Your Thread To Keep You Occupied For Today: Monday
Posted on October 5, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 184 Comments
Martha’s Vineyard is lovely, and the Internet connectivity here is spotty, and I am busy through the late afternoon. So: Your Thread to Keep You Occupied for Today.
Please to answer the following question:
Name a thing you like, beginning with the letters “Q” or “K.” Because there’s probably something, and those two are fairly underappreciated letters, all things concerned.
Don’t think about it too hard.
Have fun, play nice with each other, and I’ll see you all a bit later.
Kites
Killer headache (OK, yes, I know that’s 2 words, but thanks to a migraine, that’s all that’s coming to mind right now.)
What would you do-OOOH-oo, for a Klondike Bar?
Quisp cereal. Litttle sugar pellet bombs of my childhood.
Anne, in light of your migraine, might I suggest “quiet?” (and darkness, but that doesn’t start with a Q or a K)
Quincy. I miss that show.
I’m fond of quickies. Not as good as taking your time, but worth every second of the effort.
Queen. The band of course.
(Seconding the Quisp nom.)
Queen‘s News of the World was a pretty kick-ass album — musically and graphically.
Really like those little chocolate-filled koala cookies they sell at World Market. Actual koalas rock as well, but, I mean, chocolate.
Quickstart guides and Kraft.
Koalas are pretty cool.
Kabobs on the grill… delicious… juicy… and in honor of my reformed vegetarian ways….
Quionoa – a tasty treat in the right hands.
Rabid
quality
Myself!*G*
And quiet as I’m mom of a 11 yr old and a 11 month old.
quarters and kisses
Kevin Bacon in Footloose.
Krispy Kremes, FTW!
Queensryche’s “Operation Mindcrime”
Kasha varnishkes.
Kawasaki Ninja 250! BEST MOTORCYCLE EVER!
Small and light weight. Easy to work on. Amazing gas millage. And you can go just about anywhere with it. I use mine for:
Commuting to work.
Day to week long trips for local sight seeing and to visit family.
Dirt roads.
Twisties.
Anything else I can think of…
Some people say it’s too small to do most of what I do with the bike. I’ve never really found it lacking :)
Query. And “quire” because I mistyped “query” so often that I learned a new word . . . :-)
Kevin S. @18
Hell yes, Can’t beat that.
Kathryn: my daughter :-)
I love the character Q from Star Trek, along with the ‘Q’ continuum.
I also love Krispy Kreme donuts, and am glad I no longer live 2 minutes from a Krispy Kreme shop. (I drove past it every day. My car would just pull in to the lot whenever the ‘HOT’ light was on. Silly Car.) I’m now 30 minutes away, and don’t drive past it every day, so hot donuts would be a special trip.
Qat, Qoph, Qindar, and Qabala
Because you never get the stinking U when you need it.
first time here…whoa…$,$
I like the card game Quiddler. It is played with letters on each card instead of numbers and you try to get the best word possible.
Knitting!
Quiet. Living in the city you kinda get used to the noise, and Boston is by no means a “loud” city, but you’d be surprised at how much noise there is in an urban environment even when you think it’s “quiet”. Noise pollution is much more pervasive than most people think, and it can get to you.
Quark, a scandinavian spread sort of like sour cream, but really wonderful with fresh fruit.
And Quark, the cat of a physicist friend of mine. :)
Questions.
Kindness.
I like quilts (especially if they’re made by my mother-in-law) and kites (especially when my husband is parachuting teddy bears from them.
Quiet.
Knowledge.
Quinacridone Gold (paint)
Quilting.
Qantas, because it was the client for Howard Gossage‘s first ad campaign.
Queechy Lake (the one in New York, not the Tasmanian Queechy)
(And if there’s anyone out there familiar with the Tasmanian Queechy Lake, how the heck did yours get its name? The name of ours was changed from Whiting’s Pond, which honored one of the original settlers of the area, in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Susan Warner’s novel.)
Kalendae
Quincunces
My husband, whose name starts with a K.
I guess that means I can include all my kids, too.
My name.
I like quiet. And knitting. And kittens. Possibly also quoalas.
