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« Apostrophes, part 2 | Main | There's interminable and then there's interminable » March Word Fugitive11 Feb 2009 03:17 pm
David K. Prince, of Lansdowne, Pa., writes, "Often my wife and I will decide to watch a DVD, and then she will delay coming to sit down, thereby subjecting me to the repeat-loop sounds and visuals of the DVD's main menu. What's the word or phrase for this interminable experience?"
Comments (140)
premenual syndrome 
cinephrenia
"Deja View"
I like "mennui," that's a great one. But is there a significantly stronger word for what I've experienced? I once had a roommate fall asleep while watching a DVD, so the menu was on loop all night long. (And no, I have no idea why neither of us got up to turn it off!)
Cinema purgatorio?
Posted by Karen Foster, Austin, Texas
Oops. I meant: "Introlooper"
our friend is lost in the sysiphere Lance Hill, New Orleans
Perhaps he's stuck in playgatory? SW Cha, New York, NY
How about De(lay)ja Vu or View...
Delayrium
Is it caused by the menuepause?
He's loopful. Miami Beach, Florida
I'm David's wife, and the delay he complains about may be a "Settling of 'Scores'" by me!
If you intend to see a particular Guy Ritchie film, she could be a lock-stock tease.
In light of Heather's revelation, I'd say he caught some last-minute spite.
Emission Impausable
It sounds like David is going through menupause.
It sounds like David is going through menupause. Redlands, California
I'd say the guy's been loophold.
beginningless loop Adrienne Lieberman, Evanston, IL
Our friend Mr Prince finds himself in playgatory.
Our friend Mr Prince finds himself in playgatory. Indianapolis,Indiana
As in the movie Groundhog Day, I present, "Soundhog Day."
The mute button is an excellent deterrent for "annoiseance" of endless looping.
Since it is a menu-driven display, may I suggest "menu-drivel dismay"? Cincinnati Ohio
If you are forced to sit through a menu over and over, you have been condemned to menual labor. Benjamin Lee
I think our friend suffers from Aflixtion. Or a case of Suspended Animation. This is a case of Dejaview.
He's in the Trailer Park. It's making him Loopy. Veni,Vidi,Vidi
Building on my wife's previous post (and she has actually done this to me) : Veni, vidi, video Or even: veni, vidi, vidiot
Touché: Cinemasculation.
A state of Diskontent
David Prince's complaint rings so true! I often suffer from the same kind of loopus. - Donald Pasik, Lacey, WA
I like reduxicity but it doesn't address the relationship issue which might be served by maritability or spousalbandonment. Lou Preston
From Catholic inspiration: menugatory. Similar to "playgatory" but that could happen at any point during the playing of the DVD.
It is an impausition. The person who causes it is a pauseur. Barry Goldman
Matt Gordon
Further to the Ginsbergs' posts:
hah. that is easy. love.
I would call it "Groundhog Play."
The mind-numbing delay is a cinerruption to the enjoyment of a DVD.
Sounds like foreplay to me.
"Deja View"
To the tune of That's Entertainment: The wife, her dawdles causing such strife, That's Exitainment!
On second thought, it sounds like "before-play" while waiting for you wife ...
Disc-combobulation, perhaps?
And since he's waiting for his wife, perhaps he's serving as her "amenuensis."
Alas, he's been prematurely interred interminably in a "Pauseoleum." John Griffiths; Philadelphia, PA
Perhaps he suffers digitalis interruptus at the hands of a femme futile.
or could you say their technologically-compromised relationship is menu riven?
I would suggest that each loop is a new irriteration. ...or that the experience is introminable. Angela Mombourquette
Pre-runs.
I'd watch this digital video with you,
Menugitis
Dear Mr. Prince: That falls under the category of toloverance - acts of tolerating undesirable situations in the name of love. For example: while scouring the dinner menu at your favorite restaurant your wife says, "I can't decide between the scallops and the sea bass". You immediately close your menu because you know you are ordering either scallops or salmon - toloverance.
"Marriage"
I would call this menupause.
