Patients do not come to us (our medical malpractice law firm) because they want to bring a frivolous claim or “jackpot justice.” They come to us because they are in the most dire circumstances.
“Journals have devolved into information laundering operations for the pharmaceutical industry”, wrote Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, in March 2004. In the same year, Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, lambasted the industry for becoming “primarily a marketing machine” and co-opting “every institution that might stand in its way”. Medical journals were conspicuously absent from her list of co-opted institutions, but she and Horton are not the only editors who have become increasingly queasy about the power and influence of the industry.
It also awarded $354 million to Phlow Corp. in May to start producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, among other chemical ingredients, used in certain essential medications. A spokesperson for Phlow said the company can’t disclose the list of drugs, but it includes treatments for pain and blood pressure that can be used by hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The total contract is worth up to $812 million. Phlow cites a shift toward producing API in China and India as the rationale behind its business model.
Ironically (or not), with the rising militancy of suffragists, skirts began to narrow until they became the barreled, banded style known as the hobble skirt or "the speed-limit skirt."
Discovered in 1957 by a Swiss pharmaceutical firm, isotonitazene is an analogue of its banned parent compound, etonitazene, which was discovered in 1956 and is itself 60 times more potent than morphine.
“Isotonitazene is the most persistent and prevalent new opioid in the U.S.,” said Logan, adding that he is now seeing 40 to 50 isotonitazene-related deaths per month in the U.S. compared to about six per month last summer (2019).
Isotonitazene is legal to export from China and is not specifically banned in the U.S., Europe or China. America’s Analog Act would cover it as a derivative of a banned substance, but no case has come to court yet. It could take years before it is scheduled in the U.S. and internationally.
Chemists in Shanghai and other major manufacturing centers are still out-inventing lawmakers the world over, quickly synthesizing new, legal variants of recently banned drugs. Isotonitazene and several variants of it are now being sold online, legally by Chinese suppliers offering bulk deals.
"Previously, isotonitazene was a niche drug used by internet drug geeks, or psychonauts, Logan said. But he now, as happened with fentanyl, there are bags of heroin on sale on the streets in the U.S. with mixtures containing isotonitazene, with users having no idea what they are buying."
There are other examples of vowelless sentences in Czech and Slovak, such as prd krt skrz drn, zprv zhlt hrst zrn, meaning "a mole farted through grass, having swallowed a handful of grains"
So, every -ist is an addict? How exactly does an addiction to vowels manifest itself? Do vowelists insist on buying game-show vowels even when a vowel is not needed to identify a word or phrase? Do vowelists suffer mercilessly when encountering languages such as Czech?
Strč prst skrz krk
--a Czech and Slovak tongue-twister meaning "stick a finger through the throat".
Political ponerology (originating from the Greek word for evil, poneros) is a science on the nature of evil adjusted for political purposes which ultimately on a larger scale results in a pathocracy.
Cross-cutting relationships is a principle of geology that states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features. It is a relative dating technique in geology. It was first developed by Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno in Dissertationis prodromus (1669) and later formulated by James Hutton in Theory of the Earth (1795) and embellished upon by Charles Lyell in Principles of Geology (1830).
The principle of faunal succession, also known as the law of faunal succession, is based on the observation that sedimentary rock strata contain fossilized flora and fauna, and that these fossils succeed each other vertically in a specific, reliable order that can be identified over wide horizontal distances. A fossilized Neanderthal bone will never be found in the same stratum as a fossilized Megalosaurus, for example, because neanderthals and megalosaurs lived during different geological periods, separated by many millions of years. This allows for strata to be identified and dated by the fossils found within.
The principle of lateral continuity states that layers of sediment initially extend laterally in all directions; in other words, they are laterally continuous. As a result, rocks that are otherwise similar, but are now separated by a valley or other erosional feature, can be assumed to be originally continuous.
The Principle of Original Horizontality states that layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.1 It is a relative dating technique. The principle is important to the analysis of folded and tilted strata. It was first proposed by the Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno (1638–1686).
