Comment: The First Law of Holes (Score 4, Funny) 576
Someone needs to tell this guy about the First Law of Holes: "When you find yourself in one, stop digging!!"
Wikipedia Is Not Amused By Entry For xkcd-Coined Word 553
Posted
by
timothy
from the didn't-confuse-me-for-one-frobnitzjibber dept.
from the didn't-confuse-me-for-one-frobnitzjibber dept.
ObsessiveMathsFreak writes "Today's xkcd comic introduced an unusual word — malamanteau — by giving its supposed definition on Wikipedia. The only trouble is that the word (as well as its supposed wiki page) did not in fact exist. Naturally, much ado ensued at the supposed wiki page, which was swiftly created in response to the comic. This article has more on how the comic and the confusion it caused have put the Net in a tizzy. It turns out that a malamanteau is a portmanteau of portmanteau and malapropism, but also a malapropism of portmanteau. All this puts Wikipedia in the confusing position of not allowing a page for an undefined word whose meaning is defined via the Wikipedia page for that word — and now I have to lie down for a moment."