ramsler has adopted no words, looked up 0 words, created 7 lists, listed 242 words, written 130 comments, added 0 tags, and loved 2 words.
Comments for ramsler
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"The grant supported the exploration of
challenges in the detailed encoding of names and personographic data using the TEI Guidelines,
with special attention to issues of identification, disambiguation, metaphoric reference, and other
issues arising from a wide-ranging collection of literary texts." - White Paper to the NEH Office of Digital Humanities, Jan. 2010. Women Writers Project, Brown University.
February 24, 2011
Comments by ramsler
ramsler commented on the word bangboard
Merriam-Webster 5th Collegiate, "New Words Section" (1942) - bangboard n., A sidepiece mounted above the far sidepiece of a wagon, from which the ears of corn tossed by a husker rebound into the wagon.
April 23, 2022
ramsler commented on the word DMV
DMV in DC means "District - Maryland - Virginia"
https://dmv.fandom.com/wiki/Discover_DMV_-_District_-_Maryland_-_Virginia
March 22, 2019
ramsler commented on the word inner loop
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_495_(Capital_Beltway)
"The two directions of travel (around the Beltway), clockwise and counterclockwise (looking at a map), have become known respectively as the "Inner Loop" and the "Outer Loop"."
March 22, 2019
ramsler commented on the word blazar
When a black hole generates a brilliant jet of radiation, and that jet is aimed directly at Earth, scientists call the galaxy a “blazar.” -- July 12, 2018 Washington Post
July 12, 2018
ramsler commented on the word TRAIL
TRAIL—or, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand—is an antitumor agent identified in mammals that can induce cell death in a variety of cancer cells and yet leaves healthy cells relatively unscathed. - From: Traitorous Tumor Cells Kill Their Own Kind: Researchers plan to turn cancer cells into defectors, engineering them to kill the tumors from whence they came, and have tested the approach in mice. - Jul 11, 2018
Ruth Williams The Scientist
July 12, 2018
ramsler commented on the word snibbles
Little bits of paper left after cutting something out of a newspaper or magazine and trimming its edges.
May 15, 2018
ramsler commented on the word tomato on the vine
Might be a good start for a list of supermarket produce
May 15, 2018
ramsler commented on the word to splat
A verb (perhaps self-invented) based on the adjective "splat" (as in "it went 'splat') used to describe the after-image of something which has 'gone splat' on a hard surface, especially in the street, roadway or highway due to being run over by traffic or on a sidewalk.
July 12, 2016
ramsler commented on the word free little library
A "free little library" or "little free library" is basically a small kiosk on a stand containing books (and magazines) for unmonitored "free" borrowing or loan. It operated on the premise that individuals in a community will contribute books or magazines they no longer want that others may feel free to take or borrow. They are frequently put up by organizations wanting to donate books for free use by other members of a community. See "https://littlefreelibrary.org/"
July 12, 2016
ramsler commented on the word FRD
FRD (Formerly Restricted Data) is a USA Government security classification level jointly agreed to by the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense for nuclear weapons information that does not require the possession of a "Q" clearance to be accessed. It was developed to accommodate the DoD's need to have some nuclear weapons information accessible to enlisted military personnel whose duration of military service were too short to wait for a full "restricted data" clearance to be obtained. The official federal definition is, "Classified information which has been removed from the Restricted Data category after DOE and the Department of Defense have jointly determined that it relates primarily to the military utilization of atomic weapons, and can be adequately safeguarded as national security information."
July 12, 2016
ramsler commented on the word free range definition
free range definition is a Wordnik term used to refer to text descriptions of words or phrases that contain the elements of a definition, typically provided in writing to inform the reader of the meaning of a word without resorting to an actual dictionary definition format. It is abbreviated as FRD.
July 12, 2016
ramsler commented on the word FANG
FANG is a new acronym created by Jim Cramer on "Mad Money" for the four most important internet companies, Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google.
July 31, 2015
ramsler commented on the word defaunation
A search of New Wire Stories shows it's use dates back to at least March 1993 in a USA Today news story quoting 'tropical botanist Alwyn Gentry, Missouri Botanical Gardens, St. Louis'
""When we started working in the Iquitos area you found animals regularly, but in 15 years there's been major defaunation." Alwyn Gentry.
