Wiktionary:Defining competition

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This is a fun section of Wiktionary!

There are some words that are really tricky to define. Here, we ask for a handful of different definitions of a tricky word.

Round 1: triple bluff

Define triple bluff as concisely and as accurately as possible.

Entry 1

--Connel MacKenzie T C 06:11, 25 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

==English==

===Noun===
triple bluff  (plural: triple bluffs)

# A series of three bluffs typically found near Ayres Rock formed by the quarter
  wave-length harmonic frequency of the prevailing desert winds being disrupted by the rock.
# (figurative): By extension, any series of challenges that mask the next, larger challenge.

Entry 2

Davilla 00:22, 4 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

==Inglish==

===Noun===
triple bluff

# A very strong non-alcoholic drink.

====Synonyms====
* habaneropop

===Noun===
triple bluff

# Trickery subsequent to that for which shame is cast upon the fooled.

====Related Terms====
* Trick me thrice, shame on God.

===Noun===
triple bluff

 # A lighthearted joke consisting of three witty, comical, and sadomasochistic statements.

====Synonyms====
* wisecrack
* ruse
* penis envy

===Noun===
triple bluff

# A technique of second-guessing the second-guesser, as used in poker and similar games except
  where excessive drinking is involved, not counting virgin maries and triple bluffs.

====Synonyms===
* bluff

====Antonyms===
* double bluff
* quadruple bluff

Entry 3

--Dvortygirl 06:41, 20 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

==English==

===Noun===
triple bluff  (plural: triple bluffs)

# A maneuver in figure skating in which the feet alternate direction
to face and oppose the direction of motion three times, either back-forward-back or in a
reverse triple bluff, forward-back-forward.
# A similar maneuver in snowboarding, reversing the direction of the board.
# Politically, any prevarication or tendency to waffle between stances,
particularly in an effort to confound the news media or the general public.

Winner

After much deliberating, I, as self-declared competition honcho, declare, without stating my reasons, the winner of round 1 to be Entry 2. Well done Davilla. --Dangherous 16:03, 20 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Round 2: God bless the Duke of Argyle

What is the etymology behind the idiomatic phrase God bless the Duke of Argyle?

Entry 1

It is said that the Duke of Argyle erected a row of posts to mark his property, and these posts were used by the cattle to rub against. The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Brewer) 1894 SemperBlotto 17:41, 20 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Entry Duh

The etymology of the phrase "God bless the Duke of Argyle" is unknown. It's not so much that no one can guess at the origin of the words themselves, as even the meaning is fairly straightforward. It's not that no one knows who the Duke is, as Argyle is the commonly accepted spelling in New York of the Duke of Argyll, who visited the city during a period of self-imposed exile in the late 19th century. The question isn't even when the phrase first appeared, as it has been cited in a number of documents used in trade and diplomacy since the beginning of the 20th century, not long after the Duke's visit. The problem is that these documents, some dated as far back as the 17th century, have all been proved forgeries. Indeed, even the spelling is incorrect, and there was no Duke of Argyll, let alone a Duke of Argyle, in the 17th century. The uncertainty of the etymology stems not so much from when or how the phrase was used, as whether it was ever really used at all, or if it was only claimed to be used by persons writing under pretense. Despite his appeal in New York City, no New Yorker could rightly have been expected to say "God bless" anything, and outside of New York, the Duke's low popularity could not have led anyone to wish good blessings upon him, much less God, whose very existence the Duke questioned publicly, thereby contributing to his low popularity, brief exile, and ever so subtle name change, God bless him. Davilla 11:43, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Entry 3

Round 3: man flu

Have a go at defining man flu too, if you feel the desire. We've been hearing it loads in Britain in the last few months. Urbandictionary haven't even got a definition yet (they've got bloke flu defined though), but Wikipedia has a dodgy one (w:man flu). --Dangherous 12:58, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

How does this stuff get in a decent publication like the Wikipedia? I would AFD except for the urge to add "menstrual pain" to the list of symptoms. Davilla 13:15, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hehe. I suppose that if you've got a million topics covered, you're bound to be clutching at straws for some entries. There aren't even half a million words! (OK, well maybe there are). --Dangherous 10:35, 23 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Entry 1

The tendency for men to interpret a bit of a cough and sniffle as a potentially life-threatening illness SemperBlotto 14:11, 21 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Round 4: vincian

From the depths of WS:RFD history, a made up word: vincian.

Entry 1

--EncycloPetey 07:39, 16 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

==English==
===Etymology 1===
From Latin vincio "to bind, to fetter"
====Adjective====
vincian  (compar: more wincian; superl: most wincian)

# Of or pertaining to sexual bondage games.
# (architecture): Of the organic-based adhesive found covering cinema floors.

===Etymology 2===
From Latin vinca "periwinkle"
====Noun====
vincian  (plural: vincians)

# (botany): Any propeller-shaped flower.

Entry 2

Round 4: forward looking statement

This phrase should not be just for chapter 11 notices anymore...or should it? --Connel MacKenzie 21:12, 14 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Entry 1