Yo, its only foreplay when you're watching porn. Otherwise its just EterniDvd
I'm not sure what the delay itself is called, but at the risk of sounding indelicate I'll point out that Prince's wife sounds like a real flick tease. It's usually me in our house.
The word David Prince needs is "looposuction"
it sounds like - pre view tension to me
Given the plethora of acronyms (and breezy new terms) in that high-tech sphere of activity, I'd say that Mr. Prince is experiencing a DVDelay.
I like "menunotony".
Sorry, but I don't think this deserves a special word. You have a remote don't you? Well, point it at the TV and hit "mute". Then read an article in the Atlantic, a chapter in your book, or get off the couch and make your dear wife some popcorn! I think this qualifies as a MUTE POINT! Tom Tressel, Newtown, PA
Sounds like a grinding "Nyetflixion" to me.
My daughter Isabelle and I came up with two words to describe the kind of wife who keeps you waiting while the DVD menu loops (we have one in our house as well). The first is "D.V. Diva" and the second is procrastinatrix--as in one who exerts their power over other family members by procrastinating. BTW, I don't think David and I are related, but I'm always looking for long lost cousins.
Since the request is for a word that describes the experience rather than the perpetrator, I would offer the obvious, i.e.; Brad Denny
I suggest a fusion of threshold and holding pattern: thresholding pattern.
I think he's facing "Mission Impausible"
...or perhaps "Misery en scene"
This is a case of femipause. Happens all the time. I'm waiting in the car but my wife runs back in the house for "one more thing." Turn on the movie and the same thing happens...."give me a second."
Upon reading Mr. Prince's question, a word came to mind that seemed so inevitable I wondered if I'd read it before: "pregatory."
The first word that sprang to mind was "purgatoratorio". After my partner stopped laughing, he managed to choke out that I should submit it, so I have. Allen Neuner
I shall repeat my suggestion, above, and add the requisite information. (Sorry, I'm new here.) Given the plethora of acronyms (and breezy new terms) in that high-tech sphere of activity, I'd say that Mr. Prince is experiencing a DVDelay. Paul Carlson
menu-boarding
I was thinking Pregatory or Previewtory.
(The two I thought up were already taken. Need to be quicker next time. Nice posts to all.)
Mr. Prince is stuck in the Twilight Drone.
I am afraid you are on a carte-wheel. Be careful, though, because if you let the delay get to you, you will find yourself on the ever-deadly whine list. Larchmont, NY
My recommendation is Mr. Softee-vee. The interminable repetition of a single melodic phrase conjures up the jingle of the ice cream truck trolling our streets in the summer.
This is a case of Videus Interruptus
He is plagued by cinesisyphus. Perry Devaney
Precurser
Ann Arbor, MI He's stuck watching the previewreviewreviewreviews and the special repeatures.
See-You-Around Sound Provo, Utah
Over-and-Over-and-Overtime
He is being offered a reprieve-view
I'm sure the repeat viewing of the "visuhells" and "one-line-hurts" of the "title-scream" has him "hightlight reel-ing."
Ok let's try that again without the mistakes. I'm sure the repeat viewing of the "visuhells" and "one-line-hurts" of the "title-scream" has him "highlight reel-ing."
Repeatedium
The condition is referred to as:
Mastering electronic devices like DVDs can seem like magic to the technologically challenged, like myself. So the experience of suffering helplessly through repeat loops of sounds and visuals should be called prestidigitalrotation. Marc Werlinsky, Broomall, PA
Several thoughts on this one: Could be that David is DVenDless against the repeat-loops and his slow poke wife. Or, much like the main character Leonard Shelby in the movie, he is stuck in a memento, replaying the same menu over and over again and unable to add new memories until his wife returns (in a memento). Finally, just as the ocean waters lap at the shore in soothing rhythms, so is David caught in the tidal menu. Penny McFarline, Richmond VA
The United States does not condone Video Boarding.
This condition may be a classic foodbreak loop.
