Neatorama |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:52 PM PST
The following is a guest blog by Craig Conley, author of Magic Words: A Dictionary If you've ever paid a compliment, written a mission statement, stated an affirmation, made a wish, shouted a command, or said a little prayer, you've used some magic words. Indeed, magic words aren't just for stage performers or superstitious folks. They're powerful language tools, like blueprints for constructing reality. With magic words, we define a sacred arena where miracles can come into play. There are profound truths in that old cliché of a magician pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat with the magic word abracadabra. Almost everyone recognizes the image. But what relatively few people know is that our stereotypical magician is speaking an ancient Hebrew phrase that means "I will create with words." He is making something out of nothing, echoing that famous line from Genesis: "Let there be light, and there was light." In the course of compiling Magic Words: A Dictionary, we unearthed a wealth of magical expressions from comic books, television shows, rock 'n' roll, ancient Egyptian scrolls, and pulp fiction. Here are some of our whimsical favorites: THE POWER OF PURPLE The title "Purple One" popularly refers to the artist formerly known as Prince. But former teen idol and now game show host Donnie Osmond was a purple one back in the mid-1970's. Elprup is the word that Donnie Osmond spoke on The Donnie and Marie Show to transform into Captain Purple. The word is purple spelled backward.
Frosty the Snowman's secret comes to us courtesy of home automation expert Gordon Meyer, author of Smart Home Hacks. Animovividus Homonivalis is a pseudo-Latin spell for bringing a snowman to life. The word animo refers to the life force or soul of the snowman, which is conjured to vivify with the word vividus. Nivalis means "snowy," and homo means "man." BART SIMPSON'S ZOMBIE SPELL Zabar, Kresge, Caldor, Wal-Mart is Bart Simpson's spell for conjuring zombies, chanted in Matt Groening's animated series The Simpsons (Season 4, Episode 64, "Dial Z For Zombies," Oct. 29, 1992). The words are actually names of discount retail markets. Bart also has another zombie spell: Cullen, Rayburn, Narz, Trebek. The words are names of game show hosts: Bill Cullen of To Tell the Truth, Gene Rayburn of Match Game, Jack Narz of Concentration, and Alex Trebek of Jeopardy. A SPELL FOR A LA-Z-BOY The magic word rantorp (a Scandinavian name) changes people into chairs in the play General Gorgeous by Michael McClure (1982).
Alizebu is a magic word for revealing hidden passages in the computer game King's Quest 6 (Sierra Entertainment, 1992). The word zebu comes from the Tibetan ceba, meaning "hump." Zebu is a breed of hump-backed India ox. With the Arabic Ali ("by the most high") in front, Alizebu could be translated as "holy cow." OOO EEE OOO-AH-AH TING TANG WALLA-WALLA BING-BANG This phrase is a love spell chanted in the song "Witch Doctor" by David Seville (1958). "It is a song of unrequited love cured by the magic incantations of the witch doctor" (Bob McCann, "The Declension Song," 2003). Diana Winn Levine suggests that ting tang are the magic words and walla walla bing bang mean the magic is over. A CAT IN A HAT If Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat were a magician, his magic word might be inspiratus, Latin for the divine "breath" that inspires creativity. We unearthed a delightful fakir's incantation that incorporates the word as it celebrates a Schrödinger's Cat paradox:
(Incantation quoted in Lawrence Bruehl's The Mathematics of Unlimited Prosperity, 1939) PEANUT BUTTER AND SESAME STREET Abba Zabba recalls the expanse of the alphabet, A (abba) to Z (zabba), the alpha and omega of creative power. The words appear in a Captain Beefheart song of the same name (1974). The lyrics are a sort of nursery rhyme about childhood rituals and seem to suggest that the primal syllables abba zabba are "song before song before song." Abba Zabba is also the name of an old-fashioned peanut butter taffy candy bar.