March 10, 2015
ramsler commented on the word defaunation
"The term defaunation, used to denote the loss of both species and populations of wildlife, as well as local declines in abundance of individuals, needs to be considered in the same sense as deforestation, a term that is now readily recognized and influential in focusing scientific and general public attention on biodiversity issues." - Rodolfo Danzo et al., Science, 25 July 2014. v.345 issue 6195, p. 4-1
March 10, 2015
ramsler commented on the word throwback
I see no mention of the newer sense of "throwback" as an adjective used in phrases such as "Throwback Thursdays" in which photos or videos of the past are re-broadcast to show what things looked like in the past, especially of currently known personalities. It is comparable in meaning to "retro" or "vintage" in its view of the past. and not intended to reintroduce something into the present (as with vintage clothing, or 'retro style') but to evoke a sense of nostalgia or humorous contemplation of times when things looked different from the present.
August 30, 2014
ramsler commented on the word dawn
Just encountered a transitive use of the verb 'dawn', namely:
"Artificial intelligence dawns its history back to the ancient times of the human being."
http://www.learning-mind.com/the-dawn-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-modern-world/'>From: http://www.learning-mind.com/the-dawn-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-modern-world/
June 27, 2014
ramsler commented on the word attack review
"Attack reviews are hard to police. It is difficult, if not impossible, to detect the difference between an authentic critical review and an author malevolently trying to bring down a colleague, or organized assaults by fans." - New York Times, January 20, 2013, Article: "Swarming a Book Online" by David Streitfeld,
January 24, 2013
ramsler commented on the word sock puppet
"The retailer (Amazon), like other sites that depend on customer reviews, has been faced with the problem of so-called sock puppets, those people secretly commissioned by an author to produce favorable notices." - New York Times, Article: "Swarming a Book Online" by David Streitfeld, January 20, 2013.
January 24, 2013
ramsler commented on the word wife beater
wife beater is a men's summer undergarment without sleeves covering the torso and held up by two shoulder strips of the one piece light fabric. Name derives from its stereotypical use as the sole upper body garment worn by men in ghetto or low income neighborhoods and movies portraying men as unemployed spouses who would be expected to beat their wives. May be related to movie roles played by Marlon Brando.
January 23, 2013
ramsler commented on the word sext
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher for adults, like me and my Facebook friends, who aren’t inclined to sext with one another. We’re more used to uploading photos of pets, food, babies and concerts, which aren’t nearly as provocative. - Brian X. Chen, NYTimes Reporter, 12/24/2012 re: Facebook's new "Poke" app.
December 25, 2012
ramsler commented on the word rubedo
From Tiffany 2012 Christmas Catalog, "Now, In addition to sterling silver, and 18 karat gold, Tiffany 1837 (TM) is available in Rubedo (TM) metal, a Tiffany creation with the rose luminiescence of a sunrise." and "Tiffany 1837 (TM) ultra wide cuff in Rubedo (TM) metal inscribed with Charles Lewis Tiffany's signature, $7,500."
November 8, 2012
ramsler commented on the user ramsler
"The grant supported the exploration of
challenges in the detailed encoding of names and personographic data using the TEI Guidelines,
with special attention to issues of identification, disambiguation, metaphoric reference, and other
issues arising from a wide-ranging collection of literary texts." - White Paper to the NEH Office of Digital Humanities, Jan. 2010. Women Writers Project, Brown University.
February 24, 2011
ramsler commented on the word Lucky Dragon
English translation of name of Japanese fishing boat (Daigo Fukuryū Maru) exposed to radioactive fallout from US nuclear test (Castle Bravo) on Bikini Atoll March 1, 1954. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Dragon
November 5, 2010
ramsler commented on the word African Queen
Ship and Movie (1951) starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.
November 5, 2010
ramsler commented on the word algorithm
Citation: 'algorithm' used as a verb
“Google’s culture is very much based on the power of the algorithm, and it’s very difficult to algorithm social interaction,” Ms. Li said. [Comments attributed to "Charlene Li, founder of Altimeter Group, a technology research and advisory firm" in Oct. 17th, 2010 New York Times article, "Determined to Crack the Social Code" by Claire Cain Miller.
October 18, 2010
ramsler commented on the word photonography
I suspect the ability to collect electromagnetic
radiation using multiple collection mechanisms will challenge the very name 'photography' soon. Is it a 'photo' when what you're recording is radio-waves, X-rays, gamma rays; and then combining them. Maybe it should be 'photonography' (photon + graphy) - R. Amsler, Humanist Discusion List (www.digitalhumanities.org/humanist), Sept 4, 2010.
