# The Dopeler Effect

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dopeler-effect/170138>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 21, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dopeler-effect/170138 "2003-04-21T21:44:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kallisti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@Kallisti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallisti)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dopeler-effect/170138/1 "2003-04-21T21:44:52Z")

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The Washington Post’s Style invitational asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are some of the winners:

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas rom penetrating. The Bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Cashtration: The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

6. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

7. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

8. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

9. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit)

10. Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is, like, sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a totally serious bummer.

11. Glibido: All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit: The frantic dance performed just after you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug: Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at 3 in the morning and cannot be cast out.

…and the pick of the literature:

1. Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an @$$hole.

Any others?

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**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dopeler-effect/170138/2 "2003-04-21T22:53:35Z")

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LOL  
I love those!

Scatatonic–the meditative state some people reach when taking a poop

IDBB

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dopeler-effect/170138/3 "2003-05-06T10:56:20Z")

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Septical – Looking to disprove shit.

Mistic – One who feels a spiritual connection to fog.

Editoy – An editor that is not programmable and cannot be extended by the end user to become so.

Onalog – The kind of input a steam computer expects.