Thursday, November 12, 2009

...a little word game.


...In answering a few comments left from a posting about my concern for “golf terminology” or phraseology or euphemism’s sprinkled about in the book’s text, I wondered the usefulness of a glossary of terms. One of my readers exclaimed that the less-savvy golf person might stumble (with further disenchantment), over some obscure golf terms. I asked if he thought a glossary would aid the reader. He said no. It’s as if he wanted to make a cautionary note about “some words,” but not so cautionary as to include a quick, perhaps one page, aid to immediately remedy the dilemma. Another writer-reader friend suggested it’s appropriate for book readers to “look up” a word or term that is unknown. I’m confused...hence, a survey. Below are some words and or phraseology particular to the sport golf. Some are found in other venues like sports or politics or other perverse writing’s...my interest is in your defining for me a “golf” context meaning of the word or phrase. To make it interesting...the one with the most answers correct will receive a Character Happens! book no charge, with free shipping and my signature (incredible value). Here they are: (post your definitions here in comments or email me).

· drive
· waggle
· draw
· putt
· four-ball
· chilly-dip
· chip
· hook
· chunk
· pitch
· fade
· press
· birdie
· bunker
· bogey
· choke
· fat
· first cut
· short grass
· hack
· sand
· trap
· pin
· block
· eagle
· cup
· OB
· shank
· push
· flop

Now...I suppose you could find all the definitions to these words, given the vastness of information resources in present day. However, cheating to receive a book about “Character” even though ironic would be an appropriate gift for someone to begin their new way of making decisions.
Thanks, --gg
Posted by The Remembrance Tree at 10:18 AM
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 12, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    You'll have to explain some things. As we discussed I fly fish. Spey rod, double taper line; 5wt weight forward line; 7ft 3wt slow action rod; size 18 Adams Parachute fly.
    I think for everyone to enjoy the book you'll need a bit of a glossary.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SusanNovember 13, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    Great idea Garry! Here are my definitions from someone who's played "mini-golf" about ten times. You'll know for sure I'm not cheating, so I won't win a copy, but I'll buy one anyway B-) Forgive my cheek, I will answer the one or two that I do know, but the rest I'm filling in first thoughts, hope you don't mind!

    · drive - a really strong swing
    · waggle - no idea, I picture a shaking finger
    · draw - hey, that's the art department!
    · putt - where you tap the ball lightly
    · four-ball - when you only have 4 balls left to play?
    · chilly-dip - when it's really cold out & you want to play anyway near water, or guacamole
    · chip - potato
    · hook - captain
    · chunk - chocolate/cheese
    · pitch - isn't that in baseball?
    · fade - jeans
    · press - iron
    · birdie - isn't that in badminton, oh yeah, that's the "shuttlecock"
    · bunker - makes me think of war or Archie
    · bogey - Humphrey
    · choke - swallowing the wrong way
    · fat - don't even go there!
    · first cut - hair
    · short grass - well, you can't play in a meadow!
    · hack - a really bad player
    · sand - trap
    · trap - sand
    · pin - needles and...
    · block - mental
    · eagle - our national bird
    · cup - the thing you shoot the ball into - see I could've mentioned athletic equipment here!
    · OB - GYN? Lots of docs play golf
    · shank - lamb, never touch it
    · push - up?
    · flop - unsuccessful

    Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  3. WeezelNovember 13, 2009 at 6:58 PM

    I know nothing about golf . . . Here's my guesses:
    · drive -- Far reaching stroke
    · waggle -- The ball moves from side to side?
    · draw -- tie game?
    · putt -- short tapping stroke
    · four-ball -- foursome
    · chilly-dip -- ball in the water?
    · chip -- short high stroke
    · hook -- curved stroke like a curve ball in baseball?
    · chunk -- divot?
    · pitch -- ball veering to the left or right
    · fade -- ball starts off good then fades?
    · press -- Annoy the other golfers?
    · birdie -- better than par
    · bunker -- clubhouse?
    · bogey -- over par
    · choke -- start a good swing then choke it back?
    · fat -- bushes beside the course
    · first cut -- first swing?
    · short grass -- the green?
    · hack -- Chop at the ball with your putter?
    · sand -- sand trap
    · trap -- sand trap
    · pin -- step on your ball?
    · block -- put your ball in the other person's way?
    · eagle -- distraction of a flying bird's shadow?
    · cup -- hole
    · OB -- old ball?
    · shank -- Kick your opponent in the shin?
    · push -- don't stop playing even if you're exhausted?
    · flop -- what we do after the game ends?

    I guess I really am clueless about the game of golf. Sorry!