September 6, 2010
ramsler commented on the word represent
Katy Perry's song, "California Gurls" contains the line, "California Gurls, represent. Put your hands up." While not unheard of, this is an instance of the intransitive 'represent' (Merriam-Webster notes it as 'slang')
July 12, 2010
ramsler commented on the word walk score
"walkable community", it's a buzzword, but what it means is the higher your neighborhood's "walk score" --and there's a whole industry that does this--the better you can get around without your car, the more valuable the land is." - Bill Myers on Pat Lawson Muse's WNBC4 TV's "Reporters Notebook", Washington DC, Sunday, May 30, 2010.
May 31, 2010
ramsler commented on the word walk score
"walkable community", it's a buzzword, but what it means is the higher your neighborhood's "walk score" --and there's a whole industry that does this--the better you can get around without your car, the more valuable the land is." - Bill Myers on Pat Lawson Muse's WNBC4 TV's "Reporters Notebook", Washington DC, Sunday, May 30, 2010.
May 31, 2010
ramsler commented on the word it's
"It's made me proud to know and admire her for decades, and even prouder to nominate her to our Nation's highest court." - President Barack Obama on Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court - 11 May 2010 Note: one rarely sees it's used for 'it has'
May 12, 2010
ramsler commented on the list not-that-kind-of-mouse
Careful, no living things are allowed, esp. names for people.
May 3, 2010
ramsler commented on the word CFNM
Clothed Female, Nude Male. Porn genre featuring women with their clothes on (mostly) toying with nude men. Also applied to scenarios involving male strippers for women.
April 30, 2010
ramsler commented on the word grow house
grow house is a residential home used to grow marijuana illegally. "Police were called by firefighters when they discovered dozens of marijuana plants inside an unoccupied home that caught fire. The home was being used as a "grow house".
April 22, 2010
ramsler commented on the word false friend
a false friend is a word in a foreign language you are attempting to learn which resembles the spelling of a word in a language you know, but means something completely different.
April 13, 2010
ramsler commented on the list englsh-placenames-that-are-words
The choice as to what constitutes a 'word' is tricky. For example, should inflected forms be included (e.g., Wells). I elected to exclude plurals, but included -ing forms (e.g., Reading). Cities/Towns that are the names of other Cities/Towns are excluded UNLESS they also have an ordinary language meaning (e.g., Laurel, Troy, etc.). Split words (Black Jack) were allowed, as were conjunctions of two words (Town and Country). 'Jupiter' was allowed, though strictly it's a place. Apparently, astronomical objects are not considered geographical locations (ge- meaning 'earth'). So, technically, a city/town named after a named feature on the moon or another planet would be OK as well.
April 11, 2010
ramsler commented on the word vajazzling
Jay Leno Show: March 30th, 2010, Guest: Joy Behar,
...
Leno: Jennifer Love Hewitt, What was she talking about?
Behar: She was talking about vajazzling...
Leno: Do people know what that is?
Behar: It's when... she describes it as when you decorate "The Lady", "The Little Lady" Pointing down
Audience: Cat-calls, whooo's
Leno: The private area.
April 1, 2010
ramsler commented on the word body scanner
"9 more U.S. airports to get body scanners. (headline, Washington Post article, March 6, 2010).
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word female condom
"Free female condoms are new tool in city's battle against HIV/AIDS" "Officials said they are turning to female condoms to give women more power to protect themselves from HIV and sexually transmitted diseases when their partners refuse to use protection." (Washington Post, March 6, 2010).
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word verfremdungseffekt
"For years I've dreamed of using Bertolt Brecht's million-dollar word ``verfremdungseffekt'' in a modest book review, and now I've found the perfect excuse. Anna Lawrence Pietroni puts verfremdungseffekt to extremely good use in her creepy, complex first novel (Ruby's Spoon). This ``distancing effect,'' as it is often translated, is introduced to jolt playgoers back into mundane reality when things onstage get a little too intense." (Carolyn See, Washintgon Post, March 26, 2010)
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word bromance
"Learning to cope when the bromance is gone." Title of movie review of the film, "Greenberg". "If the past few years in cinema have celebrated the joys of bromance, it's only fitting that the next logical step would be the male breakup movie. (Washington Post, March 26, 2010).
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word pharmacogenomics
It's going to be extremely interesting to see how (genetic testing) changes the landscape for personalized medicine. And particularly when it comes to pharmacogenomics, by which I mean picking the right drug for the right person at the right dose for the right time. -- Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health. (Washington Post, March 24, 2010).
