The Rhubarb Thesis

a dictionary of words that exist (sometimes) with definitions that don't.

This whole thing started with the realisation that English simply doesn't provide the words sufficient for the topics that continually popped up in the discussions of Bob and Wendy. So, they set out to change the problem. One of them being a linguist and the other a humourist, it wasn't enough to invent new words. Instead, words deemed cool sounding but underused were borrowed, dismantled, and reassembled (usually with one or two phonemes left over that we couldn't figure out what to do with) to make the words we really needed.

It then mutated into a holy-quest of sorts, and that's when Kyrie got dragged into the mess. We are now in the process of trying to take over an entire universe. Which one, however, is our secret.

What you'll see below is often nonsensical, usually pointless, and always meant totally tongue-in-cheek. If you have any problems with any of these three, do not continue reading. If you do continue reading, it's your own fault if you're offended. You have been warned.

The words in this dictionary are becoming part of the idiolects of its three founders, and are therefore subject to mutation, addition and/or deletion without any notice. In other words, you'll find out about any changes when we do.

More notes at the bottom.


aardvark

v. to screw up; to screw up, but with good intentions
also: vark

atro-

prefix. something that goes on (and on and on) but is not desired to do so

atrorhubix

n. the typical member of Campus Crusade for Christ

atrovarkix

n. 1. a screw up that keeps going on (and on and on), and one wishes it would stop but it won't; 2. Bob's life at present

Caplan

n. 1. a person with a trick up thae sleeve; 2. a person with a deep dark secret; 3. any character in the Tomorrow's Future universe

v. to endow with a little something special
I Caplanned the tea this morning with a little Ribena.

adj. (generally used to describe a person) having a trick up one's sleeve; often accompanied with a elements of smartass-ness.
Wendy was going to have to take the class like everyone else, but she had a Caplan means of getting out of it, as always.

-ix

suffix. marks that a word is most definitely a noun

moot

v. to cease being normal; to acquire a potentially life-threatening secret, usually involving superabilities.
See also: Caplan.

mootix

n. one who is no longer normal.

rhub

n. one who is manipulative and/or conniving for one's own sake.

RhUb or rHuB

(wavering tone)
n. one who does things without knowing why

rhubarb

v. to be manipulative and/or conniving for one's own sake

rhuBARB

(rising tone, like saying the word as a question)
v. to be good for someone else's good

RHUbarb

(falling tone)
v. to be evil for evil's sake

RhUbArB or rHuBaRb

(wavering tone)
v. to not know one's motivations but to commit the act anyway

rhubix

n. one who is good for someone else's good

rhubly

n. one who is evil for evil's sake

rhuboot

n. the evil superpowered dude, ie., the K'Immie.

thae

n. unisex, third person, singular pronoun
pronounced: they
genetive form: thaer (their); accusative form: thaem (them)

varkmoot

n. one who failed to be abnormal.
Note: the [k] is silent.
Alternate spelling: varmoot.
Also pronounced: varmint


Notes:

  • -ix has developed as a suffix to mark that a word is most definitely a noun. It's use is not required.
  • -ly is used to mark noun case only on the word rhubly. In all other cases it still marks adverbs.
  • rhubarb is a tonal word. For non-linguists, this means that the tone with which the word is spoken can change the definition of said word. As tone is virtually impossible in represent in ASCII, it was determined that it would be represented by the use of CAPITAL vs lowercase letters.
  • all definitions of rhubarb or any of its derivatives have connotations of evil intent. This includes the "good for one's own good" definitions, as everyone knows that when something is done for your own good, you're not going to like it.
  • in spoken question form the tones on rhuBARB are replaced by two eyeblinks.
  • in spoken question form the tones on RHUbarb are replaced by the raising of one or two eyebrows. Note: both the eyeblinks and eyebrow raising are directly related to similar methods of marking tone is the (for obvious reasons) non-tonal American Sign-Language.


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