see, i'm all about them words over numbers, unencumbered numbered words

The other day, I mentioned literati in passing to a friend of mine, and received a blank stare in return. This made me realize that there are certain terms and key words and phrases that we often use amongst ourselves within this Blogistan community of ours, but which we don't necessarily share with friends outside of blogging. For example, I've played (and entirely whined my way through) literati with Chai, Najm, Ayan, Waleed, Shaheen, maybe Ahsan, and various other so-called "fake friends" of Chai's, but I've never had a game with non-blogging friends (also known as "real life friends who don't read my blog"). And while everyone (blogger, blurker, or otherwise real-life-associated) understands (or, at the very least, knows about) my fascination with french fries and cranberry juice, no one appreciates ice cream and gelato quite like the Blogistanis (hi, Binje, Baji, and 2Scoops!)

And speaking of 2Scoops, HijabMan once asked me about the reasoning behind that nickname. I couldn't remember quite correctly, except that it involved 2Scoops hanging out with Baji during his stay in DC last year, so I sort of fumbled my way through a response. But that's exactly the sort of thing I mean - when words and phrases start out casually, then eventually begin to take on the status of inside jokes after endless repetition on our tagboards and in our comment boxes, and finally become so ingrained into our Blogistan interactions that we can't even quite figure out how the whole thing started. And if you're not an insider, you're never gonna get it. Sucka. [Okay, actually, some of this stuff overlaps with "real life." But that's cool, too. And not all Blogistanis are aware of all of these, hence the link-happy post that follows.]

So, I present:

// [an incomplete list of] words/phrases/whathaveyou that constitute Blogistani inside jokes:

- literati
- blue slurpees
- french fries
- hot-tubbing (you vanna go?)
- swing-jump champions
- ice cream/gelato
- MEOWCH! and all variations thereof
- "interactive"
- "hiya! karate chop!" (this is how Chai starts out her online conversations with me)
- weblog posts containing attempts to use the word "hella"
- desi
- "this is the only life I've got!"
- fake updates (hi, Ayan!)
- crayons
- rockstar
- frolicking
- dagger chappals
- LAR/Lamushy and all variations thereof [see Baji's 12/16/2004 post]
- road trip mix CDs
- tailgating a Hummer
- cucumbers
- yo
- "release my camel!" [My answer is at the end, here]
- crazy crackheaded Cali kids (we all know who we are. 'nuff said.)
- Punjabi monkey cards
- blurking (blog+lurking)
- "interrobang!" and all variations thereof (thanks, Baji, for this and the one above)
- "daat caam"
- law suckool
- "smilie attack!"
- Econ 1A
- "relaaax"
- road trips
- wombats
- the plural of "moose" (it's "moosanboosa." Get with the program.)
- "SMOOCHIE SMOOCHIE!"
- joke explaining
- "du-hu-hu-de!"
- StrongBad
- fuzzy socks
- "random fobby comments"

- And, finally, THE BEST LINE EVER referenced, a.k.a. stolen from Blogistan's "We Know Drama" dude: "My life is as dry as bath soap in its packet. But I pretend like it's the ending sequence of some Bollywood flick."

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[I know I'm totally missing A LOT, still. Add your own to the comment box. Come on, this is hella fun.]