Slobbovia

English

The canonical map of the Slobbovian play-by-mail game

Alternative forms

• Slobovia

Etymology

From slob +‎ -ov (“forming Slavic possessives”) +‎ -ia (“forming placenames”). First used as Lower Slobbovia in the Li'l Abner comic strip in 1946, its capital named "Raswashingsputin, D.C.", and its culture largely bagel-based, with vague reference to poor but moderately developed countries similar to Eastern Europe. Later maps of Lower Slobbovia placed it in Manchuria and eastern Siberia.

Proper noun

Slobbovia

1. (chiefly US) Used as a placeholder country name in textbook problems, classroom examples, etc.

   Coordinate term: Freedonia

   • 1972, Arnold Birenbaum, Social Problems: Private Troubles and Public Issues, page 50:

     Suppose that there are 80 births in Lower Slobbovia during 1967, and that the population of Lower Slobbovia was 2,000 on July 1, 1967.

   • 1991 December 22, Josef Joffe, “America's in the Balcony as Europe Takes Center Stage”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     (At this point, only readers who know the difference between Slovakia, Slavonia and Slovenia might want to proceed; Slobbovia doesn't count.)

   • 2013 [1989], Steven Landsburg, Price Theory and Applications, 9th edition, Cengage Learning, →ISBN, page 267:

     The demand and supply curves for shoes are the same in Upper Slobbovia as in Lower Slobbovia. In Upper Slobbovia, shoes are subject to a price ceiling of $2 per pair (which is below equilibrium), and 1,000 pairs are sold per month.

2. (roleplaying games) A play-by-mail roleplaying game notionally based on Diplomacy.

Derived terms

• Slobbovian

See also

• Lower Slobbovia
• Upper Slobbovia