TSmith @30:
Ditto on the Quark! (Though I thought it was German) Vermont Butter and Cheese Company makes a pretty decent version. I’ve never tried it with fresh fruit, I usually pair it with Greek or Turkish seasonings on warm flatbread.
(No votes for kimchee yet? Tasty stuff, that)
Queeress. The state of being queer.
kickball
and
knitting
and
quicken that keeps my money straight
Knuffles. (That’s a dutch word for a snuggly hug– pronounced Kuh-Nuffle)
Also Quince Blossoms.
In an act of disturbing synchronicity I put a Queensrÿche CD (Promised Land) in my bag for work today and actually put in on just before opening this site. Scalzi, whatever technology you are using please remember that with great power comes great responsibility.
Myself.
(Yes, that starts with “K”. Look more closely.)
I like my Amazon Kindle.
I’d also like to second the nod to Krispy Kremes.
I like quinoa and kittens. Not together, you understand.
notTHATcher:
Knuffle is my new favorite word!! Thanks!
Quidditch (I would really rather watch that on Monday night, even if I am too old to play myself).
and knikkebrød – Norwegian flatbread/crackers the Swedish brand (knäkebrød) Wasa is marketed in the US.
Kiwifruit
“Quick Shop” –an old term for a 7-11 or convenience store. I like terms old enough (or regional enough) to be mostly out of use. Filling station” for gas station is another one.
I love my knickknacks!
Questionable Content, one of the best comics I’ve found on the web! It’s a wonderful look at post-college life with a delightful taste for the wacky.
Koalas, and kangaroos, are both quite awesome, gotta love the Aussies. hah. I also second the Q from TNG comment above.
Quark is “of Eastern European origin,” according to wiki, with citation needed. I don’t know more than that, but I do know it’s quite prominent in the Western European countries around here.
I didn’t know they sold Wasa in the States, my husband was looking for it during his visits, never did find any. Well, not necessarily Wasa, but knäckebröd in general.
Ooh how about kaleidoscopes, those are fun, my dad actually has a little collection of fancy ones. ;P
Oooh, I’ve got one that begins with both! Kerbey Queso from Austin’s fantabulous Kerbey Lane restaurants. Guacamole covered in queso and pico de gallo and oh so tasty. I’ve only ever had it once in my life but on man, was it ever good.
Kink Quotient.
KISS (The hottest band in the world!)
My son really wants to go see them in concert, but their New York shows are beyond of our budget.
Kuwait and Qatar.
They are practically neighbors.
Well, I concur with all the people that said “Me.” ’cause you know, I do. (Yay, k!) I’m also fond of kittens.
but lesse, going with q, there’s always questions and quirks and quarks and quests and quotes and quarts and quiet time and quarrels and quasi-anything and Queequeg and quails and quorums and quickness and quality and … okay, I’ll stop now.
Also, I like the fact that you can spell q words starting with k, if you were so inclined. ;) (Kwik-stop!)
-kat
Quintessential Player, especially when it is playing King Crimson
Quad Kings covers them both nicely. Hope I find some today at the card room.
Quibbling.
(And all my K-beginning friends. I spent the first half of my freshman year of college being the only one in my immediate circle not named some permutation of “Katherine.”)
Quintet – a Paul Newman movie
quilting
Kississmee – in Florida
knicknacks
@6, Yeah, I miss Quincy too. Used to watch that every day on A+E.
Quetzals and Kangaroos.
Two quick ones, first, my daughter, whom we affectionately call “Queso” online. (Long story, she’s a fan of nachos, etc., etc., etc.)
And (not sure how revealing this is), knives. Don’t know what it is, but every now and then when I’m flipping channels at night, I’ll hit the QVC or Home Shopping Networks, and they’ll be hawking knives, and I just have to stop and watch. I remember when I got my Eagle Scout rank, they told me that the local troop normally gives the new Eagle Scout a jacket or a knife, then immediately they asked for my measurements. To which I said “What? I want the knife!” This seemed a little surprising to them (he was always so quiet, officer), but come on – given the choice between some red jacket you’ll probably grow out of in short order or a utilitarian tool that will provide use for years?
Quark, the Ferengi
My last name.
