gnome-napping

English

Alternative forms

• gnomenapping

Etymology

Blend of gnome +‎ kidnapping.

Noun

gnome-napping (countable and uncountable, plural gnome-nappings)

1. A prank in which one steals a garden gnome and then either leaves it posed in a public place or photographs it in front of tourist locations.
   • 1997, John Griffin, Back Yard: A Gardening Life, →ISBN, page 20:

     There has always been plenty of gnome-napping in Adelaide, but there were no ransom notes for our dog, and it didn't turn up in any obvious places such as on the university lawns.

   • 1999, Mona the Vampire, "There's No Place Like Gnome" (season 1, episode 4b):

     Mayor Rosenbaum: Considering the seriousness of the situation—hehe, not to mention my impending reelection campaign—I'm setting up a task force to deal with the gnome-nappings. Officer Halcroft will get right on it.

   • 2003, Jeannie B. Thomas, Naked Barbies, Warrior Joes, and Other Forms of Visible Gender, →ISBN:

     The front's activities are similar to "gnome-nappings" in Australia that David Hult detailed in 1988 and Jan Brunvand described again in 1989.

   • 2004, Marcus Mennes, Gnome & Garden: A Gnovelty Kit, →ISBN, page 44:

     There is a clandestine international conspiracy behind these gnome-nappings, similar in scope and complexity to those organized to perform crop circle hoaxes and stage UFO sightings.

   • 2011 March 7, Julie Carpenter, “Gnome is where the heart is”, in The Express:

     In recent years the craze of “gnome- napping”. has been gathering pace.

   • 2012, Sheila Radley, Fate Worse Than Death, →ISBN:

     They also, in view of the fact that Inspector Tait had just rung in to report that Annabel Yardley knew nothing about any gnome-napping expeditions by her weekend guests, put another question-mark against the gnome.

   • 2015, Beverly Allen, For Whom the Bluebell Tolls, →ISBN:

     The gnome-napping continued unsolved for over a month, until one day, they were discovered in the soccer fields, lined up for a kickoff against a team of pink plastic flamingoes.