From: Joel VanderWerf <vjoel@...>
Date: 2002-05-23T13:49:49+09:00
Subject: [OT] chindogu

GOTO Kentaro wrote:

> By the way `chindogu' means gadget?  I didn't know that Japanese word
> but I like it :)
> 
> -- Gotoken
> # `chin' has many meanings: new, novel; rare, infrequent, unusual,
> # uncommon, curious, strange; precious, splendid;
> # `dogu' (often spelled as dougu): tool, instrument, utensil, apparatus.

The translation I've heard was one combination of these meanings:
'strange tool'.

There is a society or people who make and collect these things, which
have to satisfy a few conditions (going by memory, I can't find the
book):

1. It has no possible commercial use. It's completely impractical.

2. It has been built.

3. It actually works for the intended purpose.

For example, dust mops that fit around a cat's paws, so your cat cleans
your house by walking. Or an umbrella with a built-in coathanger to keep
your suit dry.

Chindogu might be a good category to add to the RAA :)