Kit Kats. More chocolate based loveliness. My secondary school had a machine that sold them next to the machine selling drinking chocolate. Mmmmmmmmmmm!
Quinces. They’re delicious! And most people in the US have never heard of them, much less eaten one.
my gf’s name is kendal. i like her a lot.
Well, this may be a bit prosaic, but my answer is Kings and Queens.
Not the royalty, actually. The cards.
I’m a poker player. Squeezing my hole cards to see KK, QQ or KQ just makes my heart go pitter-pat.
I like aces better–anyone would–but I’ll take the cowboys and the ladies any time.
Kona coffee, my lifeblood.
Quests!
Klezmer.
I just upgraded to Slackware 13, so Qt and KDE4.
Qiviut, the downy undercoat of the musk ox. Fantastically lightweight and soft enough to make most cashmere feel like steel wool.
The Katzenjammer Kids, the oldest comic strip still in circulation.
Seconding Quisp, Queerness, and Queso (cheese).
Subtly different than Josh: Queers, meaning gay people. I miss having other gay people around. Been a long time…I think almost all of my friends are straight now. How’d that happen? I guess I don’t pick my friends by their sexual orientation, which is good…but I’m getting kind of lonely. In the Biblical sense of the word.
Quart bottles (they hold enough water to be worth carrying around, but not so much as to be too heavy).
Karma.
Kids (no, not like that).
Quylthulgs.
Quicklube. They get yo uin and out in under 20 minutes.
Surprised no one’s put out kumquat yet. They’re sort of like bitter-tart grapes… not something I get all the time, but I’ll buy a pint every so often.
Qbees. Great game.
KISS. They rock.
Q-Zar. (It was a laser tag outfit back in the 90s. Not sure if they’re still around, but whatever, it was AWESOME.)
Quinoa – pronounced Kin-wah, a South American psuedo-grain. Great with steak and mushrooms.
I know I’ve already weighed in, but it seems wrong that no one has mentioned Kissing. (KISS the band has had a lot nods, but no references to the VERB as of yet.)
There are no things starting with ‘Q’ in my language.
Not a lot of ‘K’s either. I can only think of ‘kilogram.’
So, whatever you guys decide it’s best, I think we all should have a kilo of it.
Kilts and kisses, questions and quizzes.
@rreugen #87 – if we can include our native languages too, I will also submit “Kaffe”, which is the Danish word for coffee and “katte” which is the Danish word for “cats” and other words which start with a c in English, but a k in Danish. I think that’s cheating, though.
I know – it’s the Swedish and Norwegian word for it too, but those aren’t my native languages, so there!
Krispy Kreme…mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
and QuikTrip gas station/convenience store. So many drink combinations!!!
Knitting and
Quarterbacks
(I like to knit while watching football – even better if I can also be baking bread, but I’ll have to save that for “double B” day)
Interestingly enough, Qur’an and Koran satisfy both letter requirements….
Kilosex. It is 1,024 times as good as regular sex.
Bernard Quatermass – created by Nigel Kneale. Best consumed with hot Krispy Kreme donuts and top-quality chocolate milk.
So no Quetzalcoatl fans out there?
I can’t be the only person here that’s taken an interest in Central/South American mythology & dieties.
Quacking. I love ducks. Because they are both attractive and tasty.
@ 94 Well done!
(back to lurking)
Kumquat Quiche
Quahogs. Steamed over beer simmering with onions and garlic. Served with lemon butter.
So no Quetzalcoatl fans out there?
Oh, of course! I forgot.
And Quan Yin. Or Kwan Yin, either one.
Kafka, Kerouac, Queen
Things I don’t like:
Quinine
Quibble if you will, but I quite like my wife: Ana!
Q was always one of my favorite characters in James Bond movies.
An evening of kabuki, anyone? I might need a quaalude to get through the whole show…
Québec!
A quickie, of course.
Quesadillas and the smile my kids give when I make them.
Knives….because they are knives.
Kendo: Upon finally moving to a city and having a bit of time, I am studying the way of the sword and enjoying every bit of it.
Quesnel – my hometown that I came back to after living in the city – I really do love it.
