Three words where the first and second form a known expression and the second and third form a known expression and all three together make a credible expression.
Like sweet tooth and tooth fairy make sweet tooth fairy.
A 'perfect sweet tooth fairy' would, of course, be one where all three words together also formed a known expression.
It's the biggest open list. The biggest closed list is stpeter's words, with 3,510 items (stpeter has listed only 3,446 words, which suggest the list has some duplicates or that there's a bug in John's counting algorithm).
Among Wordies with more than one list, the record is The Sog Collection, with 3,287.
Outstanding. Truly wonderful verse, sionnach, and thanks for sharing. Sound of music to my ears. Greetings from gangerh to 'mschmidt' who brings a whole new dimension to sweet tooth fairyland.
So, I have a confession to make. Yesterday I introduced the 'sweet tooth fairy' game to my fellow subscribers to Salon.com's Table Talk discussion forum (they have a folder for word games and such like). So, those Table Talk folks are smart as all get out. I would like to share the following, in particular:
I had introduced the thread as "Hemorrhoid Cream Puffs and Tanning Bed Wetters", to grab their attention - one of the posters complained that this was giving him an earworm to the tune of "My Favorite Things". It took the brilliant mschmidt only a couple of hours to come up with this inspired composition -
Hemorrhoid Cream Puffs and Tanning Bed Wetters, Power Down Parkas and Cadmium Red Letters, Short two-word phrases that melt into three This is the puzzle that fills me with glee!
When Hot Dog Bites! Quilting Bee Stings! Once With Feeling Sad! I simply remember my Blues Guitar Strings, and then I don't Has Been Had!
(sung, obviously, to the tune of "My Favorite Things").
Gangerh, I'll trade you stories. Here's mine. I grew up with the Taylors in Chapel Hill (where papa Ike was the dean of the med school) and played in bands with most of them. Livvy and I were in the same grade. A few of us were over at their house during Christmas holidays and decided to go Christmas caroling. Word was that James and his "girlfriend" were around somewhere and might join us. They did. It was a fun evening...
gangerh: I am going to try to move some of my more dubious entries on this list to the 'false tooth fairy' list, so don't be alarmed if the total count dips a little in the process.
On edit: oops! I guess I can't do that - the destination for a move can only be one of my private lists. (I'm too lazy to delete and re-add).
Gangerh...THE Brian Jones? With the teardrop Vox? He was my ultimate hero back in the day.
I once went Christmas caroling with James Taylor and Joannie Mitchell, but I'd trade it for a day with Brian Jones. (Or would have, when he was alive...)
Some guy killed his wife with a cinder block in their driveway in a town near to me and said that a stranger came and attacked her. Police didn't buy it.
I immediately thought that cinder block head would be a good sweet tooth fairy but, alas, blockhead is one word. Goes to show how Wordie has corrupted my sense of compassion. First thing I thought, was wow...great sweet tooth fairy.
Treeseed. About 'haunted house boat' 9 days ago - heavens! is that all it was when this list started?
I've studied some papers on the compounding or not of words, and, indeed, hyphenating or not. I can only deduce from what I read that compounding/hyphenating is somewhat arbitrary.
So, please, add this gem to the list.
I so want to enter rum raisin d'etre on the list, but I'll just put it here instead. To qualify for inclusion, one would need to meld with the 'change one letter' rule.
Might I suggest, gangerh, that you make comments on the contributions here rather than on people's profiles? Nothing wrong with making them on the profiles, but then the conversations get scattered.
Buffalo wings are spicy chicken wings, often served as a light snack in sports bars (sometimes with a sauce to dip them in); so-called, I believe, because they originated in a bar in Buffalo, New York.
Vegetarian (not vegetable) buffalo wings, which I first encountered last Thanksgiving, are some kind of tofu version developed for people who don't eat chicken. (The same kind of people who enjoy tofurkey).
I find the phrase funny because it conjures up the image of flying buffalos who are vegetarians. There's also the same confusion as in the phrase 'purple people eater', because it's not clear which noun the adjective modifies.
It's the biggest open list. The biggest closed list is stpeter's words, with 3,510 items (stpeter has listed only 3,446 words, which suggest the list has some duplicates or that there's a bug in John's counting algorithm).
Among Wordies with more than one list, the record is The Sog Collection, with 3,287.
I wonder if this is the biggest list on Wordie? Must be one of them.
Wow, people, you just took this list through it's millenary! Huge thanks for a fun ride!
fbharjo, am hugely enjoying all your contributions here. Just wanted you to know that.
Outstanding. Truly wonderful verse, sionnach, and thanks for sharing. Sound of music to my ears. Greetings from gangerh to 'mschmidt' who brings a whole new dimension to sweet tooth fairyland.
sionnach, that is pure genius! Please PLEASE make it a Tunie so I can favorite it and sing it whenever I'm Once with Feeling Sad!
Oh! *smiles brightly* Well, in that case, I have nothing to worry about!
Reesetee, I'm shocked. Butting in on conversations is a cherished tradition here. The more you butt in, the better... :)
That's hilarious, sionnach! Get that mschmidt over here to Wordie!
