Synonyms for "Perthed"

[alias_sqbr]

I was Perthed the other day: I was reading the lj of thefourthvine, an (awesome) American fanfic fan and she started talking about emma_in_oz visiting.

And just now I came across Smalltimore.

So, do other cities have terms for this sort of thing?

Comments

[piajurin.livejournal.com]

1. What are you doing up at such an ungodly hour?
2. It's odd. Canberra only has 400 000 people but there is no similar term here and no concept as it's pretty rare that you know somoene who knows someone.
3. When my Mum married my Dad and moved to Perth in the 70s he warned her not to do or say anything as "everyone knows everyone".

[seaya.livejournal.com]

And Baltimore city has 800,000 people and the surrounding area includes more, yet that doesn't stop this phenomenon from happening. Though, I would not go by the defintition given for Smalltimore that alias_sqbr linked to. In reality, the term is not negative. It merely refers to that when you meet someone in Baltimore they probably know someone you know, and when you go to an event, you will probably see someone you know. That's really it! It's actually kind of uncanny.

[alias_sqbr]

*googles* Yes, you're about one and two thirds times bigger than us, and smaller cities don't sound like they have the same effect. How interesting.

[alias_sqbr]

1. I had insomnia compounded by the fire alarm going off for no reason a few days ago, and now my sleep cycle is all out of wack. On the plus side I got to sleep at 9:30 so don't feel too bad.

2. Interesting. Everyone I know in Canberra seems to know each other, but they're all from Perth, so.. :)

3. Do or say anything bad, or do or say anything at all? Because while I know men were more controlling back then, the latter seems kind of restrictive :)

[piajurin.livejournal.com]

Err no not literally. That was paraphrasing. You know like when you say to someone "I don't know, just don't say anything".

[alias_sqbr]

Yeah, I was just teasing, but good to know :)

[lilysea.livejournal.com]

2. It's odd. Canberra only has 400 000 people but there is no similar term here and no concept as it's pretty rare that you know somoene who knows someone.

That is totally different to my Canberra experience - everyone in Canberra I meet seems to know everyone else.

And, in fact, several Canberra people refer to “two degrees of Canberra” (because in Canberra, there are only 2 degrees of separation, not 6.)

But this is in sf fandom / roleplaying / choir / AAF / SCA / pagan / poly etc etc circles.

[vegetus.livejournal.com]

I have friends from Adelaide who tell me similar crazy stories, but am not sure if there is specific term for it.

[alias_sqbr]

"Adelaided" doesn't really roll off the tongue.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

I do have an Adelaided example: ran into my best friend's brother in Griffith, while I was travelling home from Canberra to Adelaide by coach. He'd been in outback NSW for a few months. Weirdest thing. :)

[alias_sqbr]

And did you shout "Adelaided again!"? :)

Sounds like an obscure old Anglo-Saxon name, like Etheldred.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

We used to refer to "two degrees of separation", though I'll point out that that's in Canberra, where you have another correspondent - who I don't know, or don't think I know - saying that it's not very common. :)

[piajurin.livejournal.com]

Glad everyone else had better experiences than I. Canberra people weren't that interested in bonding with me.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

How long have you been here?

[piajurin.livejournal.com]

Since Feb 12 2005.

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

Hm. I found Canberra extremely difficult to gain social traction in for a long while, then it all fell together, and everyone knew everyone.

Although having said all this, my social circles are far less dynamic than they used to be.

[alias_sqbr]

And this even though she's from Perth! :)

[capnoblivious.livejournal.com]

Well, a surprising proportion of my friends are from Perth.

...

I may be an unwitting Perthing nexus.

[alias_sqbr]

So they should be saying "Stued again!" (Stewed again?)

*is maybe having a bit more fun coming up with these terms than is entirely warranted*

[elaran.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. I was like I once met someone who has met TFV. It's a bit sad how !!! that makes me!

[alias_sqbr]

Me too :)

[fortuna-juvat.livejournal.com]

Savannah, GA is the same. My husband found out his new co-worker was one of the realtors I worked with to find our house, our vet is married to a guy I work with at the hospital...

And we've only been here 5 months!

[alias_sqbr]

Hmm.

Savannahed?
Savanned?

[evil-megz.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that the term "it's a small world" is used quite globally.

I have always gotten annoyed by (or just laughed at) people who think that being Perthed is awful and intend to leave ASAP so it stops happening. It's still a small world, and it will continue to happen no matter how far you run. I personally quite enjoy feeling connected to the place I live.

Perhaps "Perthed" applies to us due to our isolation. Somebody in Canberra (using the running example) might find out that somebody they know knows somebody from Sydney they know who knows somebody from Melbourne they know, since movement between those places is more frequent. So when it happens it's not a "Canberra" thing, but a "Small World" thing. Where as in Perth... everybody's from Perth.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

It happens more for those who are socially inclined - and make friends and acquaintances with those of a similar approach. Particularly if someone doesn't restrict themselves to a "people like me" social circle.

[alias_sqbr]

Perhaps "Perthed" applies to us due to our isolation

You may have a point.

And yeah, I don't see being Perthed as bad, it just is what it is.

[rdmasters.livejournal.com]

The thing with being Perthed is that it can happen anywhere.

You go to Melbourne, and the waiter at the hotel is the brother of a guy you went to school with - in Perth. You go to Sydney, and you run into a friend who is also over for work - and you work in utterly different fields.

The list goes on...

[fred-mouse.livejournal.com]

best example I remember hearing: tiny airport, somewhere in rural america, the acquaintance telling the story met their next door neighbour.

[mexicanjewlizrd.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone finally made the distinction :)

You can't go ANYWHERE without running into someone from Perth; the sheer number of people who migrate to London and Melb certainly help :->

[alias_sqbr]

Good point!

[baby-elvis.livejournal.com]

My best Perthed moments:

Walking down a street in San Francisco in the first week of the school holidays only to hear 'Miss Goddard' from one of my Year 8s, who I'd last seen about 5 days beforehand.

Hopping on the tube in London to come face-to-face with an ex-friend who had dumped us after he did the dirty on his girlfriend who was also our friend.

[shrydar.livejournal.com]

Speaking of the London Underground, some years back I (intentionally) met up with rabbit1080 in London while she was on her way from Newcastle to Corsica, and I was on my way from Istanbul to Newcastle. Five minutes later we bumped into aquaplanage in a tube station, on his way from Utrecht to Perth.

[alias_sqbr]

Those definitely beat any of mine that come to mind.

[emma-in-oz.livejournal.com]

Hey, I am also fabulous! Where's my adjective?

PS: Am about to post you a picture of Yoda, John Winchester and Cordelia Naismith playing cards.

[alias_sqbr]

I was assuming most people knew who you were, and thus you needed no introduction! You are undeniably fabulous :)

*awaits intrigued*

[emma-in-oz.livejournal.com]

*awaits intrigued*

I imagine John would see Yoda as some kind of demon. Could be an awkward social occasion.