Cory Doctorow http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/2006/10/08/portmanteau-of-the-day/#comment-2658 Cory Doctorow Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:38:23 +0000 http://whats.all.this.brouhaha.com/?p=372#comment-2658 Grotendous is an old SoCal word. Neal Stephenson uses it in Snow Crash: "it is not quite so grotendous, now that the loogie is off her face, but her hand is still perfectly immobilized." Grotendous is an old SoCal word. Neal Stephenson uses it in Snow Crash: “it is not quite so grotendous, now that the loogie is off her face, but her hand is still perfectly immobilized.”

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