Qargate: Kuniverse – I had to fit it in somehow. It was the sci-fi highlight of my weekend. (Q and K in one thing, I totally get extra scrabble points.)
Quiche – Real men do cook quiche, and I have a hankerin’ to make some – with Jalepeno peppers and some nice smoky ham. Mmmmm.
No contest, quiche. Mmmm… quiche.
The first two that I thought of:
Quickies and Kool-Aid.
Quiet
My son’s name starts with a K. :D
Quiet was the next thing that popped in my head.
Quebec City – one of my favorite places &
Kinks (The) – does that really require any explanation?
My husband and my 3 kids. Their last name is Quante.
Many towns in Hawaii — Kailua-Kona, Kelakekua, Kahului. Anyone want to come visit?
QBert
Quotidian, a good, everyday word that you can use every day.
Kakapo, my favourite type of parrot; highly endangered, but magnificent.
Qantasaurus and Quetzalcoatlus.
Kelp forests.
Quince pie. Tastes like apple, smells like honey. Mmm…
I suppose as a potter I should say kaolin, but what can you say about kaolin? It’s white.
Kepi – one of the few french words to start with K (it’s a Foreign Legionnaire’s hat)
Kumquat.
It’s just fun to say. . .
Kangaroos, Kittens, Quartets and Quintets of stringed instruments playing in perfect harmony, Quotients, Quarters, I would probably like Quiche if I were not allergic, Kink, Quail, Quickies, Knitting, Kisses, Questions, Quirky things
Quarks. How did I forget Quarks?
I see several votes for Quisp- where’s the love for Quake? (No wonder he lost the contest!)
I’m with Steve@99: Quahaugs (or Quahogs), without which chowdah would not be possible. Ya should try some chowdah out on tha Vinyahd, John.
Qadgop the Mertocan, from Children of the Lens. We never did find out what happened with him and Cynthia, dammit!
I like Questionable Content too. As for the K’s, the late great folk singer Kate Wolf comes rather strongly to mind. Eyes of a Painter, Muddy Roads, Love Still Remains, In China or a Woman’s Heart… One of the precious few artists who can crack me up every time, and a paid-up member of the Gone Too Soon Club.
Speaking of which: also, and most definitely, Kirsty MacColl. Who broke through, incidentally, with a suitably smashing album called Kite.
Kubin, Alfred
Kira my wife
I get to score 2 wins now. :)
Getting kissed of course; its quite the thing.
Kitchens! So full of possibilities and good stuff (yes, if you know me, I’ll invite you over for dinner sometime).
And of course myself and my first name, Katherine, Kate or k-k-k-Katie as my mom used to sing …. when I was a kid.
Is it possible that widespread publication of John’s essay What My Jesus Would Do has generated a Republican backlash?
I’m terribly fond of the word ‘quintessential’. I just think it’s a marvelous word.
And I love the John Masefield poem, Cargoes, that begins “Quinquereme of Nineveh from distant Ophir . . . ”
Qualms often keep one from doing the Wrong Thing, and that’s a Good Thing.
Kebabs and Kvass. Two great tastes that don’t go particularly well together.
My name (Keith).
Koop (Swedish electronica/jazz band)
Kvothe, the main character of “The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss, a truly awesome first novel. Fans of Scalzi’s work would like it, I think.
Knowledge, in many of its forms.
Qishr – the tea (or, more properly, tisane) made from the dried skin and fruit of the coffee cherry.
Kenny Burrell – one of the most soulful jazz guitarists ever.
And King Crimson – because obsessive behavior in the name of art can have great results.
Kodak. As a kid in the late 60s I took photos on Kodak film with a Kodak Instamatic 25 camera, and as a teen in the early 70s I shot Kodak Super-8 film (on a little Bolex 233). There was always something special, grownup and professional about their yellow boxes. Plus, you had to wait to see the result, a week or more – it’s not the same using an SD card where you can see the result in two seconds.
(And I like King Crimson too).
The Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot.
Nah, who am I kidding? Way too pretentious, that.
Kansas, the band. Because all we are is dust in the wind.
Carry on, wayword sons.
Kittens, of course. They can be quite tasty.
Quisp — the cereal box, really. I’m not sure I ever really got to eat any of the actual cereal.
