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Govende – a game of wordplay, puns, leaps of thought and trivia

(1001 Posts)
LadyHonoriaDedlock Tue 18-Oct-22 17:25:19

It's pronounced "Goo-vain". Allegedly.

It started about 25 years ago in a serious online forum about language and grammar when somebody asked seriously about the correct name of the @ symbol. The thread then continued to discuss the formal names of other symbols until it diverged from the original point:

>>>>>> What's a pilcrow?
>>>>> "¶" is a pilcrow. What's an octothorp?
>>>> "#" is an octothorp. What's a virgule?
>>> A virgule is an old musical instrument. What's a spinet
>>A spinet is a small grove of trees. What's a copse?

And so on. It's been going on in various parts of the net since being evicted from the original forum, and has spawned many new threads.

Answer a question imaginatively, ask a "What is" question connected to your answer.

Shall I start?

What's a knees-up?

Glorianny Mon 28-Nov-22 13:48:52

Human is the person sitting somewhere behind you who keeps making an irritating sound (sometimes known as humming) when you are in a public place- bus/train /cinema etc.
What is public?

Wheniwasyourage Mon 28-Nov-22 14:26:48

Public is a kind of lavatory.

What is a kind?

MrsKen33 Mon 28-Nov-22 15:34:34

Kind is a small child that goes to a kindergarten.
What is a child ?

Retread Mon 28-Nov-22 18:39:50

A child can be any age and sometimes there is a "failure to launch" when they don't leave home. What is a failure?

biglouis Mon 28-Nov-22 23:55:52

Failure is not achieving a goal but can still be used as a valuable learning tool.

What is a tool?

henetha Tue 29-Nov-22 10:26:13

A tool is what elves call a toadstool. They like abbreviating words as they are so busy playing with the fairies.
What is a fairy?

biglouis Tue 29-Nov-22 10:36:33

Fairy is an insulting term used for gay men in the past.

What is an insult?

Mollygo Tue 29-Nov-22 11:53:57

Insult is short for wearing sultry clothes to express your passionate nature.
What’s passionate

Retread Tue 29-Nov-22 12:17:54

Molly grin

Passionate is when you eat a passion fruit with great enjoyment. What is a fruit?

aquagran Tue 29-Nov-22 13:15:11

Fruit
Fru it is what you have to get when times are tough!
What is tough?

Baggs Tue 29-Nov-22 15:09:52

Tough is having to do something you don't like.

What is like?

Wheniwasyourage Tue 29-Nov-22 15:43:54

Like is what they call a lake in New Zealand.

What is a lake?

Glorianny Tue 29-Nov-22 16:13:46

A l-ake is how I feel when I get out of bed in the morning before I manage to get my legs moving and my back stretched
What is a stretch?

MrsKen33 Tue 29-Nov-22 16:29:34

Going to prison for a long time.

What is prison ?

Retread Tue 29-Nov-22 17:26:06

A prison is something that reflects light. What is reflect?

Fernbergien Tue 29-Nov-22 18:18:32

A reflect is a rainbow. What’s a rainbow?

aquagran Tue 29-Nov-22 18:49:27

A rainbow is a weapon used by Robin Hood in inclement weather.
What is weather?

Fernbergien Tue 29-Nov-22 20:45:10

An inane topic of conversation. What is conversation?

Squiffy Tue 29-Nov-22 21:09:11

Con versation is poetry written by a criminal.

What is a criminal?

Retread Tue 29-Nov-22 21:54:04

A criminal is an animal wearing crimplene. What is wearing?

swampy1961 Tue 29-Nov-22 21:57:22

Wearing is when someone just won't stop going on!!

What is on?

biglouis Tue 29-Nov-22 22:47:12

When you do something on time it means doing it exactly when you should.

What is time?

Glorianny Wed 30-Nov-22 08:43:31

Time is what children spend on the naughty step, which is usually inside but is called "out"
What is out?

Retread Wed 30-Nov-22 10:07:44

Out is what you shout to your neighbour's cat when it comes to use your garden as a litter tray. What is a tray?

henetha Wed 30-Nov-22 10:09:08

Out is when you've been living in a closet with your secret for a long time, and then someone, or possibly yourself, decide to tell the world about it.

What is decide?

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