Contents:

Introduction

A - E

F - N

O - Z

Word Play

Word A Day

Word Detective

World Wide Words

O - Z

O

O.J.-BY-THE-SEA, n. The media center at the Santa Monica civil trial. Different from "Camp O.J.."the center at the criminal trial. [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]

Go to top of page.

PILTROL (registered tradename) n. A fabric/material which is resistant to pilling. [clipped compound of "pilling" and "control"]
Context and source: "These coats are made with PiltrolR which resists pilling on cuffs and waistband." (Land's End catalog)

PLUGGERS, n. Individuals leading a very nondescript and mediocre life who nonetheless always put forth their best effort and make do with the lot life has given out [noun formed form verb plug ].
Content and source: "Pluggers prefer baseball caps over fancy toupees and hair treatments." (Comic strip "Pluggers" in Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, 10-13-96) "A plugger's barn or workshed is almost always larger than his actual home." (10-14-96)

POPAGANDA, n. Music that is popular with the general public, and has purpose or is trying promote particular ideas. [Blend of pop (clipping of popular) and propaganda]
Content and source: Title of a K.D. Lang album.

POOPER-SCOOPER, n. An instrument comprised of a scooping device on a long pole used for the collection of animal waste matter [rhyming compound formed from roots poop, scoop, and suffix -er on each root].
Context and source: "I kind of dread going home for Thanksgiving. The first thing my dad's going to do is hand me the old pooper-scooper..." (Conversation)

POSTAL, adj. extremely hostile. [From the observation of postal workers going insane and killing fellow co-workers. Found most often in expressions go postal and get postal]
Context and source: Unable to cope, he got all postal.

POTUS/VPOTUS/FLOTUS, n. President of the United States, Bill Clinton; Vice President of the United States, Al Gore; and First Lady of the United States, Hillary Clinton, respectively [acronyms].
Context and source: "Computer terminals all over the Executive Mansion flash instantly with the precise movements of POTUS, VPOTUS, and FLOTUS- code names for Bill, Hillary, and Al..." (Gentleman's Quarterly, 11-96)

PROLLY, adv. Likely to happen, possibly occur. [elided pronunciation of "probably." Assimilation of the "b"to an "l"] Context and source: "I'm prolly going to the party tonight." (Conversation)

PSYCHODRAMATIC, adj. very crazy (psychotic) and overly dramatic. [blend of psychotic and dramatic]
Context and source: "Calm down. Stop being so psychodramatic." (Conversation)

Go to top of page.

Go to top of page.

RETAIL ELEPHANT, n. A business that dominates or monopolizes an area. [compound; metaphoric association with the size of an elephant].
Context and Source: "... they are increasingly ambivalent about retail elephants lumbering into their neighborhoods. " (Newsweek 9/16/96).

ROAD RAGE, n. Aggressive driving habits often accompanied by dehumanization of other drivers and somethimes resulting in violence against other drivers. [Compound of road and rage]
Context and Source: "Two thirds of all highway deaths are caused by road rage." (Discussion forum of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).

ROLLING, n. A dangerous activity popular with today's delinquents which involves throwing sometimes heavy objects from the back of a moving truck or vehicle [noun formed from addition of pres. participle -ing suffix to verb roll ].
Context and source: "The youths were engaged in a dangerous but increasingly popular new activity known as rolling..." (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11-29-96)

RUBBER-CHICKEN CIRCUIT, n. The round of fund-raising dinners attended by politicians. Refers to the standard unappetizing, rubbery chicken served at such dinners. [compound] (New York Times)

Go to top of page.

SARCASTROPHE, n. An embarrassing and catastrophic event occurring when an individual attempts and fails to use humorous sarcasm [blend of sarcasm and catastrophe ].
Context and source: "Todd's failed attempt at humorous sarcasm resulted in a sarcastrophe at dinner." (Internet)

SCHECK HAPPENS - General epithet used when things go awry. Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. [blend: Scheck, eponym in honor of criminal defense lawyer Barry Scheck, + 'sh-t happens', bumper sticker cliche.] Found in Newsweek.

