Science fiction, fantasy, mystery and what-not
Floofbun (floofinition) – Prosifloofic poetry and prose that is about animals or relationships with animals. Origins: Japan, 17th century.
In Use: “One of the earliest recorded floofbuns is ‘The Trail of Shedding Fur’, written in 1784 by an unknown author about their floofs, while a more recent celebrated floofbun is ‘Floof Traveler Floofbun: 1999’ by Ima Katt.”
I thought in depth on this. I retired from the military after twenty years. It was surprisingl easy to say good-bye to it. But I’d been ready to leave it for at least a year. The politics and hypocrisy inherent in the organization disgusted me. Also, leaving wasn’t hard because we rotated every two to four years. Little was permanent, thanks to ‘permanent change of station’ orders. I was deployed to theaters around the world, and the missions changed. While controlling nuclear weapons, war planning, and mitigating the effects of disasters were constant, as were the uniforms, the people were not. We were proficient at ending phases and saying good-bye.
That got me to thinking about how it was really about the people. Leaving IBM after fifteen years was like leaving the military: supremely easy. For the final nine years, I worked from home in southern Oregon. My co-workers were mostly voices on the phone. I’d rarely actually met any of them. My niche was small and I typically dealt with the same ten semi-strangers all week. It was boring, although it could be mentally stimulating, but mostly tedious and empty. Projects would arrive with great fanfare. Then the winnowing would begin. Many projects failed to launch. That was the business.
I left home and family when I was seventeen. Mom’s home was riotous with broken marriages and arguments. When I lived with Dad, he was an absent father. I became adept at being independent.
My wife and I have been together for over fifty years. That’s an ongoing phase. I’ve moved around the nation and around the world. Relatively little remained the same for me. Change was a constant phase.
But we usually had cats. They bonded with me more than my wife, with one exception. These cats became my buddies. At one point, I had six living with me. Another four that belonged to neighbors regularly visited. Now all are gone except one, and he’s getting old.
That’s what phase I guess it’s been hardest to let go of. Each fur friend’s death was so deeply felt that I’m weary of feeling it. My wife said the same and has declared, no more cats. I’m willing to accept that for the moment, but it’s the end of a phase, and a very long good-bye.
Floofscan (floofinition) – A quick glance to spot an animal. Origins: 1973, UK.
In Use: “Bob did a quick floofscan to find his fur friend, fast checking her regular haunts before discovering her in the clothes basket atop darks waiting to be washed.”
In Use: “Many wags who live with cats refer to floofscans as catscans.”
Floofpower (floofinition) Philosophy among animals that uniting despite species, breed, or personal animosity can lead to greater rewards for all animals.
In Use: “With the new year, many people found themselves confronting floofpower as the household furtizens stood up and negotiated for more treats, walks, better food, or improved sleeping conditions and playtime.”
Floofstone (floofinition) 1. A significant point in a relationship with an animal, especially a pet. Origins: 2002, United States, Internet.
In Use: “Many people who help young kittens and cats face a fierce, growling, spitting adversary, and obtaining the animal’s trust is frequently a major floofstone.”
In Use: “A woman spent six months gaining barn cats’ trust, and when they finally came into her house, it was a major floofstone.”
2. Floofstones – an animated carton about a group of prehistoric domestic animals.
In Use: “Many people came to enjoy and even love The Floofstones, thanks greatly to the writers’ deft skills lampooning modern culture in the U.S.”
Monday’s floof has a pretty face.
Tuesday’s floof likes to run and race.
The floof born on Wednesday has an appetite for love,
While a floof coming to life on Thursday is a gift from above.
Friday’s floof is fond of the sun,
And Saturday’s floof exists just for fun.
But Sunday’s floof has a little of all,
Enjoying life and having a ball.
-Ancient Floofverb
Floofcode (floofinition) – 1. An agreement for behavior and cooperation between floofs or between humans and a floof or floofs.
In Use: “According to the floofcode, if Lucy fell asleep on Bob, Bob would stay motionless and not disturb his fur friend until the floof awoke of their own accord.”
In Use: “Although Sam would swat Kay to warn her, adhering to the floofcode, he never employed his claws.”
2. Method of communicating for humans with animals, or the converse.
In Use: “Rosa and her smart little puppy’s floofcode included her saying, “Beep beep,” meant he needed to move out her path or her chair.”
In Use: “Jade, rumored to be the world’s smartest cat, developed her own floofcode to deal with Brenda. Knocking things off the dresser at two AM meant she wanted out; throwing kitty litter out of her box onto the floor meant she was upset.”
Flooftwin (floofinition) – Person and animal who bear startling resemblance to each other. Origins: 1960s United States.
In Use: “Among some of the stereofloofs that exist is the meme that bulldogs and their male owners are frequently flooftwins.”
In Use: “Sometimes, in response to a perception that a person and their pet are flooftwins, the human will start dressing the animal in the same style of clothes that they wear.”
Infloofition (floofinition) – The ability to know without direct evidence, rational thought, or inference, what an animal will do. Origins: Middle Flooflish, from the Flooftin, first noted use in 1600.
In Use: “Connie’s infloofition caused her to sigh, put down her novel, and head for the door. Rascal had gone out through the pet door six minutes before, and a fight was overdue.”
In Use: “Taylor put their plate down and went to fetch a glass of tea when infloofition made them rush back to their food just as Munchkin arrived to make it hers.”
Flooflink (floofinition) 1. Connection between animals. Origins: Middle Flooflish, of Scandfloofnavian roots; first noted use in the fifthteenth century.
In Use: “Dog and cat, both Hurricane Katrina survivors, had an unshakeable flooflink from the instant they touched noses.”
2. The established cause and effect between an animal’s action, sound, or behavior and a result.
In Use: “Entering the house to a scene of disheveled plants and unrolled toilet paper, Pietr gazed at the drowsy kittens, certain that he was looking at the flooflink, as his dog studied him with wide, innocent eyes.”
3. An electronic connecting structure about animals which provides direct access from one web page to another.
In Use: “Just googling ‘funny cat videos’ resulted in a plethora of flooflinks to click on and kill time.”
In Use: “Seeing the video title, ‘A Curious Cat’s Life is Never Boring’, Michael just had to provide a flooflink to it in his post.”
Michael Seidel, writer 