The law of superposition is an axiom that forms one of the bases of the sciences of geology, archaeology, and other fields dealing with geological stratigraphy. It is a form of relative dating. In its plainest form, it states that in undeformed stratigraphic sequences, the oldest strata will be at the bottom of the sequence. This is important to stratigraphic dating, which assumes that the law of superposition holds true and that an object cannot be older than the materials of which it is composed.
“Take the red pill.” The term is popular in internet communities such as the alt-right and the manosphere, and refers to the scene in the film The Matrix in which the protagonist, Neo, is offered the choice between a blue pill that will allow him to remain safely deluded, or a red pill, which will allow him to discover the underlying truth about reality. The phrase has come to mean rejecting widely accepted truths — particularly those that relate to equality between races, genders and social groups — and choosing an alternative narrative about society. Such narratives lean, in many cases, towards racism, misogyny and other highly controversial beliefs. While this is not true of every single person who would consider themselves “redpilled”, the members of pretty much every alt-right group you might have heard of – incels, neo-Nazis, eco-fascists – will often consider themselves to have awakened in this way to their fringe theories and socially unacceptable beliefs.
How do the Jans, Chads, Janets, and Sharons of the world feel about the memeification of their names? While their experiences are obviously in no way comparable to people who face real-world, racially-motivated name discrimination, it is potentially frustrating to have a name that is part of pop culture. Just ask Harry Potter.
"Luce's climbing style was dynamic and determined and she seemed to thrive in the modern style of competition bouldering. Athletes and coaches sharing tributes online are recalling the energy that she brought to competitions with her ever-smiling presence.
Luce began climbing from a young age with her father on crags in the Chartreuse Massif near her home. In May, Luce ticked her first 8b+ on rock at a local crag, just weeks after French lockdown ended."
Many badger species are very social creatures and live in groups called a cete or clan. A clan shares territory and setts. Setts can be centuries old and are used by many generations of badgers. One sett can be 22 to 109 yards (20 to 100 meters) or more long.
Honey badgers became popular due to a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg) with a humorous voiceover. Honey badgers are known for their ferocity. Some fun facts about honey badgers:
* They are called ratels because of the rattling sound they make when they are being attacked.
* They have a resistance to snake venom.
* When attacking beehives, they release a fume that spreads throughout the hive.
* When attacking large animals, such as lions, they go for the scrotum.
Any substance added to the soil with the view of rendering it more fertile; specifically, and as used in leases and other contracts relating to real property, the excrementitious product of livestock, with refuse litter, accumulated, and used for enriching the land.
A diegetic sound is any sound that originates from the world of a production. A very simple way to think about diegetic sounds is to think of them as anything that’s real, or anything that could make sound in the world of a film. The sound doesn't have to be featured on-screen.
In fact, many diegetic sounds are not shown on-screen. Say there’s an emergency and an ambulance is called. The corresponding siren sound would be diegetic, even if it’s not shown on screen. This is because it’s a natural sound of the film world.
Examples of Diegetic Sounds
*Dialogue between characters
*Music played within the world. Piano playing at a restaurant, music in an elevator, a street performer banging drums.
*Sound effects such as: explosions, rain drops on a stormy night, wind whirring through a turbine, and many, many more.
The military has a long history of discriminating against servicemembers who either were or were perceived to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ). That history of discrimination included the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy in place from 1994 to 2011, as well as predecessor policies that were even more harsh, and extends to the current ban on service by openly transgender individuals. Under DADT and prior policies, between the end of World War II and the repeal of DADT, over 100,000 servicemembers were discharged with bad paper discharge because of their actual or perceived LGBTQ status. In addition, thousands of LGBTQ servicemembers were discharged with bad paper for behaviors—interpreted as inexcusable misconduct—that stemmed from the trauma of having to conceal their sexual or gender identity or were discharged for pretextual reasons, such as minor misconduct, when the true cause was discrimination against them due to their LGBTQ status.16 The nation’s history of discrimination against LGBTQ servicemembers is therefore another cause of bad paper discharges that is perpetuated when these veterans are turned away from VA without being allowed to apply.