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word rinderpest
Walter Plowright, 86, the British veterinarian who discovered a vaccine that has almost totally eliminated the cattle disease rinderpest, died Feb. 19 (2010) in London. {Washington Post, March 23, 2010)
March 28, 2010
ramsler commented on the word crushing on
Heard on the Red Carpet at the Grammy's Jan 31, 2010.
Hollywood slang? To have a crush on is referred to as "crushing on" someone.
February 2, 2010
ramsler commented on the word sweeps
Sweeps are televison jargon for the periodic intervals during a year when viewership of TV channels is exhustively measured to determine how many viewers are watching each station. Networks scehedule programs that they expect will attrach large audiences during these times. Sweeps are used to determine advertising prices, hence have significant impact on network revenues.
January 15, 2010
ramsler commented on the word man cave
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_cave
January 15, 2010
ramsler commented on the word doorbuster
the "doorbuster" was featured prominently in Holiday shopping ads for Winter 2009. Retailers, in an effort to attract customers, offered bargain prices (perhaps with limited quantities and no rain checks) for some items. These 'deals' have previously been referred to as 'bait and switch' or 'come-ons' but apparently retailers have tried to put a positive spin on the idea and now feel justified in advertising such limited quantity/limited time period sale items as long as they disclose the conditions of the sale item's availability.
January 15, 2010
ramsler commented on the word man cave
It is a room in a house of a married man that is entirely designed, decorated and furnished by the man of the house to his tastes and to which he can retreat when he wants to be free of feminine decisions as to how the home should look or what should be in it.
January 15, 2010
ramsler commented on the word Gort
From the famous sci-fi movie, "Day the Earth Stood Still".
December 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Shakey
Shakey was the nickname for SRI International's actual robot built in the 1980s. It was so-named because of the difficulty of taking images with its robotic eye (camera) due to shaking when it moved or came to a stop.
December 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word choo choo train
Child talk name for a steam locomotive based on the sound it makes.
November 20, 2009
ramsler commented on the word brain freeze
Sensation experienced in upper head after ingesting a sufficiently large quantity of very cold food, esp. ice cream, or chilled beverage.
November 20, 2009
ramsler commented on the word partage
"Dr. Cuno advocates the revival of partage, the traditional system in which archeologists digging in foreign countries would give some of their discoveries to the host country and take others home." - New York Times, 11/16/2009
November 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word conciliation conference
"Under the rules adopted by Philadelphia’s primary civil court, no owner-occupied house may be foreclosed on and sold by the sheriff’s office before a “conciliation conference,” a face-to-face meeting between the homeowner and the lender aimed at striking a workable compromise." - New York Times, 11/18/2009
November 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word thud factor
"... things stick around, have a prominent "thud factor" (the sound that the book makes when hitting the dean's desk)" - Humanist mailing list, 11/18/2009
November 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word phone book
"Many people who want to read electronic books are discovering that they can do so on the smartphones that are already in their pockets — bringing a whole new meaning to “phone book.” - New York Times, 11/19/2009
November 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word grandma size
"For long reading sessions, she said, the iPhone is “a small screen, and my eyes would start to hurt, even though I crank the text up to grandma or great-grandma size.” - New York Times, 11/18/2009
November 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word econophysics
"Mr. Farmer, a professor at the interdisciplinary Sante Fe Institute, is doing research on models of markets, institutions and their complex interactions, applying a hybrid discipline called econophysics." NYTimes 9/12/09 in "Wall Street's Math Wizards Forgot a few Variables"
September 14, 2009
ramsler commented on the word adrenalized
adjective from noun adrenaline, expressing a state of excited activity as though being influenced by a rush of adrenaline. syn: excited. Quote: Shakira at the MTV VMA's on the red carpet 9/13/09 when asked how she feels about her new album and performing for her fans, "I'm adrenalized!" Etymology Note: Merriam-Webster's 11th edition (W11) gives it a 1973 origin year.
September 14, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Dutch disease
The "Dutch disease" is a reference to an economic problem caused by the exploitation of rich natural resources not leading to national prosperity, as happened to the Dutch when off-shore drilling didn't result in national wealth, but was exploited to make the developers rich.
August 18, 2009
ramsler commented on the word jamai vu
The opposite of deja vu. A medical condition associated with seizures in which a person momentarily experiences a complete loss of memory for how to perform some task with which they are very familiar, i.e., feels as though they are experiencing the task's performance for the very first time.
