# A Word For All Seasons **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878 "2004-01-31T05:33:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/1 "2004-01-31T05:33:38Z")
There’s a single English word that can mean a stupid person, a small apartment house, or a typographical symbol. What is it? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/2 "2004-01-31T05:53:49Z")
Bungalow? … ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/3 "2004-01-31T05:59:40Z")
There are two words that sound the same, one means stupid the other means small home - imbecile, domicile ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/4 "2004-01-31T18:12:11Z")
I believe it is a “dingbat”. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/5 "2004-01-31T19:13:10Z")
Is it a flat? ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/6 "2004-01-31T23:03:56Z")
> [@kjckjc](#): > > I believe it is a “dingbat”. Winner!!! ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/7 "2004-01-31T23:34:44Z")
Ok, I just checked Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the Encarta World English Dictionary, the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, The Wordsmyth English Dictionary-Thesaurus, the American Heritage Dictionary, the Infoplease Dictionary and [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com). I’ve come up with the following definitions for “dingbat”: 1. _Slang_. An empty-headed or silly person. 2. An object, such as a brick or stone, used as a missile. 3. _Slang_. An unspecified gadget or other small article, especially one whose name is unknown or forgotten. 4. _Printing_. A typographical ornament or symbol. Just so I can stop pulling my hair out, where is “dingbat” used as a colloquialism for “a small apartment house”? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/8 "2004-02-01T02:16:43Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Just so I can stop pulling my hair out, where is “dingbat” used as a colloquialism for “a small apartment house”? 😕 Try [HERE](http://63.249.135.19/synthetrix/CABS/) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/9 "2004-02-01T02:28:45Z")
> [@kjckjc](#): > > Try [HERE](http://63.249.135.19/synthetrix/CABS/) I bet there’s a place and/or time where ‘sausage’ meant telephone. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/10 "2004-02-01T05:23:40Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I bet there’s a place and/or time where ‘sausage’ meant telephone. That’s really zam, frood. Sausage me later, we’ll klaximote a time for it. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-for-all-seasons/226878/11 "2004-02-01T23:53:01Z")
Don’t you think that’s totally spam? It’s lubricated! Well, I’m phasing.