Whimsy

From Fancyclopedia 3
(Redirected from Whim)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

(Did you mean a Jeanne Gomoll fanzine or a Ronald Voight fanzine?)


From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
A manner of writing or speaking in which you toss out whatever pops into your mind, especially if it's irrelevant or relevant only in a surrealistic way. Maybe you take some cliche literally, and say "All the luck in the world (no, not all; save some for other people)", or you get, and obey, an impulse to send someone a telegram saying COME HOME COMMA DEAR STOP ALL IS FORGUV LOVE BERTHA; or perhaps you're writing a drama and get the idea that it would be funny if an alligator came crawling on stage, so you put that in. It looks easy, but only a certain type of mind can do it acceptably. Dick Wilson was the great master of this art form, tho other fans have attempted it with some success.
From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944
A manner of writing or speaking in which you toss out whatever pops into your mind, especially if it's irrelevant, tho it may permissibly be relevant in a surrealistic way. Maybe you take some cliché literally, and say "All the luck in the world in your new job (no not all; save some for other people)", or you get an urge to send someone a telegram saying CONE HOME COMMA DEAR STOP ALL IS FORGUV LOVE BERTHA, and do so; or perhaps you're writing a drama and get the idea that it would be funny if an alligator came crawling onto the stage, so you put that in. It looks easy, but only a certain kind of mind can do it acceptably. Wilson is the great master of this art form, tho George R. Hahn before him sometimes used the pename of Whimsy.

It also applies to reasons for fannish behaviors.



Fanspeak
This is a fanspeak page. Please extend it by adding information about when and by whom it was coined, whether it’s still in use, etc.