Tuesday Word: antithalian

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Thalia: the ancient Greek Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry. Antithalian people or groups of people are opposed to fun and cheer. No fun at all! I must say that I find these types pretty enjoyable to interact with, though, so long as they are merely joyless and not vindictive. No need to smile, joke around or make small talk, just the emotionless exchange of information. Awww yeah, robot time. And man, watching them interact with super cheerful, outgoing people is the best thing ever. The air is thick with indignant rage; their face contorts with the effort of suppressing a long-suffering sigh or an expert eye-roll as they're subjected to joke after friendly inquiry after "charming" anecdote.

An antithalian with both the desire and ability to ruin everyone else's fun, however, is practically the archetypal children's story villain. Agatha Trunchbull from Roald Dahl's Matilda comes to mind -- a self-actualized professional antithalian, and also a bully, and kind of a sadist. We all have our flaws, though, and couldn't that whole unpleasant hurling-a-child-over-a-chain-link-fence thing have been avoided had she settled on a different career? AGATHA TRUNCHBULL: ONE-WOMAN POLICE FORCE. ONE WOMAN-ARMY. Children lining up around the block to have her sign their copy of her autobiography and walking away in awe, happy tears dripping down their cheeks -- "She yelled at me, Mum. At ME!" Come on, Hollywood. You know you want to.