Gnarly

[LukeJavan8]

I'd forgotten this thread, had to re-read it myself
to remember the gist of what was being said.

[Philip Hudson]

I blush to tell you that there is a crude definition of sticky wicket, but I will not deign to elucidate. On second thought, please forget I ever posted this.

[call_copse]

A sticky wicket refers to a tricky situation, the odds being against you. The wicket in cricket is the specifically the stumps and bail, which you defend with the bat. However in the 'sticky wicket' usage the wicket is refers to the pitch as a whole (synechdoche?)- in cricket the condition of the pitch determines whether the match will be favourable to batswmen or bowlers to some extent. Rain drying out or other such conditions render the bounce of the ball unpredictable thus hard for the batsman.

Re: gnarly, as a developer I like to refer to gnarly code - not necessarily 'neato', fab, gear or groovy code, but code that has been developed for a long time and developed lots of little backwaters and workarounds for issues encountered and is thus forked and tricky to grasp. I find it a most apposite term. In other circumstances I might wheel out gnarly positively for a jocular cameo.

[LukeJavan8]

For a time back when I was teaching, "gnarly" had the
connotation of being "really neat", as in "Gnarly, Dude".

[Philip Hudson]

call_copse: Your use of the word gnarly as in gnarly code is totally within the spirit of the historic roots of the word. Conpare gnarly hands and gnarly code. They agree. This is not a slang use of the word.

The slang use of gnarly that Luke remembered from a time when he was teaching (teens I am guessing) and meant "really neat" is the slang I am speaking of. The use of it bloomed for a season and then withered and was cast in the oven. I am grateful it died a quick death.

I am not anti-slang. How would we ever have been able to say jazz if it hadn't been introduced as slang and advanced to an accepted word? I certainly wouldn't want to be without jazz.

[LukeJavan8]

I think it was the "Beavis and Butthead" era. That
show is still on, but don't hear much about it.
"Gnarly, Dude", died and it can stay dead, in my
humble opinion.

[call_copse]

Well, I'm afraid obsolete, obscure or otherwise inappropriate slang is one of my favourite types of slang to drop, Daddy-oh. So should you meet me you will just have to read the cards I deal - that's how I roll

[LukeJavan8]

23 Skidoo.
"That's close".

[call_copse]

Copacetic

[Perry Lassiter]

Love copacetic. But wasn't it a good word not too long ago? i thought it was more slang, but it's in the dictionary. Can a real word be used as slang?

[Slava]

Love copacetic. But wasn't it a good word not too long ago? i thought it was more slang, but it's in the dictionary. Can a real word be used as slang?

Let's face it, if the OED is including the Heart Sign, anything goes.

[Perry Lassiter]

Do you realize that emoticons are bouncing back? i've seen quite a few online posts saying they "heart" something or other. How would that show up in etymology? "Fr emot. <insert emoticon or heart pic>"

[LukeJavan8]

They do nothing for me one way or any other.

[Slava]

Do you realize that emoticons are bouncing back? i've seen quite a few online posts saying they "heart" something or other. How would that show up in etymology? "Fr emot. <insert emoticon or heart pic>"

Not just emoticons. Text abbreviations (LOL, OMG, etc.) are also widely accepted these days.

[LukeJavan8]

To me when I see LOL for something, I immediately
think that the person has no initiative to
say something else. Equates to Loser On the Loose.