Knishes. Seconding: quiches, questadillas, knitting, quilting, kvetching (was that said? not sure), Quisp & Quake (which are just Cap’n Crunch in a different form)
Oh, and Kings (County, Brooklyn) and Queens, parts of NYC.
And Knowledge.
I’ll stop now.
kinkiness. You had to know that was coming.
Qix the video game.
Kilts, nuff said.
I’m going with kids. I must love them I do have 4 afterall.
a game of Quoits anyone?
Quantum Leap. Not that I can watch it after seeing the BSG reboot, but still.
quantum kiwis
Querulous. Such a delightful word.
Kumquats.
I don’t know what they taste like, but it’s a great word. When I was a little kid I thought it was a word made up by the writers of Donald Duck comic books. Then, when I got big enough to see over the produce bins at the store, I actually saw some. Teensy-weensy oranges, sort of. Or citrus grapes. Cool things, whatever.
Quavis Kirk – great attacking minded defender for the Minnesota Thunder. Plus, he’s named Quavis…
Quentin Crisp. Also, Crentin Quisp, who ought to exist and be Quisp’s gay son.
Quixotic behaviour.
Quirkiness.
Kookaburras.
Kayaking.
quirks
Quenton (as in Taratino)
Kafka
Kramer (as in Cosmo, in Seinfeld)
Correction – Quentin Tarantino
Nestle’s Quik and quesadillas. Kimonos and kindling. Ramona Quimby and Katy No-Pockets. Quark’s.
On the occasion of one of my favorite books — Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams — being turned into a TV mini-series by the BBC, a nod to the Komodo Dragon, the baddest, ugliest, scariest, most disgusting maneater on the planet.
“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer.
Quake III Arena. Still fun for me, even ten years after it was released.
Konlobos…with a “K”!
Kipling and QYV.
My Kindle
Quirkiness
Quantum entanglement
quicken
kittens
:)
Quechee George, VT. Neat little tourist trap.
Queens of the Stone Age.
Kaki King
Quik Trip.
how could i forget qdoba?
mmmmmmmmmmmm. qdoba. :)
Quokkas! They’re so cute!
Krab and Quiet
kewpie dolls and kelp.
quivering quakers.
Easy, and it fits both letters: Québec, originaly spelled Kébec by the Montagnais.
Kodak, definitely Kodak. I grew up in Rochester, NY and admit that I have been brainwashed by living surrounded by Kodak. Whenever I feel like going old-school and use my film camera, I still refuse to buy Fuji film…it’s always Kodak all the way.
Quorn. It’s the leading brand of mycoprotein food product in the UK! It’s the processed cellular mass that is obtained from the filamentous fungus Fusarium venenatum strain PTA-2684! It’s generally recognized as safe!
It’s pretty tasty, too.
King’s Quest: how I loved that game.
Quirky Kitties
Kestrels.
And quail.
Kukorica. Known to the English-speaking world as “corn”, but “kukorica” is lots more fun to say. Try it: kukorica, kukorica, kukorica. See?
I love knitting. I love wearing hand-knitted things, and I love to knit.
I also love quilts – especially my grandmother’s. She embroidered quilts for her 3 children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren. I feel like I’m getting a Knuffle* from her every time.
(* thanks 45. notThatcher! – i love learning new words!)
Quebec
And finally, quagmire
I am so excited to share this news with you guys! You won’t believe what I have discovered: An additional theory that will challenge Big Bang theory, Evolution theory, etc. on how we got here and how the world came to be. The theory I am talking about is from da digital report called “Rediscoveries of the centuries” (free at author’s site nurkun.com/dl.html ). The author is saying that we had a small, curious idea in perfect oneness (a place like heaven) where we forever are before we came here: “Into oneness came a curious idea that gave rise to universal scripts, and brought us to the world we see here” that lead to the creation of the universe!
IMHO, I personally believe his ebook will have drastic positive effect many parts of the globe, since no one can longer claim there are only 3 most subscribed to theories (Big bang, Evolution, Intelligent Design) to explain the existence of everything. But, what’s more important is what do experts of this forum think about his many rediscoveries?