Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Boojum

boo-jum* (bü-jəm)

noun
1. A geometric pattern sometimes observed on the surface of superfluid helium-3.
First Dude: Dude! I don't think you should be drinking that stuff. We don't even know what it is!
Second Dude:
Nonsense! This is superfluid helium-3!

First D
ude: What? How can you tell?
Second Dude: Look at the boojum pattern on the surface. [Drinks the trippy-looking fluid and begins to morph into High-Pitched Voice Man.]

Synonym: trippy-looking pattern.**

2. A type of tree from California and Mexico that looks like the love child of a cactus and a Christmas tree.
Sometimes the boojums look like claws, reaching for the sun.


Synonym: trippy-looking tree.


3. An imaginary animal introduced by C. L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), as a particularly dangerous variety of ‘snark,’ into his “Hunting of the Snark.”
"For, although common Snarks do no manner of harm,
Yet I feel it my duty to say,
Some are Boojums---'' The Bellman broke off in alarm,
For the Baker had fainted away.
- From The Hunting of the Snark.
Synonyms: bad-tempered snark, cranky snark, snark on steroids.

* Also spelled boogum.
** This pattern is good for desktops or screen savers.

No comments:

Post a Comment