Collective nouns and majestonyms

Collective nouns and majestonyms

But first:

Pollyanna

noun Pol·ly·an·na \ˌpä-lē-ˈa-nə\ :

someone who thinks good things will always happen and finds something good in everything

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollyanna

After a character in a novel:  

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

That aptly describes several posters on the gay forums. Give them any cock, at any price, and they will be happy as a pig in mud.

Tantalus

Tantalus (Ancient Greek: Τάνταλος, Tántalos) was a Greek mythological figure, most famous for his eternal punishment in Tartarus. He was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit ever eluding his grasp, and the water always receding before he could take a drink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantalus

That describes my situation in Thailand. Cute boys are everywhere, in crowded areas I would just have to bend forward to kiss their neck, but as soon as I invite one to my room: cannot! So close that I could touch them, but as soon as I reach out they recede.

Collective nouns for freelancers and ladyboys

Quotes from stickman weekly column.

The Future of Nana Plaza (Stickman Weekly 28/9/2014)

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Nana-Plaza-future.htm

What is the collective noun for freelancers, you know, the word used to describe a group of something, like a pride of lions.  How about a phalanx of freelancers, perhaps?  And for those of you who have ventured to the dark side, what would the collective noun be for a group of ladyboys?

Gogo Bars, There Is An Alternative (Stickman Weekly 5/10/2014)

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Thai-soapies.htm

In last week's column I asked what the collective noun was for freelancers, and also for ladyboys. There were a lot of funny responses and here are some of the best:

*  A gobble of katoeys.

*  A cuckold of ladyboys.

*  A clique of dick.

*  A fleece of freelancers, a danger, a risk, a temptation or an attraction even? And, of course, a scrotum of ladyboys!

*  If it's a pride of lions, how about a prance or a preen of ladyboys? Or, how about a buffet of ladyboys?

*  Given that a phalanx was a Macedonian army section with long stabbing spears, it really would be better as a phalanx of ladyboys.

*  I normally call a group of ladyboys a giggle or if they are of the more dishonest type, a dip. The only word to describe a collection of freelancers has to be a temptation of.

*  A head of ladyboys? A gaggle of ladyboys? A swallow of ladyboys?

*  Uncharitably, how about an importunment of freelancers? A desperation of freelancers? It is obviously a scrum of ladyboys. Or maybe a surprise of ladyboys?

Sloppy Service (Stickman Weekly 12/10/2014)

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanWeeklyColumn2013/Thailand-sloppy-service.htm

One more collective noun. I think I'd call them a plague of ladyboys!

Majestonyms

I learnt of the word “Majestonym” in the book “Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod” by Bastian Sick. The article is available online (in German):

ZWIEBELFISCH Von Modezaren und anderen Majestonymen Von SICK, BASTIAN 31.10.2005

http://www.appstango.net/spiegel/kulturspiegel/d-42914146.html

There is nothing in English on the internet, here definition in German:

Majestonym, das
Eine moderne Wortfigur, bei der ein Wortbestandteil durch ein Wort aus dem Bedeutungsbereich des Adels 'veredelt' wird. Der gewöhnliche Wortbestandteil wird dabei verstärkt.
Beispiele: Schönheitskönigin, Modezar, Literaturpapst, Erklärkönig, Medienmogul, Denkerfürst.
http://www.wissenschaft-online.de/astrowissen/rhetorik.html

my translation:

majestonym, noun

A modern figure of speech which is composed of a common noun and a royal title (from all over the world). The common noun is thereby enhanced. Examples: 

beauty queen, drug lord, king of pop, media mogul.

Majestonyms are wide spread in German, but less so in English. Recently, I have been called “prince of parsimony” (by Jellybean in http://sawatdeenetwork.com/forum/met-wonderful-thai-boy-confused-t32333-50.html) which raises the question: what do you call someone whose fame is to suck cock in public toilets (LMTU) or someone who spends a lot of time in gay saunas or gogo bars?

Alliteration in preferred, e.g. gaybutton could be the Pope of Pattaya (bangkokbois already calls him the mayor of Pattaya); LMTU the Toilet Tzar, or the Bathroom Baron, or the Cottage King. And which title is left for me?

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC except for quotes