August 10, 2009
ramsler commented on the word horrorscope
a dire future as predicted by a fortune teller or daily horoscope. Possibly a misspelling of horoscope originally.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word kleenix professor
kleenix professor - disparaging term for an academic appointment by a university that doesn't intend to retain or offer advancement to a faculty member. Akin to the use of a kleenix, in which you blow your nose in it and throw it away afterwards.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word psychadelic
a misspelling or alternate spelling of psychedelic (1960s pop culture term). Twitter cites suggest its use as a descriptive of a style of rock music.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word temporary insanity
a moment when one's actions are out of character and represent a break with norms of behavior for that person. Used as a defense for violent acts (temporary insanity plea) of criminal nature committed by otherwise law-abiding people and for which they may not be fully consciously aware or able to control their actions, thus justifying their treatment for a medical consition or acquittal instead of being held responsible for their actions.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word hairpin turn
haitpin turn is a section of a roadway whose path resembles that of a hairpin, doubling back on itself. Hairpin turns are commonly associated with mountain roads in which the highway has to double back on itself in order to have sufficient space to continue ascending/descending the sheer slope of the mountainside. Needless to say, hairpin turns are very dangerous and if unexpectedly encountered at high speed a likely place for an accident.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word bump key
a bump key is a key for a tiumbler lock with its ridges filed in such a way that when inserted in any tumbler lock and hit or "bumped" it will unlock that lock. As such is is a burglary tool used to open locks for which a person does not have an actual key.
August 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word baby bump
baby bump = swelling of a woman's abdomen due to pregnancy, esp. in the earliest weeks of pregnancy when it first becomes noticed.
August 2, 2009
ramsler commented on the word pink-slipped
"to pink-slip" - to notify employees that they are beling laid off.
"The recession is forcing Maryland ... to slash $300 million from the state budget, a move that ... has public workers around the region worried about being pink-slipped." (Washington Examiner, p.4, 7/20/2009)
August 2, 2009
ramsler commented on the word disco stick
Phrase from Lada Gaga song.
July 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word troops
Heard on the morning news, "Four troops were killed in Afghanistan". This is either just wrong or troop has become a retro-singular word. What kept running through my mind was whether if one soldier had been killed they would have said, "One troop died today". Maybe.
July 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word tramp stamp
tattoo whose location on a young woman's central lower back is taken (in gest) as an indication of her social standing as a 'tramp'
July 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word tramp stamp
tattoo whose location on a young woman's central lower back is taken (in gest) as an indication of her social standing as a 'tramp'
July 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word tramp stamp
tattoo whose location on a young woman's central lower back is taken (in gest) as an indication of her social standing as a 'tramp'
July 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word mortech-inc
This phrase is interesting in the phrase "sounding like a broken record" because it is etymologically related to a technology (phonograph records) which is disappearing. Phonograph records were prone to scratches which cause the phonograph needle to often skip backward to a previous groove and thus get into a (then) familiar sound of repeating the last sound over and over again. Thus, "sounding like a broken record" (and hence 'broken record') refers to te repetition again and again of something such as a warning, statement, or other communication.
July 15, 2009
ramsler commented on the word you�ll
buldge in a woman's abdomen indicating that she is pregnant
July 15, 2009
ramsler commented on the word hancock@uwci
photographic or moving pictures which may cause an unpleasant emotional response in viewers due to the events they portray being of a unplesant or violent nature. "The TV station warned viewers that the forecoming images of the plane crash might be disturbing images for some viewers to watch"
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word law enforcement
law enforcement is both a reference to a profession as well as to the group of individuals who work in that profession. So, we have "law enforcement careers can be dangerous" or "local law enforcement will monitor the parade route while the secret service escorts the President's vehicle"
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word INTERIORS
an individual piece of real estate (e.g., "a land acquisition") or the process of acquiring real estate ("land acquisition specialists")
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word ARBONNE
medical reactions or effects upon human health, especially the health of the public in general of exposure to something such as contamination or pollution. "What are the health effects of dioxin at those levels?"
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word plannning
real estate which is owned by a government as opposed to an individual or a corporation.
"The national parks are all public lands"
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word U.W.I
an expression of the value or cost in dollars of something, sometimes in reference to attempting to assess how expensive goods or services will be for which only a description has been offered, e.g., "What is the dollar amount of all that work?" "Can you estimate the dollar amount of these repairs?"
