Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Rifle Loony? Or something else?

Dear Campfire:

I'd like to ask you guys a question. Recently it has come to RIFLE magazine's attention that some readers are offended by my use of the term "rifle loony," because it means they're crazy--and the anti-gunners around the world might notice.

In a recent, published letter I tried to explain that I use the term "loony" not as short for lunatic, but affectionately and with tongue in cheek, as term for all of us excessively rifled folks.

Some people still didn't buy this. One suggested I follow the lead of the car mags and call us rifle "enthusiasts" or "devotees." The first sounds a little wimpy to me, and the second, unfortunately, has French roots, which also might offend many people these days.

Now, I am a gentle soul, and don't want to offend anybody (at least anybody who doesn't deserve it). Eileen and I paged through both the BIG Webster's and the thesaurus the other evening, and came up with a list of alternatives. Please let me know if any strike your fancy, or if loony suits you to a T:

addict
adherent
adorer
aficionado (a good word but Jack O'Connor has prior rights)
booster
connoisseur (French too)
crank
fanatic (where we also got the word "fan")
fancier
frequenter
glutton
habitue (unfortunately another Frenchie)
idolator
partisan
reverer
sucker
venerator
votary ("a person who is devoted to some object or pursuit")
worshipper
zealot (this actually means a person with a lot of zeal)

"Rifle votary" might hit the nail on the head, meaningwise, but just doesn't have any sort of ring to it.

We also came up with a couple for gun writers. "Boffin" is a scientist or technical expert. I have some science in my educational background, but have never considered myself a technical expert, so much prefer "rhapsodist," somebody who writes with "an ecstatic expression of feeling or enthusiasm."
That's what I want to be when I grow up, a rifle rhapsodist.

Thanks,
JB

Any word you choose can be taken out of context, and will be by those presupposed to do so, for use to their advantage.

I say maintain YOUR writing style with which YOU are comfortable. Works for me.

Tom aka rinkydink

None of the terms listed strike me as particularly appropriate. The descriptor should convey the almost (well......) cultist devotion to the instrument that the true believer feels.

Maybe it is too wordy, but "member of the cult of the rifle" does have a better ring to it than the thesaurus entries listed, IMO. Dutch.

I�m glad this topic came up, because I too have been offended.



So it�s �Mule Deer�, huh? What, whitetails ain�t good enough for ya? We don�t have mule deer in Minnesota so are you trying to embarrass me?



And what�s up with this �Big Stick� fella � is he trying to make all the �Little Sticks� feel inadequate?



�Charlie Sisk� is another one � some of us are too limp to use our real names lest some Internet boogieman steal our lunch money. Charlie makes me feel wimpy�and bad.



�Rifle Loony� is the worst. Just think what the soccer moms at the next PTA meeting would think of me. I would probably have to eat my piece of cake all alone in the corner of the gym. I would be an outcast�a social leper. I�ve seen Ms. Hilda Johnson-Olsen rip name badges in half for less offenses and it isn�t pretty.



I have to cut this short because it�s almost time for my daily affirmation, but allow me leave you with this suggestion:



�Primer Utilizing Shooting Sport Yahoo�



It�s trendy, PC, Internet-friendly, and most of all has a fitting acronym for all the complainers out there.

I like "loony", it fits our culture, Its Campfire lingo for the folks who use and abuse their tools.

The folks who complained are just a very few PC idiots from New York City, dudes who pay 10g for somebody to saddle their horse for them on a hunt. These same people wouldnt know a horses butt from an elks.







I'm a loony and proud of it.

I don't know about the rest of the shooting world, but "loony" applies to me. I must be a little nuts to spend as much as I do on firearms.

My only hold on sanity is that I spend more on my dogs.----------------------------Maybe I'd better reconsider my mental status-----------Oh well, I'm happy with it anyway.

I'll stick with Loony. It sure describes me appropriately.

John, if someone can't see it's an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek label then nothing will be adequate unless it's dumbed-down to the point where the original point is lost! We've got a lot of up-tight, humorless paranoid's in our rank's I'm afraid... don't change anything.

Why is it that everyone who's a "PC idiot" is from NYC? Frankly, all a guy's got to do is go in a local gunshop anywhere in America to realize why we're called "Gun Crank's"... this has nothing to do with being PC, it's humorless paranoid's...

Rifle Loony never bothered me. The Anti's are always going to find something to try to exploit, so if we get rid of "Loony", they will just find something else to try to grab hold of.

I'm also not offended by the fact that I still enjoy an occasional Loony Tunes cartoon.

Brad, your not uptight now are you? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Okay, not pc, but hp? There all the same to me.

MD,
I just read the letter you are referring to and I think this fellow is just a bit too uptight on gun issues or maybe just generally unhappy with life (Not to disparage anyone from the Northeast or CT in general I know if I was stuck in Southbury, CT I would be a rather unhappy and grumpy fellow <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />).

I think in the greater scheme of things terms like "rifle loony" will make little difference to the anti-gun crowd. They are already convinced guns and gun owners are evil. Changing or restricting the use of Rifle Loony would just allow this bunch to claim an unearned and illegitimate victory.

I know I'm personally extremely proud to be a card carrying, certified RIfle Loony of the first order <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Keep up the great writing and urge the editors or other powers that be at Wolfe Publishing to not crumble in the face of criticism,

HBB

I'm not offended by the term "loony". I'm offended by the attitude represented by the offended party.

Do you think they'd like "rifle slut" any better? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, I have no problem with "rifle loony" though I have recently paid to renew the name www.riflecrank.com, and therefore have a certain affinity toward its usage in print.

Rifle crank. Yeah babeee!

Rick

Though I think you should stick to your guns <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> and stay with loony, I do like the sound of rifle glutton! Hey, I'm fat and it fits better.

Would always putting loony in quotes lend it to being percieved as a term of endearment?

Rifle loony all the way.

MD,

You could change your signature to "Col. Loony", or John "Loony" Barsness. Maybe the "up-tights" among us would get it then.

I wonder if there is a correlation between growing up watching Loony Tunes and being a Rifle Loony? It worked for me! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

SUMMARY


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I'm a flippin' VISIONARY!

John, let's cut a deal. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Rick "Loony" Bin, aka "Crank," aka "Primp"


Heeeyyyyy. Rifle "PRIMP!" Perfect!

www.rifleprimp.com Oh, it's gonna be a goldmine. LOLOLOL

Heck, we've been "gun nuts" for years, I thought "rifle loony" was a classy step up!

Loony! Loony! Loony!

Ok, you got me LOL!

Though a Westerner by birth I had to endure being raised in New England til my great escape in 1980... there are good and bad people everywhere!