PTSD and TBI Traumatic Brain Injury are considered the signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and both conditions can significantly impair a person’s ability to conform their behavior to the military’s standards. In particular, the symptoms of PTSD can lead to behaviors that are misinterpreted by military commanders, which in turn can lead to a bad paper discharge.
Every servicemember is assigned a “character of service” or “discharge status” upon leaving military service. While most servicemembers receive Honorable discharge statuses, a substantial percentage—approximately 7 percent of (American) veterans discharged since 1980—receive discharge statuses that are not Honorable, which are known as “bad paper.” Servicemembers usually get “bad paper” because of some alleged misconduct, though that misconduct frequently is minor, for a military-only offense, or not proved in any court. Studies also show that many servicemembers are separated with bad paper for misconduct related to a service-related mental or physical health condition or Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
Not everybody is equal when it comes to the transmission of infectious diseases. In fact, it has been established for at least two decades that there is something called the 20/80 rule – that a small core group of about one in five people transmit infections to far more people than the majority do.
On 2 February, the WHO declared there was a "massive infodemic" accompanying the outbreak and response, citing an over-abundance of reported information, accurate and false, about the virus that "makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."
The Hawaiian language uses two diacritical markings. The ‘okina is a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the syllables of "oh-oh." In print, the correct mark for designating an ‘okina is the single open quote mark. The kahako is a macron, which lengthens and adds stress to the marked vowel. For example 'pau,' depending on placement of ‘okina and kahako, can mean completed, smudge, moist or skirt.
The State of Hawai‘i and University of Hawai‘i strongly encourage use of Hawaiian diacritical markings.
"In many Polynesian cultures, it is believed that a person's errors (called hara or hala) caused illness. Some believe error angers the gods, others that it attracts malevolent gods, and still others believe the guilt caused by error made one sick. In most cases, however, specific 'untie-error' rites could be performed to atone for such errors and thereby diminish one's accumulation of them.
Among the islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, people believe that illness usually is caused by sexual misconduct or anger. "If you are angry for two or three days, sickness will come," said one local man. The therapy that counters this sickness is confession. The patient, or a family member, may confess. If no one confesses an error, the patient may die. The Vanuatu people believe that secrecy is what gives power to the illness. When the error is confessed, it no longer has power over the person.
Like many other islanders, including Hawaiians, people of Tikopia in the Solomon Islands, and on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, believe that the sins of the father will fall upon the children. If a child is sick, the parents are suspected of quarreling or misconduct. In addition to sickness, social disorder could cause sterility of land or other disasters. Harmony could be restored only by confession and apology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoʻoponopono (grave accent mark messes up link; must copy and paste. In Hawaiian, the grave accent is not placed over another character but is sometimes encountered as a typographically easier substitute for the ʻokina: Hawai`i instead of Hawaiʻi.).
Another ad, which was popular with focus groups in Minneapolis, Kansas City and Denver, was titled “Festivals for everything from mud to testicles.” The latter refers to a Father’s Day weekend Testicle Festival, at the Round the Bend Steakhouse east of Ashland, that features deep-fried sheep and beef testicles.
"Equilibristics is a blanket term for a number of circus skills which involve balancing or maintaining equilibrium. The term applies equally to acts in which the performer balances on a prop, and acts in which the performer balances or spins a prop. Many different tricks and stunts fit into this category. Some well-known examples of equilibristics include juggling, baton twirling, unicycle riding, stilt walking, tightrope walking, the manipulation of devil sticks, plate spinning, and some acrobatics. Couch juggling is a stunt in which one lies on one's back, balancing an upended sofa on the soles of one's feet. The couch is flipped end-for-end and caught at the other end, beginning a spin which is maintained by deft movements of the feet. This stunt can also be performed with a canoe, or any other large and unwieldy object. It can even be performed as a gymnastic stunt, using a human gymnast as the juggled object. Technically, balancing a cane on the tip of a finger is an equilibristic stunt, but generally equilibristics is more flashy."
