Sub- is a splendid prefix, especially when attached to something superlative. Continents are huge; "The Subcontinent" typically means India and the tectonic plate associated with it, home of the world's highest mountains and some of its most fascinating people. Genius is exceptional intelligence; "Subgenius" most often refers to Bob and the Church of the SubGenius, a silly parody religion (or so I hope!).

But my favorite Sub- usage is a word I love to wield: suboptimal — anything that falls short of the best possible. And since virtually everything in this imperfect world is short of the best ...

(cf. Optimist Creed (1999-04-16), ...) - ^z - 2008-05-26

(correlates: OldMasters, BitsOfConsciousness, GoodDay, ...)