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Glurge

I used to get emails from dearly loved family and friends that reported outrageously sweet episodes of some miracle or another. I interpreted such emails as not reports of facts, but rather fantasy to convince me that miracles really do happen and supernatural forces work in our daily lives for the faithful. Writing to the senders that I did not want to receive these pieces I finally had to Block their email. Have you had such experiences? It turns out there is a word for such nonsense.

Glurge

	Word used to describe the syrupy sweet e-mails that are mass-mailed to unwilling participants. Usually involve, puppies, kitties, children with disabilities, puppies and kitties with disabilities, and Jesus. Generally end with, "Pass this along 2 as many ppl as u can!!!11!!1!" I wish Mary would stop sending me glurge. This story is a bit glurgy, if you ask me. by NuclearMosquito Aug 1, 2004
2.	glurge
	Anything overly sappy, corny, or kitchy used to incite an emotional reaction. It is usually fictional, absurd and over-exaggerated and therefore fails at its intended task. Often used to describe chain e-mails. "That story about the boy with no eyes or ears or skin who got run over by a steamroller the day before he was supposed to get the puppy that his baseball team had saved up to buy him for his ninth birthday is total bullshit. It's just glurge." by The J-Spot Jan 16, 2005
3.	glurge
	See also www.wordspy.com/words/glurge.asp , just above "Earliest Citation" for another element: Tales that "undermine their messages by fabricating and distorting historical fact." That "Letter from Iraq" turns out to be partly right-wing glurge. by George A. Trosper May 10, 2005

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Idaho Spud on February 9, 2013 at 11:57am

Very similar for me also. I definitely remember bathing in the kitchen in the wash tub filled with the tea kettle, heated on the coal burning stove.

I strongly remember going to the outhouse for quite a few years. When the temperature got below zero F, we would go in a potty and then run quick like a rabbit (past the rabbit shed) to empty it in the outhouse.

We did have a model T ford pickup (I think it was), but it wasn't used much as my mom hated to drive and refused. I only remember her driving one time. Us kids were kidding her about not knowing how to drive, so she bundled us into the pickup, drove us around the block, and said "so there!", never to drive again.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 9, 2013 at 12:34pm

I remember doing that! The potty under the bed! Who could forget such an experience! I love your mother! "So there! never to drive again!" priceless.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on February 9, 2013 at 12:36am

ROFL But I don't get how #4 connects to the previous meanings.

I'm lucky enough to not get email glurge. And I have "an allergy" to pass this along memetic programming.

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on February 9, 2013 at 1:10am

#4 has nothing to do with the other meanings.

Urban Dictionary often publishes idiosyncratic definitions. (Editors are urged not to disapprove definitions just because they disagree with them.) That one is unpopular, currently with 6 up / 103 down votes.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 9, 2013 at 12:44pm

Grinning Cat, I hadn't noticed the up or down votes. That definition clearly does not fit into any definition I can imagine. Bad me!

Thanks Ruth, for not passing on this memetic programming and reminding me of what I intend to do.

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on February 9, 2013 at 1:48pm

Joan, if you'd like to deemphasize #4 (or move it to a reply, or whatever), it turns out that in your own discussion, you can edit the opening text: "Options" (above the discussion title) then "Edit Discussion".

(It came in handy for me once or twice, when I remembered something I should have added to a discussion I'd started.)

Urban Dictionary does have a significant noise-to-signal ratio!

"Typically, a demagogue actually benefits from nonsensical, contradictory and inflammatory statements and agendas. Ironically, the higher the noise-to-signal ratio, the more effective they become since any useful information would actually rein them in."

(adapted from Raul and JonG)

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 9, 2013 at 4:42pm

Thanks for the information on editing my needed revision.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 9, 2013 at 12:38pm

Ruth, thanks for your "allergy". It was so jolting, I failed to delete it ... for shock purposes, perhaps. Anyway, thanks for not passing it on.

Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on February 9, 2013 at 2:31pm

Thank you, Joan, for also pointing us to the video "How Viral Ideas Hook Us", relating chain emails to religions!