Pogonophilia

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Pogonophilia

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Jan 02, 2016 9:24 am

• pogonophilia •

Pronunciation: pê-gê-nê-fil-i-ê • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass

Meaning: The love of beards.

Notes: This new word is creeping into the general vocabulary of English. It is well-formed, so why not allow it in? In fact, why not help expand its family and call someone who loves beards a pogonophile, "shaving", pogonotomy, the study of beards. pogonology, the growing of beards, pogonotrophy, and the removal of beards, pogonectomy. In fact, most of these words have already been used.

In Play: "Laura is possessed of pogonophilia; she refuses to go out with any clean-shaven man." That would make Laura a pogonophile. Men may be pogonophiles, too: "Pogonophilia is wide-spread among men today, especially among the famous."

Word History: Today's Good Word is a recent concoction created by combining Greek pogon "beard" with philia "affection, friendly love". Little is known about pogon. A reasonable explanation from Russia is that it came from po-, akin to Cyprian Greek pos "on, at" + -gon, which could be related to genys "jaw". However, keep in mind this is pure speculation. The origin of philia is just as much a mystery. (We need now to thank Paul Ogden, one of the long-standing editors of the Good Word series, for noticing that today's Good Word was up and coming before the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary did.)
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Perry Lassiter » Sat Jan 02, 2016 2:08 pm

At first sight, I thought it was Pogo-philia, love of Walt Kelly's possum. Unfortunately, the critter is no longer around. Would love to see him approach this year's elections as he did the reign of McCarthy.
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Philip Hudson » Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:00 pm

Being genetically non-hirsute, I had to find my love amongst the non-pogonophiliacs. That worked for me. My sisters both married Teddy Bears. That satisfied their pogonophilia.
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Philip Hudson » Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:01 pm

Walt Kelley, Where are you when we need you?
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby wurdpurrson » Tue Jan 05, 2016 4:23 am

I believe it was our beloved Pogo who coined the famous quote: "We have met the enemy and he is us." It applies just as much today as it did in the 1950s. I always admired his Everyman's (Everypossum's?) viewpoint on events and politics.

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Philip Hudson » Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:03 am

Our beloved Pogo didn't have a degree in English but he still created a timeless quotation. Many times we are our own worst enemy. How many of you remember "deck us all with Boston Charlie"?
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby wurdpurrson » Tue Jan 05, 2016 4:02 pm

I remember it well. In my library there live several Pogo collections, and about once every three or four years I get one or two down to refresh my perspectives. I think the closest equivalent to Pogo in today's cartoon commentary is Bloomsbury, but it hasn't the whimsy of Pogo or L'il Abner of past decades. It's much more pointed political satire and less general life-of-the-times observation.

Did any of the Pogo company exhibit pogonophilia? I don't remember any beards... Bloomsbury has beards.

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Perry Lassiter » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:01 pm

Every year I serenade all and sundry (old time evangelist go by name of Billy) with Deck us All, and Bark Us All Bow-wows of Folly, and While Shepherds Washed Their Socks By Night. Kelly was a master librettist!
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby misterdoe » Wed May 25, 2016 9:44 pm

@wurdpurrson: Bloomsbury? I'm not familiar with that one. Are you mixing Doonesbury with Bloom County (or Outland, or Opus, or whatever Berke Breathed is up to these days) ? :?

(I read that Garry Trudeau, creator of Doonesbury, would approve of the confusion. Trudeau and Breathed each enjoyed the other's work.)

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby Philip Hudson » Thu May 26, 2016 5:32 pm

And then there is Bloomsbury, a section of London. I've been there several times.
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby damoge » Thu May 26, 2016 10:40 pm

I live at the End of the Earth, and the place is filled with pogonophiles. The men are largely indistinguishable until they speak. Unfortunately, even that is not necessarily a way to differentiate.

Sigh.

Much confusion. I daren't call any man by name unless his female keeper is with him.
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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby wurdpurrson » Fri May 27, 2016 12:58 am

Damoge: cést tragique. I trust your unfortunate situation does not drag you down into a perpetual state of identity confusion. Be strong. Pogo would be.

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby misterdoe » Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:53 pm

I live at the End of the Earth, and the place is filled with pogonophiles... Much confusion. I daren't call any man by name unless his female keeper is with him.
Interesting. Do any of these guys know they are "kept men"? :D

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Re: Pogonophilia

Postby damoge » Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:57 pm

misterdoe
I assume most if not all, do. They invariably immediately search out a new "keeper" as soon as they lose the one they have. There are evidently many pogonophilae (female form of the noun?) as the pogonophiles seem to take little time in the replacing process.

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