[Laura Heidy-Halberstein]

"Stellify" sounds like something out of "Streetcar Named Desire."

And if you go with "catasterize" you've got to be aware that most people who don't quite know what a word means go with the root sound.

Hence the reason I heard Marlon Brando yelling in the background and also why "catasterize" won't work, either.

You're hosed.

Lo

[This message has been edited by Laura Heidy-Halberstein (edited January 23, 2008).]

[Jan D. Hodge]

Firmamented? (Seems somehow appropriate for this circle anyway.)

[This message has been edited by Jan D. Hodge (edited January 23, 2008).]

[Michael Cantor]

Stellify: To rethink one's approach to painting, and work in an increasingly geometric and Minimalist manner. alt. To treat one's wife brutishly, yet as an object of Desire.

Catasterize: To turn into an unmitigated disaster. "Bush and Cheney have catasterized both the economy and the Middle East, and the two catastrophes are now catasterically related."

Poochifize: (1) To provide fun and games that divert those who should be working on their own stuff; (2) to pose a language problem without providing sufficient surrounding context.

[A. E. Stallings]

Place him in the stars.

[Susan McLean]

"Transform to stars," "set in the sky." I would avoid terms that sound too technical or precious.

Susan

[Stephen Collington]

(Supersize this!)

Women galactate.

Men . . . 'aster'ate?

Actually Aaron, David L. has the "correct" answer; there's even a verb form ready to use, "apotheosize." But you know that, of course--you're looking for an alternate, you greedy poet, you.

apotheosupersize?
apotheosupernovasize?
or just apocolocyntosize?

Pumpkin Pie with that?

Steve C.

p.s. Noted with great pleasure display of nutty genius by Pua Sandabar.

p.p.s. Edited back. Stelltify?



[This message has been edited by Stephen Collington (edited January 23, 2008).]

[RCL]

stellifize(d)

translate(d)?

Starkle starkle little twink!

ps:

transitive verb
1 a: to bear, remove, or change from one place, state, form, or appearance to another b: to convey to heaven

------------------
Ralph

[This message has been edited by RCL (edited January 23, 2008).]

[Gail White]

I put in a vote for "stellify".

"Catasterize" sounds too much like you're castrating a cat.

[Alexander Grace]

'astralify'...?

[Aaron Poochigian]

I never imagined that my little philological question would gather so much attention. I have gotten the answer I needed--not "catasterize". "Stellify" both sounds better and is easier to figure out. "Apotheosize" would also be a possibliity--thanks, David and Stephen. It means both to glorify and to make a god. Only one of my constellations (Virgo or the Maiden) has divine ancestry but I could make it work in a pinch.

Michael's option (none of the above) is also a possibility--the damned thing is 1,156 line long and runs through all the constellations--I will try to resort to "stellify" sparingly--it looks like I'll only need it twice.

The poem in question if you are intersested is Aratus' Phaenomena, an astronomical didactic poem. Ever heard of it? No? That's sort of the problem. I think I'll be putting out an edition in the next year or so. It really is delightful--it works, too: I read exceprts of it a while back at the Minneapolis Planetarium while I went from star to star and constellation to constellation with my little laser-pointer.

I wish I could use Pua's galaxospatter (and some of Stephen's suggestions) but I fear the Classicists would not approve--they prefer dead humor. Pua, you should write us a poem called "Galaxospatter."

Thanks--may you all live to be 100 and turn into constellations upon your departure from the sublunary sphere.