He is involved in DVD 'foreplay' while waiting for his wife. Del Cain...orlando,Fl.
You are being subjected to spouse abuse. Del Cain...Orlando Fl.
What holds her up might be called "'I'm coming' distractions", but what the spouse must sit through is through is called the "commitment ceremony". Michael Amabile Maprth, Queens, NY
He is on a menu-go-round!
They are watching a mobius stripteaser. Ed Chan, Los Angeles, CA
Feature resentation
Waiting for his wife to watch the DVD he is flixated. Michael Feinberg
Limbotainment Don Hebert
Sounds like you're getting stuck in a prelimiloop. It happens to me all the time.
I suggest the word "dvdysing" which is a phonetic and word combination of teasing, dizzying, and DVD. Zack Embeeye; Calgary, Alberta.
Mrs. Prince's acts of playitus interruptus leave her husband in a heightened state of anticiplaytion.
Feeling the cold. Today, in Francesco Sinibaldi
I'm late with my suggestion but am happy--and surprised--to see it not yet mentioned. How about: déjà vu-deo Ty Griffin
You are experiencing the DVD's blightmotif. Matthew A. Stern
Writing from New Salem, MA. I think those who design these alluring, patient DVD main menu features have a good grasp of American DVD viewers - allowing us to finish our chores, while reminding us of the imminent reward for doing so. I appreciate their consideration, and I call this the beckonstall.
I saw menunotony on the list...my idea was menutony.
from St. Paul, MN Keeping a DVD from playing its feature presentation and becoming digityzed by main menu filler, waiting for his futzing, putzing, fidgeting spouse, the chronocidal, videodroning Mr. Prince is dawdle pausing. He should sharpen his remotesmanship and preview the disk’s additional features instead of eternalizing his wife’s procrastinations. Pushed too far, he might even eject her.
Others beat me to the punch with Deja View, mennui, and menual labor.
Yesterday, I offered "menutonous". I could not remember my other idea, which was (menu+waiting) ==> He was "menuating"
That's Enterdetainment! Katy Laundrie
A la Bob Marley: waiting in main.
RepetiTV happens anytime you have a DVD or DVR and a procrastinating partner.
David, it sounds like you're stuck in "limbtro," that Limbo of intros. Consider filing for Chapter 1, I hear that usually gets the film started. Of course, there's already a term for this interminable experience: the pre-flight movie. Aaron Riccio
In the event that my earlier "thresholding pattern" merits attention, I'll add city and state. Charles Marsh
He's not only coDVDependent, he's trailer parked.
Sisyvideus. Ross Marten
Maybe that should have been Sisyvideous.
Whether I sit alone and think of them as "Meviews" or get upset and consider them "Peeveviews", it always leaves me "disccontented". James Delgado
This happens all the time to me and my husband. I'm rushing around, cleaning up after dinner while he's sitting on the couch waiting for me to sit down before he starts the DVD. The combination of these two states of anticipation I have coined 'rush limbo.'
Perhaps flogging a dead horse : Vidi, Vidi, DViDi .
My wife does this all the time. I call this being videolated. James M. Conway
You've been DVDeserted, stuck in a state of entertainmanticipation, your plans DVDerailed, pleasure DVDeferred. (Though I must say my favorite is Katy Laundrie's enterdetainment!)
Great posts.
extended beforeplay
Sending the memory. That candle, Francesco Sinibaldi
Our submitter has been hit by a "title wave".
He's on a hamster reel.
Mr. Prince is in the loopool.
David Cook, Austin, TX (My failure to read instructions clearly.)
With a bow to David Lane (February 25th), this might be the "Over-and-Over-and-Overture". James Hill
How about im-pausible?
I think that she is a click-teaser! Lisa Groux
She is demonstrating her skill with "demote/control."
My love for you. Sleep little Francesco Sinibaldi thanks Barbara and sends a regard to friends of Usa.
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I would suggest the gentleman is suffering from mennui.
Philip Goldfarb, Cambridge, MA.
Posted by Philip Goldfarb | February 11, 2009 3:33 PM