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Replies: 57 / Views: 4,612 |
Pillar Of The Community

Canada
707 Posts |
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A recent thread on gutter pairs made me think of some of the unusual philatelic words/phrases we use, and then about which one was my favourite.
Mine would be the French "obliteration" for cancellation/postmark - to an English speaker it sounds so definitive, as if the stamp has been completely destroyed.
Feel free to share your favourite(s) - in any language - and why.
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1498 Posts |
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I think there is already a thread on philatelic language. Been a while since I've seen it. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
567 Posts |
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I believe the British call a cancelled item "franked". Interesting how different terms are used in different countries. |
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Pillar Of The Community

United States
6195 Posts |
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My favorite is definitely unhinged. It describes both stamps and collectors :) |
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Valued Member
United States
278 Posts |
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My favorite would be tete-beche. Everything always sounds more exotic in French, and when you think about it, anything you would call it in English would sound clumsy, and would take more words to describe: "a pair of stamps in which one is printed upside down in relation to the other."  |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
818 Posts |
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I find the term EFO a challenge. I've seen errors and oddities. I've never seen a freak. Well, at least not a stamp deserving the title. |
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Pillar Of The Community
673 Posts |
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My favorite is an anachronism now. Before it was called "philately", it was called "timbromania", which in french meant "stamp mania". For a long time I used to use the screenname "StampManiac", both here and on eBay... It wasn't until after we switched to ClassicPhilatelist that I discovered the existence of timbromania. But it describes me perfectly. sallzer, hahaha, unhinged is now my second favorite. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
2747 Posts |
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"$1 cover box". I can find some of the most interesting things in them. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
1621 Posts |
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Pigeon Blood Pink.
This implies that someone, somewhere, actually compared his stamp to a dead bird's blood, and decided that they matched perfectly.
Now, that's just creepy...
Jim
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Valued Member
Ireland
248 Posts |
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Several words. "A unique investment opportunity of 36 First Day Covers to celebrate...." |
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Valued Member
United States
87 Posts |
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I can't limit mine to one word . Mine is the following phrase : " I'm new to the hobby , is this a 596? "  |
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Pillar Of The Community

5623 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
85 Posts |
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Valued Member
United States
246 Posts |
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The term "Dismal Brown" used to describe the color of an early TCP? Ran across it years ago and can't remember which item it referred to. |
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Valued Member

United States
211 Posts |
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I'm with waddabadda, I like tete-beche. It sounds exotic, and requires some 'splainin'. |
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Pillar Of The Community
Australia
1651 Posts |
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Replies: 57 / Views: 4,612 |
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