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word ENDORSEMENT
goods which are included under the terms of some conditions, as for insurance protection or under warranty. "The home owner's policy does not include rentor's possessions as covered goods in the event of a fire."
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word 2FU
the first experience of someone with a new situation, "a first time home buyer" or "John was very nervous riding a horse for the first time."
July 9, 2009
ramsler commented on the word modesl
the range of weather and meteorological conditions through which the climate of an area can vary
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word loss-recovery
a change affecting the entire world
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word 120-day
content of a creative work, such as a book, movie, TV show, play or artistic work which involves or suggests human sexual themes and is often considered inappropriate for children to see or be exposed to
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Ferriday's
health issues regulated and monitored by the government and relating to the general populace as opposed to particular individuals
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word room-only
a process in which the ph level of the world's oceans becomes more acid
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word 1gtfo
a business contract with a federal government, as with the United States of America.
July 8, 2009
ramsler commented on the word forked
forked = to have plastic forks stuck in one's lawn as a practical joke.
July 1, 2009
ramsler commented on the word pantsed
pantsed - to have one's pants pulled down as a joke, typically in a semi-public environment to cause humiliation.
July 1, 2009
ramsler commented on the word pull tab
pull tab also refers to a strip along the top of an envelope or package which can be pulled along the surface to open the container. The tab is attached to a strong piece of plastic or paper which is embedded or part of the envelope or package which is designed to separate along a thin strip opening the entire length of the envelope of package.
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word can opener
can openers come in two forms. Ones for cutting the top off a metal can, and ones that punch a triangular hole in the top of a beverage can so that its contents can be poured out.
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word bottle cap
a bottle cap is a metal or plastic cap affixed to a bottle to keep its contents secure. Bottle caps can be removed using a bottle opener, or for newer designs, just twisted off. Often they are designed to be reattached to the bottle in case all the contents are not consumed/used. Bottle caps often have the name of the product their bottles contained. They can be lined with cork or plastic.
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word soap scum
soap scum is a chalky white film deposited on surfaces splashed with soapy water as on a shower's walls or bathtub sides or shower curtain or sink from the act of showering, bathing or washing using soap. It is considered an undesirable surface coating for aesthetic reasons and is often removed by scrubbing or cleaning with speciall formulated cleaners (soap scum removers).
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word parlor trick
parlor trick is a reference to a magic trick or slight of hand trick performed in a home (i.e., in the parlor of a home), usually by a guest or family member for the entertainment of other guests or family members, such as after dinner. It dates well back in time to before television. Today, it is often used in reference to simple tricks (as opposed to professional magician's acts) capable of being performed by amateurs, i.e., in the phrase "a simple parlor trick" to denegrate the sophistication of someone's apparent ability to do something not obviously possible. "Why, making coins disappear from a locked box is little more than a parlor trick and not truly a sign of a great magician". "It would be quite the parlor trick for the Seanator to get out of this scandal without a black mark on his record".
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word backup
a 'backup' in computer science also refers to making a copy of a user's entire hard drive. "Fortunately, I made a backup last night before the crash."
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word celebutant
celebutant is a portmanteau of celebrity and debutante. "Paris Hilton is one of the first debutantes to become a celebrity, a 'celebutant,' if you will.
June 28, 2009
ramsler commented on the word pop star
pop star = short for 'popular star", possibly "popular culture star". An entertainer or celebrity widely known to the general public, esp. in in the fields of music, movies or televison.
June 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word 1080p
1080p is a digital television resolution. the 'p' refers to 'progressive mode' (which contrasts with 'i' for 'interlaced' mode). It refers to the number of 'lines' in the displayed image. Conventional TVs were 480i, meaning they had 480 lines of resolution which were interlaced such that only half the lines were refreshed (updated) every scan (there were 30 scans a second). 'progressive scan' means the lines are ALL refreshed every scan.
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word straight to video
"straight to video" is a term used to refer to cinema which is never released in a movie theater (usually because it is not thought to be able to draw paying audiences in sufficient quantities to make a profit through theater showings). 'video' refers to 'videotape' which is the second market for cinematic releases. A related term would be 'straight to DVD'
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word cobweb
cobwebs are very flimsy spider webs found typically inside a building or house which are often covered or combined with dust or lint. They are distinct from spider webs largely because of the lack of a visible spider and the lack of coherent web patterns associated with spiders. Cobwebs often are simply a single strand of fiber stretched between two surfaces. cobwebs are associated with the disuse of a space or area (and by analogy with fogginess of thought as in the expression "cobwebs of my mind"). "The home hadn't been cleaned in months and cobwebs were visible in many corners"
A humorous question about cobwebs is, "What does a cob look like?"
