I used to get emails from dearly loved family and friends that reported outrageously sweet episodes of some miracle or another. I interpreted such emails as not reports of facts, but rather fantasy to convince me that miracles really do happen and supernatural forces work in our daily lives for the faithful. Writing to the senders that I did not want to receive these pieces I finally had to Block their email. Have you had such experiences? It turns out there is a word for such nonsense. 

Glurge

Word used to describe the syrupy sweet e-mails that are mass-mailed to unwilling participants. Usually involve, puppies, kitties, children with disabilities, puppies and kitties with disabilities, and Jesus. Generally end with, "Pass this along 2 as many ppl as u can!!!11!!1!"
I wish Mary would stop sending me glurge. 
This story is a bit glurgy, if you ask me.
by NuclearMosquito Aug 1, 2004
2. glurge  
Anything overly sappy, corny, or kitchy used to incite an emotional reaction. It is usually fictional, absurd and over-exaggerated and therefore fails at its intended task. 

Often used to describe chain e-mails.
"That story about the boy with no eyes or ears or skin who got run over by a steamroller the day before he was supposed to get the puppy that his baseball team had saved up to buy him for his ninth birthday is total bullshit. It's just glurge."
by The J-Spot Jan 16, 2005
3. glurge  
See also www.wordspy.com/words/glurge.asp , just above "Earliest Citation" for another element: Tales that "undermine their messages by fabricating and distorting historical fact."
That "Letter from Iraq" turns out to be partly right-wing glurge.
by George A. Trosper May 10, 2005 

Views: 810

Replies to This Discussion

ROFL But I don't get how #4 connects to the previous meanings.

I'm lucky enough to not get email glurge. And I have "an allergy" to pass this along memetic programming.

#4 has nothing to do with the other meanings.

Urban Dictionary often publishes idiosyncratic definitions. (Editors are urged not to disapprove definitions just because they disagree with them.) That one is unpopular, currently with 6 up / 103 down votes.

Grinning Cat, I hadn't noticed the up or down votes. That definition clearly does not fit into any definition I can imagine. Bad me!

Thanks Ruth, for not passing on this memetic programming and reminding me of what I intend to do. 

Joan, if you'd like to deemphasize #4 (or move it to a reply, or whatever), it turns out that in your own discussion, you can edit the opening text: "Options" (above the discussion title) then "Edit Discussion".

(It came in handy for me once or twice, when I remembered something I should have added to a discussion I'd started.)

Urban Dictionary does have a significant noise-to-signal ratio!

"Typically, a demagogue actually benefits from nonsensical, contradictory and inflammatory statements and agendas. Ironically, the higher the noise-to-signal ratio, the more effective they become since any useful information would actually rein them in."

(adapted from Raul and JonG)

Thanks for the information on editing my needed revision. 

Ruth, thanks for your "allergy". It was so jolting, I failed to delete it ... for shock purposes, perhaps. Anyway, thanks for not passing it on. 

Thank you, Joan, for also pointing us to the video "How Viral Ideas Hook Us", relating chain emails to religions!

 

Some screencaps:


 

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