[gentoo-user] Strange reaction of gvim to : in a normal mode

[Gevisz <gevisz@gmail.com>]

I use gvim from xfce4 and sometimes get into a strange
situation when pressing : while being in a normal mode
leads not to the command line mode but instead highlights
the icon "Copy to clipboad".

Just now I have noted that in this situation I also cannot
see the version of my gvim via the Help menu (but saving via
the the "Save current file" icon usually works). 

The output from the :version command (executed from a newly
started gvim) is as follows:

VIM - Vi IMproved 7.4 (2013 Aug 10, compiled Sep  7 2014 11:35:08)
Included patches: 1-273
Modified by Gentoo-7.4.273
Compiled by myself.
Huge version with GTK2 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
+acl             +cmdline_compl   +diff            +find_in_path    +keymap          +modify_fname    +mouse_xterm     +profile         -sniff           +termresponse    +vreplace        -xterm_save
+arabic          +cmdline_hist    +digraphs        +float           +langmap         +mouse           +multi_byte      +python          +startuptime     +textobjects     +wildignore      +xpm
+autocmd         +cmdline_info    +dnd             +folding         +libcall         +mouseshape      +multi_lang      -python3         +statusline      +title           +wildmenu
+balloon_eval    +comments        -ebcdic          -footer          +linebreak       +mouse_dec       -mzscheme        +quickfix        -sun_workshop    +toolbar         +windows
+browse          +conceal         +emacs_tags      +fork()          +lispindent      -mouse_gpm       -netbeans_intg   +reltime         +syntax          +user_commands   +writebackup
++builtin_terms  +cryptv          +eval            +gettext         +listcmds        -mouse_jsbterm   +path_extra      +rightleft       +tag_binary      +vertsplit       +X11
+byte_offset     -cscope          +ex_extra        -hangul_input    +localmap        +mouse_netterm   -perl            -ruby            +tag_old_static  +virtualedit     -xfontset
+cindent         +cursorbind      +extra_search    +iconv           -lua             +mouse_sgr       +persistent_undo +scrollbind      -tag_any_white   +visual          +xim
+clientserver    +cursorshape     +farsi           +insert_expand   +menu            -mouse_sysmouse  +postscript      +signs           -tcl             +visualextra     +xsmp_interact
+clipboard       +dialog_con_gui  +file_in_path    +jumplist        +mksession       +mouse_urxvt     +printer         +smartindent     +terminfo        +viminfo         +xterm_clipboard
   system vimrc file: "/etc/vim/vimrc"
     user vimrc file: "$HOME/.vimrc"
 2nd user vimrc file: "~/.vim/vimrc"
      user exrc file: "$HOME/.exrc"
  system gvimrc file: "/etc/vim/gvimrc"
    user gvimrc file: "$HOME/.gvimrc"
2nd user gvimrc file: "~/.vim/gvimrc"
    system menu file: "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim"
  fall-back for $VIM: "/usr/share/vim"
Compilation: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-gcc -c -I. -Iproto -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -DFEAT_GUI_GTK  -pthread -I/usr/include/gtk-2.0 -I/usr/lib64/gtk-2.0/include -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/atk-1.0 -I/usr/include
/cairo -I/usr/include/pixman-1 -I/usr/include/libdrm -I/usr/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/include/libpng16 -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/harfbuzz -I/usr/include/pango-1.0 -I/usr/include/glib-2.0 -I
/usr/lib64/glib-2.0/include -I/usr/include/freetype2    -march=native -O2 -pipe -U_FORTIFY_SOURCE -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=1
Linking: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-gcc   -Wl,-O1 -L/usr/local/lib -Wl,--as-needed -o gvim   -lgtk-x11-2.0 -lgdk-x11-2.0 -lpangocairo-1.0 -latk-1.0 -lcairo -lgdk_pixbuf-2.0 -lgio-2.0 -lpangoft2-1.0 -lpango-1.0 -lgo
bject-2.0 -lglib-2.0 -lfreetype -lfontconfig  -lSM -lICE -lXpm -lXt -lX11 -lXdmcp -lSM -lICE  -lm -lncurses -lelf   -lacl -lattr -ldl    -L/usr/lib64/python2.7/config -lpython2.7 -lpthread -ldl -lutil -lm -X
linker -export-dynamic

Any ideas how to fix it?

And whom to blame? (Except for myself, of course. :) 
My first guess that something is wrong with xfce4 here.