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word mental imagery
mental imagery is the psychological term for those aspects of thought which are represented by images in the mind. The 'mental' distinguishes it from external imagery which can be seen with the eyes. The question seems to be whether mental imagery is restricted to visual images and I tend to think not. It can be applied to any impressions formed in the mind which have visual components, but I can see someone talking about "the music contributed to her mental imagery of far-away tropical islands".
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word porno
porno is today simply a shortened form of pornographic or pornography. As a noun mosly refers to movies or videos or to the class of materials collectively referred to as pornography.
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word collapse
collapse has a special meaning in ecology and envronmental fields where it refers to a sudden decline in the population of a species. "The collapse of the native bird population followed the accidental introduction of snakes onto the island."
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word butterfingers
By analogy with someone whose fingers are coated with butter during eating or cooking and drops something in the kitchen or while dining because of the slippery effect. The analogy seems to extend beyond butter to other slippery food coatings, and even outside the food context to slippery substances such as oil, e.g., "he dropped the wrench because his fingers were coated with grease from the car. His companion yelled at him, "You're a real butterfingers today"
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word woulda-shoulda-coulda
An expression of regret over courses of action not taken that would have resulted in a very beneficial outcome--such as investing in a stock that shot up in value, or deciding to join a political campaign of a person who seemed a long-shot but won an election by a landslide, etc. "I woulda-shoulda-coulda become rich if I'd bought in on that deal."
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word wordie
I was envisioning this as a good term for a passionate word addict, someone who greatly enjoys exploring word definitions and finding new words in text. A comparable construction to groupie.
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word hapax legomenon
Your definition is too restrictive. hapex legomena are those word in a frequency count of any body of text which appear only once. The inference is that one cannot predict anything about their overall frequency based on a single occurrence.
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word hapex legomena
plural of 'hapex legomenon'
June 21, 2009
ramsler commented on the word point of no return
Related to the phrase, 'tipping point'. The distinction being that a 'point of no return' does not have any capability of being returned back to its starting state or position and is sometimes approached linearly without necessarily having a sudden acceleration past a certain point whereas a 'tipping point' implies the existence of multiple stable positions between which a system or object alternate and a non-linear change in the system or object at the tipping point.
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word tipping point
a "tipping point" is a phrase commonly associated with the position along a continuium where a system will change between states dramatically. Most likely conceived of from the common perception of physical objects that will start falling over if pushed in a given direction far enough--whereas they will otherwise return to their starting position if not pushed to their 'tipping point'. Most modern usage in reference to climate change in which it is hypothesized that various natural systems will change from one stable state to another if pushed too far through climate changes such as the warming of polar regions, etc. at which point a feed-back loop will cause the phenomenon to change into a new stable position--such as triggering an the melting of an ice sheet that causes underlying darker surfaces (as of the ocean surface or land) to be explosed which in turn warms the surface further.
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word box cutter
basically, a razor blade set in a handle typically used for opening boxes by cutting through the tape which seals them along their seams. Became popularized when it was used by the 9/11 hijackers as a weapon carried aboard airplanes.
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word cantalope
Apparently it's a common misspelling of cantaloup or cantaloupe. It found 9 flickr images, so maybe it's a variant spelling?
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word poster boy
The most current sense for this word is as a metaphor for a particularly egregious or exemplary example of something, "Bill Gates is practically the Poster Boy for the dot.com revolution."
Of course, there appears to be a street artist in New York City called "Poster Boy" as well (from looking at the photos from flickr displayed with the entry).
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Belladonna
Interesting. The flickr photos include a few of Belladonna, the porn actress--(don't worry, she's dressed in a bikini), but of course there is no lexical entry. The capital B might have been a clue as to which belladonna was intended (But, flickr's tag was lowercase as well).
OK, so what about proper nouns? Are they going to be words in wordnik or not?
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word cut-through
There was a news story about someone attacking students after school along a cut-through they used to walk home. They showed a photo of a trail through a wooded area (basically an undeveloped urban city lot with trees, shrubbery and a trail through it. It's the first time I'd heard cut throough as a noun. No spelling available as this was a verbal mention.
June 19, 2009
ramsler commented on the word romcom
Romcom is a contraction of "romantic comedy". I just saw it in a movie review in the Washington Post.
