December 03 2010

Obscure Post? Quite Right

untitled Received a letter via the Herald this week, from a solver called Pip, who described how Venusians will x-ray your zygotes.

Naturally I took the author to be part of an alien cult, till seeing s/he was merely obeying the alphabet. If Venusians weren’t xraying, then giant hexagonal interplanetary jets were flying high… (I promise you the letter was sane.)

In fact Pip asked, ‘What do you call a sentence that uses the alphabet as its initials?’

Let me nut out poser, I thought. Having just dabbled in pangrams – the trimmer cousins in the family tree – I was wondering if the truth was out there. What are these things called? You know the kind of creations I mean, where:

Asahi beer can disorientate every fellow, getting hectic in Japanese karaoke locations….

Any clues? What are these ABC babies called? And who – for fun – can compose a summary of 2010 heeding this (as yet) anonymous gimmick? Here’s mine in bullet-point:

After Brown, Cameron.
Dense Eyjafjallajokull Fumes Ground Holidayers
Inert Japan
Korea Lurches
Miners (Not) OK
Puzzled
Qantas Ruckus Strikes Thrice
Ugly Vuvuzelas Whine
X-Factor Yawns
…Zonked

Comments

SK — 03 December at 05:20PM

I'm guessing you mean 2010 DA?

Here's my single-issue offering (I'll get over it soon, I promise...)-

Animosity between countries desperately enticing football's greatest honour influenced judges, knowing large monetary negotiations outweighed pedigree. Qatar, Russia secured the ultimate votes, withstanding xenophobia. (Yesterday- Zurich)

DA — 03 December at 05:31PM

Standing ovation, SK. That is not quite brilliant, but brilliant.

And thanks - I made the date change, and remain buggered (keeping with this week's vernacular) as to what these creatures are called.

Mauve — 03 December at 07:04PM

SK: I'm guessing you mean 2010 AD?

GymBunnies — 03 December at 10:47PM

Inspired, SK!

It's tempting to call these azcrostics, bazckronyms or even zacronyms, but I suppose though they're more specifically a form of initialism. Perhaps initiazlism?

Nib — 04 December at 03:10AM

Are you blind, DA? You're missing an I. :P
Fumes Ground Holidaying International Jets?

2010:
Accidental BP,
Carradine Dies,
Earthquakes, Fires, Genomes,
Haiti Is Jarred,
Koreans Lock Militaries
(Neither 'Offensive'),
Pick Qatar, Russia = Soccer Tournament Umbrage,
Vancouver's Winter XXI Year...
Zounds!

Azcronym? Alphacronymega?
I thought Azcrostic worked well.

GymBunnies — 04 December at 07:38AM

How about pazagraph?

Mauve — 04 December at 08:45AM

I like pancakes (and I do, btw)

or panazeas

but pangraph or panagraph combines pangram and paragraph

dg — 04 December at 08:52AM

acropans?

(Well done, SK....had to be an upside to Qatar's windfall)

DA — 04 December at 10:04AM

And here was I, doting on 'azcrostics'. Are we treading on fresh turf here, or is there a bona-fide name?

Thanks nib, I fixed my I. And likewise covet your Vancouver. Here's my redux:

Avatar Bloats Cameron
Demonised eBooks, Facebook
Gays Hang In
Julia Knifes Labor's 'Mandarin'
Nostradamus Octopus Perishes
Queues Ring Sutherland Ta-ta
Un-royal Vows Wedding (X)
Year Zooms!

Mauve — 04 December at 12:10PM

and in the time-honoured tradition of "those who don't, criticize" there may be a P missing too, DA
and "Inert Japan" may be what you meant to say ;-)

DA — 04 December at 01:12PM

Sheesh - talk about snoozing in the wheelhouse. The P has been egotistically salvaged. Thanks Mauve

Nib — 04 December at 06:19PM

hahaha

Nostradamus Octopus Perishes and Ugly Vuvuzelas Whine are classic.

SK — 05 December at 09:49PM

Another single issue offering-

A380 bans continue, despite engineers' forecasts giving hope. Informed journalists know little more now of prognosis. Qantas' regular seasonal travelers (understandably vexed)- Will Xmas yield zero?

DA — 08 December at 08:48AM

Went skulking around cyberspace and found this link on Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abecedarius

Though I much prefer azcrostic, and I pledge to spread that word in my travels.