SCHIZO, n. A cup of coffee made with equal parts of caffeinated and de-caffeinated coffee [clip of schizophrenia].
Context and source: Menu list, Sundance Coffee

SEA LAWYER, n. One who attempts to shirk responsibility or blame through trivial technicalities. [This word is used chiefly in the Navy and at the Naval Academy to describe a midshipman or officer who uses technicalities and other trivial excuses to escape responsibility or punishment. Based on the popular stereotype of lawyers always arguing technicalities and trivial details coupled with the fact that the Navy is closely associated with water and the sea. ]
Context and source: "Most sea lawyers are not well respected by their classmates. (A Sense of Honor by James Webb)

SECADEM, n. a Rice student whose double majoring in both Group I or II and III. [Blend of Rice terms S/E (Group III major) and academy (Group I or II).]
Context and source: "Are you an S/E or an academy?" "Actually, both. I am a secadem." (Conversation)

SEXAHOLISM, n. A condition describing someone who is addicted to sex and alcohol. [blend of sex and alcoholism]. Source: An episode of the "Simpsons."

SHOPGRIFTING, v. to 'rent' something for free by purhcasing it and then returning it within 30 days for a full refund. [Compound of shop + grift "to swindle"]
Context and source: His shopgrifting is totally shameless." (Conversation)

SLACKADEM, n. A term used by science/engineering majors at Rice University for a person majoring in humanities or social sciences due to a perceived lack of work or effort put forth by the latter [blend formed from words academy and slacker ].
Context and source: "If you'll excuse me, I've got to study for a test. Not everyone can be a slackadem and watch TV all day." (Conversation)

SLOW-SPEED CHASER, n. A celebratory drink after court is adjourned. [Lingo used by journalists covering the O.J. Simpson Civil Trial. Found in Newsweek]

SNAIL MAIL, n. The standard system of mail delivery in which letters, documents, and packages are physically transported from one location to another, in contrast to electronic mail [rhyming compound formed from roots snail and mail].
Context and source: "More and more companies and individuals are looking to e-mail as an alternative to the traditional means of sending information and documents, snail mail." (Computers, pg. 52)

SPACE-POSSESSION DICTATORIAL, adj. Overly concerned with: one's possessions, the placement of these, and the placement of others' possessions in the vicinity of one's possessions; characterized by compulsive behavior regarding one's possessions.
Context and source: "My roommate is so space-possession dictatorial!" (Conversation)

SPAM, n. Multiple posts of the same message to the same or different Usenet newsgroups or to an e-mail account. The message is usually adverts or marketing promotions and contains no useful or worthwhile information.
v. The act of sending multiple copies of a useless message to a newsgroup or an e-mail account. [Extension of the word Spam, the processed meat]

SPEEL, n. An informal speech, usually brief and sometimes impromptu. Also spiel.
Context and source: "Now I'll give my little speel about drinking." (Conversation)

SPIDER, n. person or computer program that searches the web for new links and link them to search engines. [Metaphor, a spider spins webs.]

SPORK, n. A utensil with both bowl and tines, a combination of spoon and fork. [Blend of spoon and fork]
Context and source: "I hate these stupid plastic sporks." (Conversation)

STALKERAZZI, n. (pl. stalkerazzis) Tabloid journalist who pursues celebrities night and day, dogging their every move. [Blend of stalker and paparazzi, tabloid journalists, after eponymous character in Fellini movie. Italian plural -i reanalyzed to singular]
Context and source: "Broomfield hooks up with a pair of "stalkerazzis" who work for the tabloids..." (New Yorker 6/8/98)

SWANGIN', v. swerving a car back and forth by rapidly turning the steering wheel (left and right ...repeatedly.)
Context and source: "I lost a wheel while swangin'." (Conversation explaining gang terminology)

SWOOSH, n. The logo of the Nike Corporation, resembling a rounded off check-mark.
Context and source: "The Nike logo is called the swoosh, it appears 32 times in the annual report..." (Conversation)

SWOOSHTIKA, n. Derogatory reference to the distinctive logo of the Nike Corporation. Alludes to the powerful hegemony of Nike in the world of sportswear and marketing, the blind logo-worship of unthinking masses of people, and Nike's treatment of its third world workers like slave labor; implicit comparison with Nazi party and the its swastika. [blend of swoosh + -tika, from 'swastika']
Context and source: "People are already beginning to talk about the 'swooshtika'" (Conversation)

Go to top of page.

