The New York Times has traded "irreverent" for "splenetic" in its George Carlin obit headline. This is perhaps because the original was thought to have religious implications. Regardless, it's funny and apropos, considering how much of Carlin's humor was based on how weird language is.
Definitions under here.
Irreverent
Adjective
• (adj) irreverent (showing lack of due respect or veneration) "irreverent scholars mocking sacred things"; "noisy irreverent tourists"
• (adj) impertinent, irreverent, pert, saucy (characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality) "a certain irreverent gaiety and ease of manner"
• (adj) godless, irreverent (not revering god)
Splenetic
Adjective
• (adj) splenic, splenetic, lienal (of or relating to the spleen)
• adj) bristly, prickly, splenetic, waspish (very irritable) "bristly exchanges between the White House and the press"; "he became prickly and spiteful"; "witty and waspish about his colleagues"
Editor
this just sucks.
Couldn't he have been irrevrently splenetic?
One of the few people who truly understood that my free speech means putting up with your ugly speech too.
Goodnight funnyman.
The saddest news. I loved his work, particularly the stuff later in his life, when he was crankiest and most irreverent *and* splenetic.
It is a sad sad day. My sympathy goes out to his family.
I've posted comments and a Carlin clip at my blog.
It should be "irrelevant." He really wasn't very funny, especially the past several years.
downer stop being a downer. (and an idiot) you must be lumped into one of the groups he spoke with disdain about.
i thought he was brilliant.
"The only good thing ever to come out of religion was the music.
"
"People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think."
Loved all his work, except his stand-up on "stuff."
To everyone present, I must invoke Carlin.
"Go fuck yourself!"
He would have wanted it that way.