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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: noisyturtle on Sun, 25 May 2014, 23:19:00

Title: Is there a word for this?
Post by: noisyturtle on Sun, 25 May 2014, 23:19:00
That thing where you go into something with low expectations and it winds up not being as bad as you thought, so your association with it is actually more positive than it would've been if your initial expectations weren't so low.

Is there a word for this phenomenon, maybe in another language?
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: anoxy on Sun, 25 May 2014, 23:20:50
(http://i.imgur.com/Dqxrvh6.jpg)
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Techno Trousers on Sun, 25 May 2014, 23:25:21
Pleasantly surprised?
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Novus on Sun, 25 May 2014, 23:28:45
Love
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: noisyturtle on Mon, 26 May 2014, 00:14:08
Was looking for something more along the lines of a word or short phrase, like schadenfreude.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: JoeC on Mon, 26 May 2014, 00:32:09
(http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m02hzwY5tr1qz4gev.jpg)
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: RabRhee on Mon, 26 May 2014, 01:56:28
I can't think of a single word that covers it, nor any familiar phrase. Maybe reprieve sort of, but doesn't convey the buzz from such a situation.

Unwarranted pessimism?
Grabbing a win from the jaws of apathy?


I think you should invent one and try get it out there.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 26 May 2014, 02:15:59
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

perhaps this type of convoluted definition would've only required a single word when during the print era, where price is at a premium, and space saving was necessary.

This is the case with highly compressed early languages such as chinese..  you can fit more stuff in short space..  HOWEVER the down side was, everyone now had to memorize a longer list of definitions and related meanings.


So.. American english being developed LATER without as much constraint post industrialization...  this would've steered the language away from having to create shorter words to save space.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: noisyturtle on Mon, 26 May 2014, 02:23:18
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

perhaps this type of convoluted definition would've only required a single word when during the print era, where price is at a premium, and space saving was necessary.

This is the case with highly compressed early languages such as chinese..  you can fit more stuff in short space..  HOWEVER the down side was, everyone now had to memorize a longer list of definitions and related meanings.


So.. American english being developed LATER without as much constraint post industrialization...  this would've steered the language away from having to create shorter words to save space.

I find languages with Germanic roots usually have some really fun and oddly specific words. Like "dépaysement"[the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country] and "saudade"[the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost].
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Novus on Mon, 26 May 2014, 03:17:37
Where's Freud when you actually need him :/
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: paicrai on Mon, 26 May 2014, 03:19:50
****ing relatives i bet
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: RabRhee on Mon, 26 May 2014, 03:37:02
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

perhaps this type of convoluted definition would've only required a single word when during the print era, where price is at a premium, and space saving was necessary.

This is the case with highly compressed early languages such as chinese..  you can fit more stuff in short space..  HOWEVER the down side was, everyone now had to memorize a longer list of definitions and related meanings.


So.. American english being developed LATER without as much constraint post industrialization...  this would've steered the language away from having to create shorter words to save space.

I find languages with Germanic roots usually have some really fun and oddly specific words. Like "dépaysement"[the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country] and "saudade"[the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost].

I read about one recently, German is great for portmanteau words.

Kummerspeck - A German word which means "excess weight due to emotional overeating", the literal translation - "grief bacon"

This search for a phrase is heading towards "the meaning of liff".
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Oobly on Mon, 26 May 2014, 05:28:59
Pleasantly surprised?

^^This... It's almost "serendipity", but not quite.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 26 May 2014, 07:46:09
Pleasantly surprised?

^^This... It's almost "serendipity", but not quite.

Pleasantly surprised is just about it, with a dollop of "relieved" on the side.

What you described does not rise to anywhere near the level of serendipity, which I would reserve for truly "special" occurrences.

When my kids were little, they started using the term "happy accidents" but that does not fit, here.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: paicrai on Mon, 26 May 2014, 08:14:05
overachieve
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 26 May 2014, 09:51:58
Pleasantly surprised?

^^This... It's almost "serendipity", but not quite.

Pleasantly surprised is just about it, with a dollop of "relieved" on the side.

