Afterdamp

Peter Rukavina

I’ve been playing The Dictionary Game (who knew it had another name?) for years; it’s second only to charades in the Pantheon of party games in my book.

My friend Stephen Southall sent me a recipe for granola after Christmas and the final phase of the preparation was titled Afterdamp, a reference to a word that featured in a game we played more than 25 years ago in which the definition of note was “the time after the moistening and before the drying off.”

Beyond its usefulness in the sexual arena, afterdamp turns out to be the perfect word to describe the phase after granola comes out of the oven and before it is bottled.

Indeed I’d forgotten that afterdamp actually has a real meaning, concerned with mining and off-gassing; in my mind, the fictional definition has superseded the real one.

Surely there must be a word for that.

Comments

Submitted by vbj on

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I'm sure there's a way more interesting word, but in my mind, it's related to codeswitching (real vs. fictional meaning).

Codeswitching itself would make an interesting word in The Dictionary Game.

“The process of changing a personal identification code for a bank or credit card using a purpose-built device.”

Submitted by Johnny Rukavina on

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I realize this post is about words and games and such, but all I'm left with is the impression that you have invented sex granola and its called Afterdamp.

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Photo of Peter RukavinaI am . I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.

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