The Annotated Mo Do

When I was reading the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brien I picked up the companion book, A Sea of Words, so I could easily discover what the hell was meant by ”fiferail,” “jack-crosstree,” and “spoom.”  Well, for those who are equally mystified by pundit Maureen Dowd’s use of enhanced interrogation techniques on the English language, Doghouse Riley has provided an invaluable and hilariousglossary.

Posted by scott on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 1:58 pm.

apropos of nothing, “Manos, the Hands of Fate” is now amusical

Left by preznit giv me turkee on September 21st, 2007

OK. I give up. What is a spoom? Some useful nautical implement with a spoon on one end and a broom on the other?

Left by Herr Doktor Bimler on September 21st, 2007

spoom: to run before the sea or wind; to scud. Also, a warlike ejaculation uttered in the heat of battle by the Tick.

Left by scott on September 21st, 2007

Thank you. If NATO had been aware of that back in the 1950s, they might have chosen a different name, and we would now be talking about rogue states threatening their neighbours with Spoom missiles.

Left by Herr Doktor Bimler on September 22nd, 2007

I spoomed just this weekend with some random vessel.

Left by actor212 on September 24th, 2007