Friday, November 14, 2008

A Vocabulary Question

A little light-hearted question for a Friday.

With a friend here at work, I was trying to come up with a word that describes a particular emotion. It's that horrible sick feeling that occurs right after schadenfreude goes awry.

A hypothetical:

Let's say you hate a particular football team, and especially their quarterback. This team is well on its way to a spectacular season. However, through some great cosmic fortune they are losing to a team that they are supposed to beat handily. Time on the clock is down to 30 seconds, your nemesis is down by 4 points, and he just got obliterated by a sack at his own 15 yard line, forcing a 3rd and 18. Thus the schadenfreude.

Here you are, simply ebullient at the misfortune applied to the object of your wrath. You are reveling in exaltation of his and their defeat.
Then on the next play, this quarterback steps back to pass and heaves it down field. The camera pans along with the ball, revealing, much to your horror, that a receiver is somehow 10 yards past his defender. The ball lays itself perfectly over his shoulder hitting him in stride as he races into the end-zone. This is usually followed a very loud expletive.

Does anyone have a good word for that feeling?

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