"During times of rapid change, there is always a lag between events and our perception and understanding of those events. “Thought” is past tense. Reflection is always after the fact. Someone once said that “time makes hypocrites of us all”, but what that really means is that there is a dissonance between change and the adequacy of our responses to that change. We are already living in the future, but our thinking is still in the past, so that we live divided between the past and the future."
Some phenotypes (characteristics) of people who have Russell–Silver syndrome are inadequate catch-up growth in the first two years, body asymmetry, lack of appetite, low-set posteriorly rotated ears, clinodactyly* (inward curving) of the 5th finger, webbed toes, non-descended testicles, weak muscle tone, delayed bone age, downturned corners of mouth and thin upper lip, hypospadias, high-pitched voice, small chin, delayed closure of the fontanel, hypoglycemia, and a bossed forehead.
The omoluwabi is a philosophical and cultural concept that's native to the Yoruba people. It's used to describe a person of good character. The omoluabi concept signifies courage, hard work, humility and respect. An omoluabi is a person of honor who believes in hard work, respects the rights of others, and gives to the community in deeds and in action. Above all, an omoluwabi is a person of integrity.
The Omoluwabi concept is an adjectival Yoruba phrase, which has the words - "Omo + ti + Olu-iwa + bi" as its components. Literally translated and taken separately, omo means 'child', ti means 'that or which', Olu-iwa means the chief or master of Iwa (character), bi means 'born'. When combined, omoluabi translates as "the baby begotten by the chief of iwa". Such a child is thought of as a paragon of excellence in character.
More than 1 in 5 wealthy people pay an extra fee for direct access to their doctor, according to a new poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. For low and middle income people, the rates are less than half that.
also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value.
The newspaper report of 1 September featured in the comments suggests that Annie Anderson may have been involved in prostitution. This is made more explicit in a report of a later arrest in the Shields Daily Gazette for 21 July 1904, 'disorderly house' being a euphemism for brothel.
"At North Shields Annie Anderson (34) was charged with keeping a disorderly house in Liddell Street on July 1st. Sergt. G. Scougal proved the case. Chief Constable Huish said that the prisoner was convicted for a similar offence on March 28th of this year, and committed for one month. Immediately she came out of prison she went back to the room and continued to carry on the house in the same manner as before. The complaints received by the police about it were serious. Defendant, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for three months with hard labour".
So you're a medieval landlord, collecting property rent from your peasants in eels. How do you measure them?
Eels were usually counted in units called sticks (25 eels) -- likely from the number of eels you can smoke on a stick at one time. 10 sticks of eels was called a bind.
necker's knob: A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
The plot thickens... "leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion."
A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
The opihi, or Cellana exarata, is an edible shellfish of the limpet species of molluscs. There are 3 types in Hawaii. The opihi alinalina or yellowfoot is one. The opihi makaiauli or blackfoot is the second. And the opihi ko`ele or giant opihi is the third. Most say they prefer the taste of the opihi alinalina or yellowfoot.
According to local researchers, the opihis are probably the most expensive seafood in Hawaii. In terms of cost of the delicacy (including the shell), one can value it in the range of $150 a gallon. A long time ago, pickers were selling over 140,000 pounds annually. Today, there are only 13,000 pounds harvested annually. This due to diminished stock and over harvesting. Despite this, demand for opihis remains very high.
In Eastern Christianity, a passion bearer (Russian: страстотéрпец, tr. strastoterpets, IPA: strəstɐˈtʲɛrpʲɪts) is one of the various customary titles for saints used in commemoration at divine services when honouring their feast on the Church Calendar; it is not generally used in the Latin Church.
The term can be defined as a person who faces his or her death in a Christ-like manner. Unlike martyrs, passion bearers are not explicitly killed for their faith.
