terminology question

[Michael H. Agar]

Now that you mention it, there's an Austrian dialect term (Bavarian too I think), gschaftlhuber, which if I remember right means someone who comes into a situation and stirs things up so they can look important, but in fact all they do is get in the way of it going anywhere. So depends on what you mean by "gaining" I guess--does seeming important at the expense of what others are trying to do count as profiting from the turbulence that a person brought about? And does "turbulence" count as "conflict?" Probably too much of a stretch.


Mike


On May 13, 2013, at 4:27 PM, David Boromisza-Habashi wrote:

> In Hungarian, szarkeverő ("someone stirring shit") carries similar connotations. 
> 
> http://magyar-angol-szotar.hu/szarkever%C5%91.html
> 
> Given a contentious social situation, a shit-stirrer attempts maneuver himself or herself into a position of control in order to make social gains or at least to claim the moral high ground.
> 
> Cheers, David
> 
> --
> David Boromisza-Habashi, Ph.D.
> 
> Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Colorado Boulder
> 
> http://colorado.academia.edu/DavidBoromiszaHabashi
> ________________________________________
> From: Linguistic Anthropology Discussion Group [LINGANTH at listserv.linguistlist.org] On Behalf Of Martin Kaminer [martin.kaminer at GMAIL.COM]
> Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 3:15 PM
> To: LINGANTH at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
> Subject: Re: terminology question
> 
> In Yiddish, Kochleffel, literally a cooking spoon, someone who goes around
> stirring things up and then can't help but advise on their resolution.
> Parodied rather wryly here - http://bit.ly/15GHqm2
> While edging into the metaphorical I'm also reminded of Sylvester McMonkey
> McBean in the Dr. Seuss story "The Sneetches"
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sneetches_and_Other_Stories#.22The_Sneetches.22
> 
> On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 3:52 PM, Da Silva, Antonio B - (ajbsilva) <
> ajbsilva at email.arizona.edu> wrote:
> 
>> psychoanalyst!
>> 
>> Tom-Zé
>> _____
>> 
>> Antonio José (Tom-Zé) da Silva, Ph.D.
>> School of Anthropology
>> Center for Latin American Studies
>> University of Arizona
>> 
>> On May 13, 2013, at 9:39 AM, Teresa Lane <teresalane at YAHOO.COM<mailto:
>> teresalane at YAHOO.COM>>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Agitator?
>> 
>> *********
>> 
>> Teresa Phipps Lane
>> 
>> P O Box 81638
>> 
>> Pittsburgh PA 15217
>> 
>> teresalane at yahoo.com<mailto:teresalane at yahoo.com>
>> 
>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/terrylane
>> 
>> --- On Mon, 5/13/13, Celso Alvarez Cáccamo <lxalvarz at UDC.ES> wrote:
>> 
>> From: Celso Alvarez Cáccamo <lxalvarz at UDC.ES>
>> Subject: Re: terminology question
>> To: LINGANTH at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
>> Date: Monday, May 13, 2013, 11:47 AM
>> 
>> Imperialist?
>> 
>> -celso
>> Celso Alvarez Cáccamo
>> 
>> 
>> No dia 13/05/2013, às 16:15, Ellen Contini-Morava <elc9j at VIRGINIA.EDU>
>> escreveu:
>> 
>> Hello, my husband asks the following question.  If anyone has suggestions,
>> they can be sent to him or I'll forward them.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Ellen
>> 
>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject:    terminology question
>> Date:    Mon, 13 May 2013 09:53:31 -0400 (EDT)
>> From:    Jack Morava <jack at chow.mat.jhu.edu>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I'm looking for a word, in any language, that describes
>> a person who foments conflict so as to have a role in
>> resolving it. Busybody and polarizer are in the right
>> approximate semantic range but don't seem to capture
>> the essence.
>> 
>> 
>> Thanks in advance
>> 
>>                (:+{)}  Jack