chart relative

[Mark_Mandel at DRAGONSYS.COM]

AAllan at AOL.COM writes:

>>>>>
all right, Mark, what is a

<< chart relative >>

?
<<<<<

and Bruce Dykes <bkd at GRAPHNET.COM> supposes:

>>>>>
My guess would be a relative who either a) really wasn't tightly involved in
one's family circle growing up, or b) is so far distant, you need a chart to
actually prove they're a member of the family.

Well Mark?
<<<<<

Bruce's (b) is pretty close to it. This is a locution I've picked up only in the
past couple years, I don't remember from whom. It's a person whose relationship
to you (or to whomever) is so distant and/or convoluted that you need a chart to
express or understand it clearly.

In this case, it refers to my foster son's mother's cousin.

The most amusing chart relationship I've had cause to refer to is also via my
foster son. One night we had as a dinner guest
     our foster son*'s maternal adoptive half-brother's maternal half-brother
          (assorted adjectives deletable at will)
(whom *Andrew calls his quarter-brother).

-- Mark