The Style Invitational
The Style Invitational
By the Empress

Style Invitational Week 1006: It’s a ... a ... — Create a new superhero

Bob Staake for The Washington Post - The Flush: Putting the seat back down across the nation!

The Flush: Putting the seat back down across the nation!

IroningMan: When he’s steamed up, he lays waste to those diabolical wrinkles under the shirt sleeves!

The Style Invitational

The Style Invitational is The Post’s weekly humor/wordplay contest, serving up since 1993 an irreverent mix of highbrow and lowbrow -- haughty and potty -- in genres ranging from neologisms to cartoon captions to elaborate song parodies. A new contest appears at washingtonpost.com/styleinvitational every Friday.

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(twp) - HANDOUT IMAGE. Style Invitational prize. Tiny Kung Fu Master.

As noted in a recent NPR story, Pixar artist Everett Downing resolved last year to create a new superhero every day. He’s giving himself a few more months to reach his goal of 365, but he’s already come up with more than 300 on his blog 365 Supers, including Jack B. Nimble, the married duo of Ball and Chain, and Emoticon, “a man more villain than superhero who leaves a trail of destruction and a winking smiley face.” Let’s do our own. This week: Create a new superhero (or duo) and describe the superpower, or not-very-super-power.

Winner gets the Inkin’ Memorial, the bobblehead that is the official Style Invitational trophy. Second place receives an action figure called Tiny Kung Fu Master: “Clap your hands and watch him fight!” while the strains of “Kung Fu Fighting” emanate from said master. The Empress has had this lying around for at least three years, so you might not get many “kicks of doom.”

Other runners-up win their choice of a yearned-for Loser Mug or the ardently desired Grossery Bag. Honorable mentions get a lusted-after Loser magnet. First Offenders receive a smelly, tree-shaped air “freshener” (FirStink for their first ink). E-mail entries to losers@washpost.com or fax to 202-334-4312. Deadline is Monday, Jan. 28; results published Feb. 17 (online Feb. 14). No more than 25 entries per entrant per week. Include “Week 1006” in your e-mail subject line or it might be ignored as spam. Include your real name, postal address and phone number with your entry. See contest rules and guidelines at wapo.st/inviterules. The subhead for this week’s honorable mentions is by Tom Witte, as is the alternative headline in the “next week’s results” line. Join the lively Style Invitational Devotees group on Facebook at on.fb.me/invdev.

Report from Week 1002

in which we asked you to supply totally bogus definitions to a series of obscure words found in the Oxford English Dictionary (without telling you the real ones):

The winner of the Inkin’ Memorial

Hinderyeap: To pinch a friend in the rear to keep him from saying something stupid: “Hey, Mrs. Smith, when are you due? I didn’t even know you were– yeap!” (Frank Osen, Pasadena, Calif.) [Real definition: an adjective meaning cunning or deceitful]

2. Winner of the gag-gift “Potenz Pillen”: Housty: The smell of someone who doesn’t get out much. “He spent so much time working on Invite entries that he developed a housty odor.” (Dixon Wragg, Santa Rosa, Calif.) [n., a sore throat]

3. INTI: Texting retort to “run that errand yourself” — I’m Not the Intern. (Ann Martin, Bracknell, England) [n., a former Peruvian unit of currency]

4. Hispidulous: Tending to spew saliva on others when speaking. “The hispidulous preacher’s congregation got used to being rebaptized every Sunday.” (Danielle Nowlin, Woodbridge, Va.) [adj., slightly bristly]

VetOED: honorable mentions

Higgle: The disconcerting motion of man-boobs. “Only the Secret Service knew that Bill Clinton jogged with a sports bra for higgle control.” (Jeff Brechlin, Eagan, Minn.) [n., the adjusting of prices so that demand equals supply]

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