Gob Bomb

[Inoculator9]

I was reading a sci-fi book recently, and in it it refered to a type of bomb called a "Gob" short for "Gobalopper" ;D I was wondering if anyone knew of other meanings for the word ;D

[Mahdi]

Gobstopper and Grasshopper.

[SurlyPIG]

So the bomb is named Gobalopper, or just Gob?

[Gobalopper]

What? Someone else was weird enough to come up with the name Gobalopper?

[Terror]

well i've heard of globatrotter before, but gobalopper only here

[lowzeewee]

Main Entry: 1gob

Pronunciation: 'g

[Inoculator9]

Yep, it's a Gobalopper ;D I had to find this out through alternate channels though. In the book, it is called the "Gob Bomb" but in the author's notes on the book Gob is short for Gobalopper. The Gob Bomb was a bomb that dispersed radiation over great distances.

The author was Roger Zelazny (my favorite author) and the book was "Deus Irea."

[Khan]

So why did Gob think it up for his screen name? Surely it wasn't a rip off?

[lowzeewee]

i thought gobalopper=eater of small children

[Inoculator9]

I doubt Gob has ever read Zelazny.

[nemafakei]

To lop is to cut or remove, hence a lopper. A Gob lopper is therefore one who removes lumps.

[emprworm]

I doubt Gob has ever read Zelazny.

but zaleanzy could have read fed2k.

[Inoculator9]

He died before Fed2k was created :'( He wrote over a hundred short stories, and more then 4 dozen novels. He won half a dozen hugos and nebulas, along with numerous other awards.

[Cyborg]

He died before Fed2k was created

When did he die?

He could've talked with Jesse Reid before he created fed2k though ;D

[Gobalopper]

I came up with the name sometime around 1992 I think.

[Inoculator9]

He died in early 1995 from cancer at the age of 50, and was incapacitated for 4 or five years prior. He only was able to finish one book in those five years, and it had to be finished by a friend of his after his death. This was unusual because prior to this, for the last 30 years of his life he cranked out 3 or 4 novels, atleast 10 published short stories, and 2 or 3 novellas for magazines.

[Khan]

So what does the name mean in your context Gob? or did you just make it up randomly?

[lowzeewee]

gobalopper=eater of small children on the loose

Note:People *please* dont go and *convey* my message into *abuser* of small children

Does it sound like navarosnow?

[Khan]

Why would anyone confuse Eater of Small Children with Abuser of Small Children? It makes no sense Lowzeewee.

[Frodo]

i believe gob thought it up as a cross between a gobstopper and a grasshopper.