What you described does not rise to anywhere near the level of serendipity, which I would reserve for truly "special" occurrences.

When my kids were little, they started using the term "happy accidents" but that does not fit, here.


wha....   did you accidentally tell your kids that they were happy-accidents.... (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/ahaaah-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862489)
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Techno Trousers on Thu, 29 May 2014, 19:05:46
I find languages with Germanic roots usually have some really fun and oddly specific words. Like "dépaysement"[the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country] and "saudade"[the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost].

Hmm.. I'd say "homesickness" is a decent and maybe more versatile English equivalent of "dépaysement," and "nostalgic" sounds like a direct synonym for "saudade," at least how you have defined them.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: noisyturtle on Wed, 25 June 2014, 05:13:48
How bout a word for that uncomfortably icky feeling you get when someone with blocked sinus speaks in a super nasally voice.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: berserkfan on Wed, 25 June 2014, 08:59:59
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

perhaps this type of convoluted definition would've only required a single word when during the print era, where price is at a premium, and space saving was necessary.

This is the case with highly compressed early languages such as chinese..  you can fit more stuff in short space..  HOWEVER the down side was, everyone now had to memorize a longer list of definitions and related meanings.


So.. American english being developed LATER without as much constraint post industrialization...  this would've steered the language away from having to create shorter words to save space.

I find languages with Germanic roots usually have some really fun and oddly specific words. Like "dépaysement"[the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country] and "saudade"[the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost].

I read about one recently, German is great for portmanteau words.

Kummerspeck - A German word which means "excess weight due to emotional overeating", the literal translation - "grief bacon"

This search for a phrase is heading towards "the meaning of liff".

I prefer German words with at least 30 letters. That is more fun!
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: Techno Trousers on Wed, 09 July 2014, 23:04:39
How bout a word for that uncomfortably icky feeling you get when someone with blocked sinus speaks in a super nasally voice.

PhonoSquidwardPhobia
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: dorkvader on Thu, 10 July 2014, 16:04:13
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

Lots of words don;t exist. I tend to think a little abstractly, so I run into this issue daily. My recourse is to adapt another word that's similar, or just string a bunch of hyphenated words together to try to give voice to the idealized concept.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 10 July 2014, 16:09:29
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

Lots of words don;t exist. I tend to think a little abstractly, so I run into this issue daily. My recourse is to adapt another word that's similar, or just string a bunch of hyphenated words together to try to give voice to the idealized concept.

I think situations where you're looking for 1 word to say many things is the natural tendency of the brain trying to compress information..

Out data storage medium is the sux... so heavy compression is required..   notice how Fuzzy our recollection is..
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: paicrai on Thu, 10 July 2014, 16:24:26
overachieve
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: noisyturtle on Sat, 12 July 2014, 20:52:52
That thing where you start to type a long story that relates to something someone is talking about in a thread, but then after a few sentences you grow completely apathetic, say **** it, and delete the whole thing because finishing it is too much work and it was a ****ty story anyway.
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 12 July 2014, 21:13:25
That thing where you start to type a long story that relates to something someone is talking about in a thread, but then after a few sentences you grow completely apathetic, say **** it, and delete the whole thing because finishing it is too much work and it was a ****ty story anyway.

Indolence..
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: FrostyToast on Sat, 12 July 2014, 22:12:32
I'm trying to think why such a word doesn't exist..

perhaps this type of convoluted definition would've only required a single word when during the print era, where price is at a premium, and space saving was necessary.

This is the case with highly compressed early languages such as chinese..  you can fit more stuff in short space..  HOWEVER the down side was, everyone now had to memorize a longer list of definitions and related meanings.


So.. American english being developed LATER without as much constraint post industrialization...  this would've steered the language away from having to create shorter words to save space.

I find languages with Germanic roots usually have some really fun and oddly specific words. Like "dépaysement"[the feeling that comes from not being in one’s home country] and "saudade"[the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost].

English is a language with German roots....
Title: Re: Is there a word for this?
Post by: intelli78 on Sat, 12 July 2014, 22:41:46
The opposite of disappointing... appointing?