TAGGIN', v. spray painting a gang's name on walls. (leaving a trademark; graffiti) [from tag- meaning to mark or a label.]
Context and source: "We were taggin' all night." (Conversation explaining gang terminology)

TELESCAM, n. Illegal money-making schemes conducted by phony telemarketers. [Compound tele- (clipping of telephone) and scam]
Context and source: "For Downs, the secret finally came out when she gave her 19 children and grandchildren shoe boxes stuffed with nearly identical collections of telescam trash." (Time, 25 August 1997)

TELEVANGELIST, n. An evangelist who conducts regular religious services on television. [Blend of television and evangelist]
Contex and source: "Ole Anthony and his merry band take on the televangelists." (US News, 8 December 1997)

TERRAFORM, v. To change a planet's surface and atmosphere so that life as it exist on Earth is possible [compound from L. terra 'land' and form ].
Context and source: "And that's the question that will shift us to the next level of our fascination with the place, the idea that we could live there, that Mars could be terraformed." (Newsweek, 9-16-96)

TOUCH, n. An abbreviation of touchdown, the scoring of six points in American football by penetrating an opponent's end zone while in possession of the football [clip formed from touchdown].
Context and source: "Farve drops the screen pass off to Edgar Bennet and he takes it in for the touch." (FOX NFL Half-time Show, 10-20-96)

TROLL, n. A person who sends messages to a Usenet newsgroup to incite emotions and cause controversy. [Metaphorical extension of troll, a supernatural creature (dwarf) that lives in a cave.]

TYSON, adv. Characterized by an insane rage, particularly in the context of a sporting event. [Reference to boxer Mike Tyson]
Context and source: "He wne absolutely Tyson in the Monday Night Football opener against the Green Bay Packers." (Sports Illustrated, 15 September 1997)

Go to top of page.

VATOR, n. Something which lifts, an ascending platform; an elevator. [clipping of elevator]
Context and source: "Push '3' on the vator to get to the third floor." (Conversation)

VERTICALLY-CHALLENGED, adj. Short, not tall [compound formed from vertical + -ly (adv.) and challenge + ed].
Context and source: "Don't call him short, he's vertically challenged." (Conversation)

VIDEOPHILE, n. One who loves and collects video equipment and media [compound from L. video 'see' and G. phile 'loving']
Context and source: "The picture quality will be vastly improved, pleasing videophiles." (US News and World Report , 1 December 1997]
"I guess owning a Beta, RCA Selectavision, SVHS, Laserdisc, and DVD makes me a videophile." (Conversation)

Go to top of page.

WAC, adj. Very unpleasant, undesirable; inappropriate, incorrect or not the way something should be or expected to be, contrary to the social norm; bad or negative in a general sense. Also wack. [clipping of wacky] Context and source: "That test was wac!" "Her outfit was totally wac!" (Conversation)

WALLIN', v. Slang. to sit or stand against a wall at a party. [derived from, of course, wall]
Context and source: I didn't dance. Just wallin'. (a book called Street Talk 2)

WHATEVER, v. To dismiss or ignore. Desire to dismiss. [Zero derivation of whatever]
Contex and source: " That guy really whatevers me." (Conversation)

WORDROBE, n. a person's vocabulary. [blend of word and wardrobe]
Context and source: "He has an extensive wordrobe." (a web page on the Internet)

WORRYWORT, n. A person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly [Compound of worry and wort]
Context and source: "The people in charge of making sure an HMO stays solvent seemed like worrywarts." (US News, 24 November 1997)

Go to top of page.

Y2K, n. The year 2000. The problem in which some computer hardware and software are unable to process dates after 31 December 1999. [Acronym from Y (year) + 2 + K (Gr. 'kilos' thousand)]

'ZINE, n. An unprofessional periodical publication; a non-formal, home-made magazine. [clipping of magazine]
Context and source: "Until two years ago, I had no idea what a 'zine was." ( Loose Lips Sink Ships ,a 'zine)

Go to top of page.