SMALL CHANGE Here's a magic word that is tailor made for a wishing well. Found in 18th-century Kabbalistic treatises, matba is a magic word for obtaining small coins. It literally means "bring forth." As a talisman to be carried in one's money purse, matba was to be written on a square of paper. PEE-WEE HERMAN Mekka-Lekka-Hi, Mekka-Hiney-Ho was popularized by the children's television series Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986). "One of Pee-wee's visiting pals to pop into the Playhouse was in the form of a genie—a disembodied, turban-topped talking head named Jambi. Always a jokester, Jambi swiveled his head and worked his magic much to Pee-wee's rapture; he granted wishes if Pee-wee chanted along with him" (Stephen Cox, Dreaming of Jeannie, 2000).
Jiggery pokery is action with astonishing results or a clever deception. It is the name of one of the plagues and misfortunes that was contained inside Pandora's box of mythology. JOHNNY THUNDER'S SECRET Cei-u (pronounced "say you") is the word that gives comic book character Johnny Thunder (Flash Comics, 1940) the power to summon The Thunderbolt (his magical partner who appears as a puff of pink smoke). A GHOSTLY NAME In the folklore of West Cornwall, England, Nomme Domme was a name that spirit-quellers used to address and obtain power over ghosts. The name is undoubtedly a corruption of the Latin In Nomine Domini ("In the Name of the Lord"). The name was considered "a magical word, very likely the spirit's name among spirits, for old folks held that they acquire new ones quite different from what they bore when in mortal bodies" (William Bottrell, Stories and Folk-Lore of West Cornwall, 1880). A WATCHED POT NEVER BOILS? It's been said that a watched pot never boils, and perhaps that inspired this Italian magic spell for getting water to bubble: Pentola, pentola, pentola, bolli. BRUCE LEE-STYLE Exclaimed at the end of a chant, the magic word harrahya could be likened to the shout of a martial artist delivering a knifehand strike, focusing power toward an amazing conclusion. HOLY MOLY Popularized by the Captain Marvel comics in 1940, Holy Moly is an expression of wonderment that recalls a magic herb of Greek mythology. Sporting white flowers and black roots, moly was Hermes' gift to Odysseus, to protect against incantations. MAGIC IN OZ In the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, it is said that to transform people and objects, the word pyrzqxgl must be pronounced correctly. The Munchkin named Bini Aru, who discovered the word, hid away the pronunciation directions after Princess Ozma decreed that only Glinda could practice magic in the land.
The incantation quoted above was said in jest, yet it's not preposterous that the vegetable broccoli have a magical name. The word derives from a Latin root, brocchus, meaning "projecting." A simple definition of a magic word is "a powered projection" (to paraphrase W. Ong, The Presence of the Word, 1967). UN-BEWITCHING Zolda Pranken Kopeck Lum are the magic words the character Uncle Arthur teaches Darrin Stephens in the television series Bewitched, when Darrin is convinced he's been turned into a Warlock. EXCELSIOR Excelsior is a cry of ascendancy, supremacy, mastery, greatness. It is a charm for gaining the upper hand. The silvery tones of this heart-stirring magic word "put a soul in every bell / To triumph o'er the powers of hell—Excelsior!" (Thomas Bracken, "Longfellow," Musings in Maoriland, 1890). In his poem "Excelsior," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow likened the word to a sigh, an oft-repeated prayer, the accents of an unknown tongue, and a falling star. Excelsior is of Latin origin, ex meaning "beyond" and celsus meaning "lofty." It is typically taken to mean "ever upward."
In addition to Magic Words: A Dictionary Are you an author and would like your book featured on Neatorama? Please email me about a possible guest blog post just like this one!  |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:48 PM PST
 And not just any Bugatti, but a Type 57S Atlante, the kind that won international class speed records, the Grand Prix, and the Le Mans in 1937. Only 17 of them were ever made. Collectors knew that this car existed, but didn’t know where, until it turned up in a barn, with its original chassis, engine, drivetrain and body, and with 26,284 miles on its odometer. |
| Icicle Sculpture Created by … Cars! Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:48 PM PST
 What do you get when water splashed out of a puddle by cars freeze on tree branches? You get this awesome display of Mother Nature’s artistic side!
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:48 PM PST
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 07:42 PM PST This crochet coral reef is amazing. It’s actually an attempted replica of the Great Barrier Reef. The variety of textures and colors is as full as those in the reef itself. It took years to make, which can be easily recognized just by the look of it.
