New Active Noun: “MonsterQuest”
Posted by: Loren Coleman on February 27th, 2009
Lawrence Friedman is a lawyer who deals with global trade legal matters. He is a Partner in the Chicago firm, Barnes/Richardson, although the following is not to be linked to his firm.
He’s decided to invent a new word, a noun with meaning and usage that is rather active and easy to remember. I thought I would share it with Cryptomundians, as I know you’ll want to start using it.
Friedman was writing about trade, trucks and such with Mexico, and penned this gem:
Much like every episode of MonsterQuest, I don’t have a conclusion here. Just some theories and a limited amount of time and money to spend contemplating them….
Side note: I propose to start using “MonsterQuest” as a synonym for “inconclusive,” “unfinished,” or “impossible.” For example, “Mrs. Jones, the results of your pregnancy test were a MonsterQuest.” Or, “Don’t bother looking for that golf ball, its a MonsterQuest.”
I sincerely like MQ, so it may surprise you to hear I think this is beautiful, concise, and a good-natured way to look at what’s going on here. After all, in all those interviews I do for reality documentaries on cryptozoology, it sure would save time. Can’t you see it now? I could answer that irritating reporter who has asked me for the fifth time the same question, by just politely noting, “Oh, the result from that cryptid hair sample test was a MonsterQuest.”
The evolved use of the new noun might allow the in-crowd, someday, to respond to questions about samples without a type specimen, more quickly, by exclaiming, “Hey, that feather was a MQ.”
BTW, I feel compelled to add his disclaimer.
Important Disclaimer: None of this is legal advice, don’t act on it. The opinions herein are completely personal. Don’t ascribe them to my law firm, its partners or clients. Don’t steal from my blog. I wrote it, I own it. But, feel free to link to me.
I hope Mr. Friedman understands my fair use quoting of his terminological usage, so I would get this historically significant coining correctly recorded. š
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the worldās leading cryptozoologists, some say ātheā leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sandersonās Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Colemanās daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I like it!
It would make a nice name for a role-playing game.
That’s pretty dang funny, I might start using that as well.
I hate to tread on someones flowers but this word is not for me. ”The result of your pregnancy test is a MonsterQuest” (should be monsterquest). I think someone would be getting handbagged !
I dont think for most folks this would mean what the speaker wanted to convey and even if consent was unanimous would fizzle out. My opinion is that a good wordsmith could come up with something better-like wild goose chase, mishmash, fools errand- though I dont think these words apply to Monster Quest and would demean the search for cryptids, which is not a fools errand or per Mr Friedman-just some theories.
There is probably a brilliant word in W. Shakespeare somewhere or one of those words which are rapidly falling into disuse as the spoken language becomes poorer (IMO) and which could be resucitated.
Cryptomundian is much better invention, may I say cool?
Yes, the danger with humor is that someone could take me too seriously.
Greetings All!
Okay, okay… let me try this. (Ahemm hemm) “My search for a storage space to store all the free Nintendo Wii’s and Mac Notebooks I’ve won on Cryptomundo was a MonsterQuest.” š
I love it! It will be the next “google”. Instead of doing a search on the internet, they ‘google’. I can clearly see this happening with monsterquest.
Coworker: Did you manage to solve that budget issue with the state?
Me: Right.. you know thats a monsterquest.
Hey fossilhunter, I sell mine on Ebay and now I don’t have to work.
@ Loren above: Or me too seriously.
Thanks to Loren for catching and posting my little play on words. I do regret that my definition implies that the term should be an adjective (e.g., “inconclusive”) while my usage is as a noun. Loren picked that up nicely. I think the noun form works better.
So, if there are grammarians out there, be assured I know the difference.
Now, why would anybody want to take you or your humor seriously, Loren??? š
Kidding…
Ok enough noun. Not for all occasions, though…
Let us unfortunately keep in mind that, to most laypeople, MonsterQuest is their only exposure to cryptozoology.
Therefore…
I think the term is demeaning to the show and , by proxy, demeaning to cryptozoology in general.
If people start using a term as a “joke” then the show becomes part of the joke. Everything associated with it suffers the same fate.
Just MHO….
Doggornit I’ve bin hornswoggled !
Haha, I hate those advertisements…
Anyways, I like it. Has a nice ring to it, but I’m pretty sure if I used it in normal conversation the other person will be like “What?”
I love it! That word is going in my vocabulary from now on, brilliant.
Awesome.