Minussed

new synonym. / Overheard on the bus: “Weren’t you nonplussed by the market collapse?” / “I guess so. I was certainly minussed.”

The public is not only nonplussed by rising prices but also minussed.

The bossman did an electrifying double take, hypoing his metabolism as the towering gent with the metallic shroud capared around the di[n]ing table. Van Valkenburg was nonplussed and completely minussed, to say the least, until informed of the ruse, and then displayed his sense of humor by shaking the hard hand of the men encased in the silvery habiliments.

“I am minussed”, said Alice as she stepped through the looking glass over the threshold of the 20th century. / “You mean to say you are nonplussed,” corrected the non-April hare.

Throughout 1976, televised music was in the doldrums; not only becalmed, but in what the Oxford English Dictionary lucidly defines as ‘an intellectually nonplussed condition’. Yet, though nonplussed, it was not entirely minussed.

The shared pin in Table 1 is coincidentally a result of the matrixing of the keyboard; all keys are shared, but you won’t need the rest. Chances are if you are compelled to poke around looking for the needed ones, though, you’ll find at least half the others first (in which case, if I didn’t forewarn you, you might be non-plussed—minussed, even—to discover all these funny coincidences yourself).

He didn’t look so much nonplussed, as distinctly minussed by the enthusiasm of my acquiescence.

“[…] You’re going to tell me all about compulsory heterosexuality and the lesbian continuum. Then you’re going to say that the continuum belittles sex. You have decided to bore my pants off, which, I suppose, is one way to do it.” Rowena was nonplussed again. Well, to be honest, she was somewhat minussed.

‘[…] I don’t know much about Coleridge though, not really.’ For some reason I then added, ‘Not reelly.’ To round things off I then said, ‘Cock.’ They looked non-plussed. / I said, ‘Why isn’t non-plussed minussed? Or just nought?’ / ‘Minussed? Nought?’ / ‘You both look minussed.’

‘[…] I’m so grateful, please come and . . .’ No, I couldn’t really invite them to dinner . . . I opened the boot and yanked out the carrier of wine. / ‘No. We can’t. Not allowed. Thank you, but no.’ / I stood there nonplussed. Minussed yet. ‘Am I allowed to give you a kiss?’