So, I have a confession to make. Yesterday I introduced the 'sweet tooth fairy' game to my fellow subscribers to Salon.com's Table Talk discussion forum (they have a folder for word games and such like). So, those Table Talk folks are smart as all get out. I would like to share the following, in particular:
I had introduced the thread as "Hemorrhoid Cream Puffs and Tanning Bed Wetters", to grab their attention - one of the posters complained that this was giving him an earworm to the tune of "My Favorite Things". It took the brilliant mschmidt only a couple of hours to come up with this inspired composition -
Hemorrhoid Cream Puffs and Tanning Bed Wetters,
Power Down Parkas and Cadmium Red Letters,
Short two-word phrases that melt into three
This is the puzzle that fills me with glee!
When Hot Dog Bites! Quilting Bee Stings! Once With Feeling Sad!
I simply remember my Blues Guitar Strings, and then I don't Has Been Had!
(sung, obviously, to the tune of "My Favorite Things").
Speaking of intrusive....Yeah. I definitely butted in. Sorry 'bout that.
Sionnach, that conversation started with me but eventually involved chained_bear and reesetee, probably to no one's surprise.
Skipvia! You grew up in Chapel Hill? Where I went to graduate school!!! (A former Moosehead Fellow)
Maybe I'm being forgetful. Was the 'Southern Season' conversation with you? For some reason I thought it was someone else.
Sweet, skipvia. I'm impressed. :-)
Gangerh, I'll trade you stories. Here's mine. I grew up with the Taylors in Chapel Hill (where papa Ike was the dean of the med school) and played in bands with most of them. Livvy and I were in the same grade. A few of us were over at their house during Christmas holidays and decided to go Christmas caroling. Word was that James and his "girlfriend" were around somewhere and might join us. They did. It was a fun evening...
So...tell me about Brian Jones.
gangerh: I am going to try to move some of my more dubious entries on this list to the 'false tooth fairy' list, so don't be alarmed if the total count dips a little in the process.
On edit: oops! I guess I can't do that - the destination for a move can only be one of my private lists. (I'm too lazy to delete and re-add).
That is intriguing. Two of my all-time favourites! Do tell us more...
You went Christmas caroling with James Taylor and Joni Mitchell? Skipvia, you are full of surprises. :-)
Gangerh...THE Brian Jones? With the teardrop Vox? He was my ultimate hero back in the day.
I once went Christmas caroling with James Taylor and Joannie Mitchell, but I'd trade it for a day with Brian Jones. (Or would have, when he was alive...)
Tremendous! Noted and done.
John, there's a home for your excellent 'The Brian Jonestown Massacre' on 'false teeth fairies'. Btw Brian Jones came round to my flat once.
Some guy killed his wife with a cinder block in their driveway in a town near to me and said that a stranger came and attacked her. Police didn't buy it.
I immediately thought that cinder block head would be a good sweet tooth fairy but, alas, blockhead is one word. Goes to show how Wordie has corrupted my sense of compassion. First thing I thought, was wow...great sweet tooth fairy.
As are many of our Wordie user names.
And 'false teeth fairies' is #1 too!
Maybe not so good! Just tested a random list and 'Delightful Ejaculations' is #1!
Hey - this page is #4 on google already! Google 'sweet tooth fairy'. Well done all!
Treeseed. About 'haunted house boat' 9 days ago - heavens! is that all it was when this list started?
I've studied some papers on the compounding or not of words, and, indeed, hyphenating or not. I can only deduce from what I read that compounding/hyphenating is somewhat arbitrary.
So, please, add this gem to the list.
A lovely aberration, sionnach, and there is a home waiting for 'rum raisin d'etre' on the list 'false teeth fairies'.
Either way, sionnach, that's wonderful...
I so want to enter rum raisin d'etre on the list, but I'll just put it here instead. To qualify for inclusion, one would need to meld with the 'change one letter' rule.
Inspired by a list entry on 'cringeworthy corporate buzzwords' - 'soft launch'. Many thanks tagyoureit.
Congratulations, gangerh, on creating a new and more virulent form of triadomania! Takes me back to the heady days of Triads.
This just gets better. Best example yet of a collaborative list. And, btw, the list with the most contributors--an even dozen at the moment.
Also, of course, family pet rocks - as opposed to family pet sucks, which, of course, is not a 'sweet tooth fairy'.
what a wonderful list!
I love love love this list. I don't think it's a proper sweet tooth fairy, but there's the sometimes-brilliant band The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Might I suggest, gangerh, that you make comments on the contributions here rather than on people's profiles? Nothing wrong with making them on the profiles, but then the conversations get scattered.
Flower garden party? Green thumb wrestling?
Brilliant idea for a list. Must try to think of some!
Spark plug ugly? Or does the last word have to be a noun?
magnetic personality - personality disorder = magnetic personality disorder = a 'sweet tooth fairy'
Buffalo wings are spicy chicken wings, often served as a light snack in sports bars (sometimes with a sauce to dip them in); so-called, I believe, because they originated in a bar in Buffalo, New York.
Vegetarian (not vegetable) buffalo wings, which I first encountered last Thanksgiving, are some kind of tofu version developed for people who don't eat chicken. (The same kind of people who enjoy tofurkey).
I find the phrase funny because it conjures up the image of flying buffalos who are vegetarians. There's also the same confusion as in the phrase 'purple people eater', because it's not clear which noun the adjective modifies.
magic carpet - carpet slippers
vegetarian buffalo wings?
Neat list.
game boy wonder stays - its official website has it as two words
I'm concerned that houseboat is really one word so it doesn't meet the three word rule.
And now you've got me researching game boy! Or is it gameboy?
Oh dear.
haunted house boat
(Like this?)