Link Via Boing Boing |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 07:30 PM PST This little man’s snoring and sleeping position are just irresistible. It’s like a growling leaf blower. Plus, he’s unwake-able. Link Via Giggle Sugar |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 07:12 PM PST I love IKEA. It’s one of my major complaints about Des Moines. If we had an IKEA, a Trader Joe’s and an H&M, I’d be totally content here. Anyway, there’s something about the cheap but cool stuff at IKEA that inspires people to hack it and create something completely different than its intended purpose. I suppose because the stuff is so cheap, you don’t feel bad if your experiment goes wrong. That’s where IKEA Hacker comes in. One IKEA Hacker reader turned these mere salad bowls into wooden speakers, and I think the result is quite pretty.  Link via Not Martha |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 06:17 PM PST
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 06:12 PM PST
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| Real Life Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen Posted: 13 Jan 2009 06:04 PM PST  About a year ago, some third-year students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy created a Calvin and Hobbes scene for fellow students and faculty to enjoy. They even trucked in extra snow to cover up their footprints so the snowmen appeared to be there of their own accord. Awesome. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 06:00 PM PST  Just in time for Valentine’s Day - surprise your loved one with an anatomical heart they can cuddle up with! Well, you don’t have to stick with a heart. There are also seven other plush organs to choose from, including a “heart of gold.” Maybe I’ll get my husband the plush pancreas for Valentine’s Day, since his doesn’t work. If you were hoping for a plush uterus, though, you’re out of luck - they’ve recalled the uterus due to choking hazards. True story. Link via Dump Trumpet |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 04:15 PM PST You know someone’s a hardcore Mario fan when they actually design a whole mosaic of Mario art on their wall using push pins. This must have killed their thumbs. I love how the art looks like it’s in pixels. This wonderful display can be found at the Student Computing Center at the University of Fraser Valley…good to know they spend their time studying over there. Link Via YesButNoButYes |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 02:56 PM PST This might be the most annoying game show theme song ever. The best part of this clip may be the teasers for Roseanne, Coach and Thirtysomething at the end. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:43 AM PST Behold a new prototype dashboard by Ford in collaboration with Smart Design (the designer for the super-easy-to-use Flip camcorder) for their new breed of "green" cars. The dashboard gives drivers a "wealth of info" without confusing or distracting them. And when Ford researchers tested the new design, they found that drivers get obsessed with achieving a "high score" of getting the highest fuel efficiency:
Matt Vella and Reena Jana of BusinessWeek have more on the story: Link - via Information aesthetics I applaud Ford for trying to innovate, but as I write this post I distinctly remember driving in Los Angeles and finding a brand new Ford Mustang living up to the acronym Found On Road Dead, still with dealership plates and price tags (seemed that it was being taken for a test drive), broken down on the side of the road. I don’t think the customer bought the car … |
| Man Shot Self … Without a Gun! Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:41 AM PST
Link - via Dave Barry’s Blog |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:40 AM PST
Not to be missed: Link [embedded YouTube] - via AQFL |
| Cartocacoethes: Uncontrollable Compulsion to See Maps Everywhere Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:38 AM PST
Strange Maps blog has a post about these "accidental maps" - for example, the africa in milanesa to the left:
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| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 11:37 AM PST
Being a food hipster ain’t cheap: 50 gram (1.8 oz) of snail caviar retails for $115. Link - via The Cellar Previously on Neatorama: 10 Weird Gourmet Food |
| Snowplow Unknowingly Drags Car A Half Mile Posted: 13 Jan 2009 10:57 AM PST  A snowplow operator in Colorado City didn’t realize he’d been in a traffic accident. He also didn’t realize that the car that hit him was still attached until other drivers flagged him down! 70-year-old John Archuleta rear-ended the snowplow Monday morning and his car became entangled in the snowplow’s sanding mechanism. Snowplow operator Fredrick Parrent, Jr didn’t feel the impact and continued driving for about half a mile. No one was injured in the incident, but Archuleta was cited for careless driving. Link -via Unique Daily (image credit: Colorado Department of Transportation) |
