Invent a New Word by Lank
September 9th, 2007 12:56 PM / Location: 37.766388,-122.4479Shplank
[ʃplӕŋk] – verb (used with object):
to complete an SFØ task in such a way that when other players view the proof, they believe that said task has been completed as well as is possible.
I just thought this phenomenon needed a word attached to it. Don't get me wrong - when a task gets "shplanked", I believe it's inspirational. It should motivate other players to try to do something better, if possible! As Darkaardvark says, "there's no task that has been completed so well or so often that there isn't room for a new and original completion." Push It to the Limit!
Get this - when I created the word, I did not realize (except maybe subconsciously) that "lank" made up most of the word. Really! When I shared the word with Malaki and YellowBear, they pointed this out to me and I was chagrined. I immediately thought about changing it, because I despise anything that smacks of hubris, but I love the word just as it is!
I wanted the root of it to be the word "spank", since I think that the implications of that word would carry over to the understanding of the meaning of the new word. (i.e., "You shplanked that task hard!") And I added the "sh" because it made the word sound like a Yiddish-ism, which I think makes it more spunky. And then the "l" got thrown in because another consonant was needed to differentiate the new word from it's origin. I chose "l" because I like the onomatopoetic associations of "shplank" being the sound of a great task completion hitting the Praxis, kinda like "splat".
And the word has been used by others! In these comments, for instance. It's even spawned a bastard word - "shpellowbear". Yes, I said bastard word!
I hope y'all like it, and that I'll see a few more tasks get shplanked real soon!
UPDATE 9/15/07:
Shplank gets even more legitimized by inclusion in the latest official SFØ Newsletter:
And, since this palabra caliente can't seem to keep it's trousers on, it's spawned two more bastards - shpl00n and shplavidd!
You know you like to say it...
Shplank! Shplank! Shplank!
24 vote(s)
Malaysian Eddy
5
Bex.
5
Cthulhu Kitty
5
The Vixen
5
Jellybean of Thark
5
Meta tron
5
Heatherlynn
5
Lincøln
5
Secret Agent Squigs
5
Not Here No More
5
JTony Loves Brains
5
susy derkins
5
Blue
5
Darkaardvark
5
GYØ Ben
5
Thain Stormbringer
5
Augustus deCorbeau
5
KristinawithaK
5
Adam
5
Evil Sugar
5
H L
5
Ben Yamiin
5
done
5
Remy The Living
Favorite of:
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shplank8 comment(s)
... because Lank is in the title. And Lank tends to Shplank often.
I think the hubris is funny.
Funny hubris.
You certainly have not shplanked this task.
You only wish you could have shp'ellowbeared it.
No no, I kid I kid thats a wonderfull word.… For me to Shp'lank on!
Ah... Finally, hubris. Hubris is exactly what this task has been lacking
I vote for the hubris.
You have ShpLanked the task. Nice.
Why did this not get more votes? No other completion of this task comes even close to Shplanking it.
Not even mine, although I still hear others I know use "snarfle".
Cause I prefer to Shp'ellow Shbear tasks instead of Shplank them…
Actually now I might InterreShplincoln them…
Shpellowbear ain't no bastard word!!! NO VOTE!!! (although i must admit that I now use both the bastardized and un-bastardized versions of this word on occasion. I think that shpellowbear'd just has a nicer ring to it (i don't know why))