minussed

From minus +‎ -ed.

minussed (comparative more minussed, superlative most minussed)

1. (humorous) Nonplussed.
   • 1930 June 20, Chicago Daily Tribune, volume LXXXIX, number 147, Chicago, Ill., page 12, column 2:

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

   • 1951 August 8, “Bypaths”, in Pathfinder, volume 58, number 16, Chicago, Ill.: Farm Journal, Inc., page 51:

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

   • 1954 November 10, “Moving Van—CBS-TV Prexy’s Double Take In Electronic Age”, in Variety, volume 196, number 10, New York, N.Y.: Variety, Inc., page 40:

     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.

   • 1972 December 24, Curtis L. Brown, “Prose on Parade: ‘I am minussed!’”, in View (Sunday Post-Crescent), Appleton, Wis.: Post-Corporation, page 15, column 1:

     “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.

   • 1977, Keith Spence, “Television”, in Arthur Jacobs, editor, British Music Yearbook: A Survey and Directory with Statistics and Reference Articles for 1977-78, 5th edition, London, New York, N.Y.: Bowker, →ISBN, part two (Survey and Statistics), page 169:

     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.

   • 1982 April, Ben Johnson, “Measure Ohms with Your Calculator? — yes, and accurately, too!”, in 73 Magazine for Radio Amateurs, Peterborough, N.H.: 73, Inc., →ISSN, page 30, column 2:

     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).

   • 1990, Neville Steed, Black Mail, Leicester, Leics.: Ulverscroft, published 1992, →ISBN, pages 175–176:

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

   • 1990, Anna Livia, “Lust and the Other Half”, in Incidents Involving Mirth, Portland, Ore.: Eighth Mountain Press, →ISBN, page 26:

     “[…] 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.

   • 1991, Jane Gardam, The Queen of the Tambourine, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, published 1995, page 191:

     ‘[…] 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.’

   • 2010, Maureen Lipman, “Rosh Hashana Dinner”, in I Must Collect Myself . . . Choice Cuts from a Long Shelf Life, London: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 335:

     ‘[…] 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?’

   • 2011, Piers Anthony, Well-Tempered Clavicle (Xanth; 35), New York, N.Y.: Tor, →ISBN, page 238:

     “[…] I like his musical talent.” / “Musical talent?” / Picka unlimbered his clavicles and played a brief merry tune. / “I-I-I have a talent too,” Adora said, evidently nonplussed, if not completely minussed. “I can open Doors. The problem is, I can’t control where they lead.” She gestured, and a Door appeared in a nearby tree trunk.

minussed

1. simple past and past participle of minus