June 6, 2009
ramsler commented on the word necronomicon
An imaginary book of supernatural spells and knowlege imagined by author H.P. Lovecraft in his fictional horror novels.
April 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word nervous nelly
An alliterative phrase for a person who is extremely nervous. Can be applied to either men or women.
April 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word rotoclone
Not much to tell. Once upon a time, my dad brought home a wooden sign that said "Open in case of fire in the rotoclone." It always fascinated me, though I could never find a good definition. I think it is something on some type of ship.
April 4, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Kleenex Professor
A disposable faculty member at a university. One who the administration does not intend to give tenure to but merely allows to teach for the term of their contract without possibility of moving up in the ranks of the department.
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word cosmic joke
A situation in which external events only capable of being directed by supernatural powers appear to conspire to produce a comic or highly statistically unlikely outcome that prevents a normally expected result or seems to make fun of human efforts.
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word schauden freude
German expression, meaning "taking pleasure in the pain of others" (or so I'm told). Generally a feeling of satisfaction at bad things happening to people we don't like or care about. Perhaps the basis for slapstick humor, especially when the bad things have no permanence; so, for example, when someone in a fancy dress is spalshed by water in a puddle (such as the Cary Bradshaw in the opening of Sex and the City TV series episodes when she sees herself on the side of a NYC bus poster--just before the bus splashed her?
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word bail-out fatigue
Public or political insensitivity and resistance to continued passage of legislation that provides funds to failing financial institutions or other businesses that are claimed to be on the verge of bankruptcy, where such bankruptcy is claimed to be so potentially destructive of the economy that they must be bailed out to save the country from economic collapse.
"The public is suffering from bailout fatigue over the money paid to A.I.G. and the banks."
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word Mickey Dee
An urban? ghetto? slang term for "McDonald's", the hamburger fast food chain.
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word "near earth object"
Near Earth Objects, or NEOs are astronomical objects such as asteroids and comets whose orbits take them ''near'' the Earth. NASA started a group to watch for and inventory all NEOs above a certain size a few years ago (After the movies Deep Impact and Armageddon?).
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word underwater mortgage
OPK, here we go again. A mortgage can be said to be underwater when the property to which it refers is worth less than the amount still owed on the mortgage.
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word toxic asset
Bad loans made by banks. Financial "instruments" whose value is dubious. sub-prime mortgages in foreclosure. Hard to say exactly. Basically, investments made by financial institutions which remain on their books, but which cannot be accurately valued as to their financial worth. Thus, they are "toxic" because they cannot be written off, but also cannot be considered to have their book value. Someone should make an analogy with quantum physics--Toxic assets are the Shroedinger's Cats of Banks?
March 27, 2009
ramsler commented on the word syntaxonomy
Phytosociology
Phytosociology is the study of the characteristics, classification, relationships, and distribution of plant communities. A phytosociological system is a system for classifying these communities. It is often suggested that it is not a Science in its formal sense. The aim of phytosociology is to achieve a sufficient empirical model of vegetation using plant taxa combinations that characterize univocally vegetation units. Vegetation units as understood by phytosociologists may express largely abstract vegetation concepts (e.g. the set of all hard-leaved evergreen forests of western Mediterranean area) or actual readily recognizable vegetation types (e.g. cork-oak oceanic forests on Pleistocene dunes with dense canopy in SW-Iberian Peninsula). Such conceptual units are called "syntaxa" (singular "syntaxon") and can be set in a hierarchy system called "synsystem" or syntaxonomical system. The act of creation, amelioration or adjusting the synsystem is called "syntaxonomy". Therefore, the syntaxonomical system is putatively a sufficient empirical representation of vegetation of a given territory. An International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature, issuing the rules for naming ‘‘syntaxa’’ exists and its use has increased among vegetation scientists.
Sorry, that's a direct quote from Wikipedia. I came across the term while looking at Library of Congress Subject Headings. The LCSH term is "Numerical Syntaxonomy". It looked like it was related to language or linguistics or semantics, but it is apparently only related to plants and to the notion of plant "taxons" so the "taxonomy" isn't our usual notion of taxonomy.
This suggests that Wikipedia might be a good text source to consider using. Public Domain and all that.
---- And stop saying for Statistics: "The word is so rare that you have probably never seen it before, and may never see it again." is sounds like you're carping that I'm not telling you info about a word you know and *certainly* conradicts the "At Wordnik, we love new words!"
March 27, 2009