    ReplyDelete
  4. V.R. LeavittNovember 18, 2009 at 10:36 AM

    I'm afraid I'm no golf expert, but I totally enjoyed reading Susan and Weezel's definitions. Who cares what the real definitions are, you should just use theirs. Too funny! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Remembrance TreeNovember 18, 2009 at 3:34 PM

    ...my writer buddies are too cute by half! No one can be this uninformed about the terminology of golf? Can they? ...they can’t help themselves, when they spot a writing neophyte they jump in with their wit and vocabulary and dismiss the nitwit to the corner of the room. However...they do come up with some great ideas...and maybe, just maybe, I’ll consider (somewhat, just a little), there idea of including (an addendum, perhaps), glossary of their “meager” definitions of golf terms. Granted...its funny...at a “man’s” expense...women see an opening and you jump at it...women are always making us men feel like numb-nuts...you don’t see how serious we take this stuff, particularly golf! MY PROCLAMATION...beware the writer-woman...or the woman-writer...whatever...as they will squash your little prose into bits and bits and bits and... I digress, --gg

    ReplyDelete
  6. RickNovember 27, 2009 at 10:58 PM

    · drive – first stroke from the tee
    · waggle – what a dog’s tail does
    · draw – flight path of the ball
    · putt – strike lightly with a putter
    · four-ball – a walk
    · chilly-dip – a swim in Lake Superior
    · chip – a shot close to the green just a’bloop’ to get it to the pin
    · hook – an extreme draw to the left or right
    · chunk - hitting the ground before the ball
    · pitch – kind of like a chip shot but with a higher trajectory played from further away
    · fade – the flight of the ball from left to right
    · press – What you do with weights
    · birdie - one stroke under par
    · bunker - sandtrap
    · bogey- one over par
    · choke – do poorly at the end to blow a victory
    · fat – bad for your arteries
    · first cut – grass beside the fairway
    · short grass – the green?
    · hack – a poor player
    · sand - sandtrap
    · trap - sandtrap
    · pin – the hole
    · block – football term
    · eagle – 2 under par
    · cup – the hole, specifically the actual receptacle on the green to catch the ball
    · OB – obstruction?
    · shank – not hitting the ball with the clubface what I do
    · push – poker term? I dunno
    · flop – a bad dive into the pool

    ReplyDelete

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What are "The 5 Most Important--But Fleeting Virtures?"

Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion and Humility.

.....this is a portion of the "introduction" or prologue to the book (not yet completed)...email with your comments.

The books title; Character Happens! The 5 Most Important—But Fleeting Virtues, describes my belief these five important virtues (Honesty, Integrity, Courage, Compassion, Humility), are sporadic in use and diminishing in personal character. The books message is in recognizing this “fleeting” nature and from that reinstitute a more virtuous choice in your decision making.

The paradox of the two words; Character Happens, with another two words: “S### Happens”* (decorum prevents use of actual word) is not without merit. My belief is that observed human character is much like, well...s###! This kind of observation can be disconcerting at times. So confusing that society can hardly make the distinction between the two words and there obvious different meaning. Individuals make virtuous and un-virtuous choices/decisions for innumerable reasons, both consciously and without deep thought. If we postulate; can an individual make a 'more' virtuous choice in life’s decisions should they want to do so? Answer—perhaps. How does one 'reinstitute a more virtuous choice' into their personal makeup...making the response more automatic? Answer—practice. With a concerted effort at 'practice' I believe...an individual might just develop a more 'repetitive' decent response...much like grooving a golf swing.

I love golf. I think the game is like no other. The five stories that make up Character Happens! have a golf storyline. Some readers may not be able to relate to the game of golf or its vernacular or for that matter, why people...a large number of people...love golf. Too bad! You should try it sometime...because it’s more than a game...it can be a life experience. The golf course environment alone is enough to put most people at ease.

Golf is a game played by the individual as opposed to being a member of a team, like baseball. Baseball has umpires who enforce the rules of the game. In golf you are the umpire. Because of this unique method of enforcing the games rules—golf is a “hotbed” for testing the players character...their honesty, their integrity, their courage and sometimes their compassion. And, because all golfers started from knowing nothing about the game; like how to swing, how to putt or chip... they also learn of humility. Now doesn’t it make perfect sense that a book about character would juxtaposition a storyline with the game of golf? Anyway, I thought so.

There are five stories, one for each virtue. The book has six main characters that make up a group of what I call 'golf buddies.' The storyteller, Spencer Madison, in reality is me. Well, somewhat like me...as I have a better golf game than Spencer. The five others vary in age, gender, education, religious beliefs and definitely personality. The 'binder' of the group or what brings them together; golf.

The reader will hopefully discover in their own lives a similar incident with one of the story’s in Character Happens! If not, that’s okay too...as the stories are earnest while humorous, carefree yet compelling. And, I believe each chapter or story makes a 'point' in this wonderful, wacky, dynamic world in the 21st century.

The stories are fictional as are the characters. Names, personalities or incidents are fictional and in no way resemble or refer to a living person. I’ve used paraphrasing of many authors’ ideas and concepts and have referenced them in a special section. Because of these references and the specific genre where the book is to be found, it’s categorized as a non-fictional, personal development book.


*...sorry for the language but this word best describes the thought I want to convey. In Forrest Gump the term was used to describe situations that happen to all people for no particular reason.