| Cat Evicted from Post Office for Not Paying Taxes Posted: 13 Jan 2009 10:43 AM PST
From the pose he strikes in this photo, Sammy doesn’t seem too happy about the eviction. But Sammy’s supporters think they have found a way around the banishment. They have rented a post office box in his name! Link -via Arbroath |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 10:27 AM PST
 This method of beer storage might equally apply for Chicago, Boston, or New York, if the weather prognosticators are correct. It works if you lose power, and in fact is completely carbon-neutral. Link - via nagonthelake |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 10:25 AM PST
 The month of January, named for the two-headed Roman god Janus, originally appeared towards the end of the calendar year, along with the equally dark and boing February, the last month of the year. Then power brokers in Rome decided it would be more politically advantageous to inaugurate their new consuls in January, two months before the country typically went off to wage war in March, named for the Mars, the god of war. The rest is history. |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 08:52 AM PST
The choir performs Hooked on a Feeling and The Hallelujah Chorus in the video. Link -Thanks, Yan! |
| Five of the World’s Weirdest Plants Posted: 13 Jan 2009 08:50 AM PST  Some plants don’t act like plants at all. Some trap prey, mimic animals, or smell bad. This picture is an example of Nepenthes lowii, which is related to insect-trapping plants, but prefers to attract birds with a tasty laxative secretion. It then survives on bird droppings! Read about this and four other weird plants at Blogleech. Link -via the Presurfer |
| Posted: 13 Jan 2009 08:47 AM PST  Anamigo is a social networking site for dogs and cats (and the people who love them). Your pet can have its own profile page, and you can join in the forums to discuss pet issues. They also have a photo contest with daily and weekly cash prizes! Members can upload a photo or vote for your favorite photographs, but you don’t have to be a member to look at the sweet puppies and kittens. Link -Thanks, Dan! |
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN'S SECRET
"HOLY COW!"
Interestingly, peanut butter figures into other magic words. A-la Peanut Butter Sandwiches has appeared in a "Rugrats" comic strip and is the Amazing Mumford's magic expression on the Sesame Street television series. The peanut is like the sesame seed of Open Sesame fame—a spiritual food which unlocks a doorway to a world of wonders. The pods of peanuts and sesame plants open to reveal their seeds, just as the wall of rock opened for the legendary Ali Baba when he said the secret password.
FROM INSIDE PANDORA'S BOX
BROCCOLI
Described by Encarta as "America's most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation," 
(HarperCollins), he has written a field guide to identifying unicorns by sound, a coloring book that requires no crayons, an atlas of blank maps, and four editions of the textbook 
. Craig blogs at 
Tiny Poems is a blog about mini poetry written on a single sheet of sticky yellow Post-It Notes. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest, and the cleverest poets are the briefest!
We know America is obsessed with bacon, so it’s a good thing everyone is going out of the way to create all kinds of great new meat products. Here’s a new one, the bacon cupcake. Something about these is disturbing yet strangely appetizing.
This dress is not only pretty, it’s also delicious, since it’s made with Lindt chocolate Lindor balls. It would have been a great outfit for a Christmas or New Year’s Eve Party, as it’s a perfect season to share chocolates with your friends. Too bad you couldn’t really sit down and you’d end up naked by the end of the night thanks to moochers. Oh well, it’s the risk you take when you dress in food.
It’s just stupidity to shoot yourself, but it takes real talent to shoot yourself … without a gun! Here’s the bizarre story of one Howard Sheppard, 30, of Deltona, Florida who somehow shot himself in the arm without any firearms present:
This one you’ve GOT to see. It’s the story of Heeah Lee, who was born with 
The human brain is wired to recognize faces everywhere, but it turns out that there’s also a strange mania called 
Move over, fish! There’s a new roe on the dinner menu: snail caviar.
A cat named Sammy was usually seen lounging in the window of the post office in Notasulga, Alabama until someone complained. 
Geeks Are Sexy has an exclusive video interview with the creator of The Sashimi Tabernacle Choir, a singing seafood delight! | You are subscribed to email updates from Neatorama To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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