Notable passion bearers include the brothers Boris and Gleb, Alexander Schmorell (member of the White Rose resistance movement), and the entire Imperial Family of Russia, executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
Woke (/ˈwoʊk/) as a political term of African American origin refers to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice. It is derived from the African-American Vernacular English expression "stay woke", whose grammatical aspect refers to a continuing awareness of these issues.
This term describes a form of boycott in which someone (usually a celebrity) who has shared a questionable or unpopular opinion, or has had behavior that is perceived to be either offensive or problematic called out on social media is "canceled"; they are completely boycotted by many of their followers or supporters, often leading to massive declines in celebrities' (almost always social media personalities) careers and fanbase.
Call-out culture (also known as outrage culture) is a form of public shaming that aims to hold individuals and groups accountable for their actions by calling attention to behavior that is perceived to be problematic, usually on social media. A variant of the term, cancel culture, describes a form of boycott in which someone (usually a celebrity) who has shared a questionable or unpopular opinion, or has had behavior that is perceived to be either offensive or problematic called out on social media is "canceled"; they are completely boycotted by many of their followers or supporters, often leading to massive declines in celebrities' (almost always social media personalities) careers and fanbase.
Steal This Book is a book written by Abbie Hoffman. Written in 1970 and published in 1971, the book exemplified the counterculture of the sixties. The book sold more than a quarter of a million copies between April and November 1971.
The book is, in the style of the counterculture, mainly focused on ways to fight the government, and against corporations in any way possible. The book is written in the form of a guide to the youth. Hoffman, a political and social activist himself, used many of his own activities as the inspiration for some of his advice in Steal This Book.
Culture jamming (sometimes guerrilla communication) is a tactic used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. It attempts to "expose the methods of domination" of a mass society to foster progressive change. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming
Anonymous Christian is the controversial notion introduced by the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner (1904–1984) that declares that people who have never heard the Christian Gospel might be saved through Christ. Non-Christians could have "in their basic orientation and fundamental decision," Rahner wrote, "accepted the salvific grace of God, through Christ, although they may never have heard of the Christian revelation.
Black dog syndrome or big black dog syndrome is a phenomenon in which black dogs are passed over for adoption in favor of lighter-colored animals. Animal shelters often use the term BBD, or big black dog, to describe the type of larger dark-colored mixed-breed said to be typically passed over by adopters. Black cats suffer the same problem in shelters, being passed over for adoption in favor of other coat colors.
Example: nasutus: One of a caste of termites in which the head is prolonged into a point like a long nose. A duct opens at the extremity of the point and from it issues a fluid used as a cement in. constructing the nest.
Smith Volcano, also known as Mount Babuyan, is a cinder cone on Babuyan Island, the northernmost of the Babuyan group of islands on Luzon Strait, north of the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, which last erupted in 1924.
Nike's Air Max line of running shoes is a prime example in which a single model of a shoe is often produced for years, but the color and material combination ( " colorway " ) is changed every few months, or different colorways are offered in different markets.
Yarn with multiple shades of the same hue are called " omber ", while a yarn with multiple hues may be known as a given " colorway " a green, red and yellow yarn might be dubbed the " Parrot Colorway " by its manufacturer, for example . " Heathered " yarns contain small amounts of fiber of different colors, while " tweed " yarns may have greater amounts of different colored fibers.
The firm made wallpaper by block printing, where blocks of wood are carved and printed for each colorway of a design, and fabrics were produced using the indigo-discharge dyeing method, where cloth is stained a deep indigo, then designs are bleached out so that they can be dyed other colors.
But I want to pay the registration fee! I demand the opportunity to pay the registration fee in order to be initiated into the Illuminati ScamHood. Why are you depriving me of this great opportunity, wesleybrandon? I have money to burn and a hole in my pocket.
I am not interested in owning a Lamborghini, though. I'd love an adult tricycle instead (yellow and with a basket.)
Coordinated inauthentic behavior is a Facebook cybersecurity term defined as “when groups of pages or people work together to mislead others about who they are or what they’re doing.”
Accounts with CIB were based on their behavior and not the content posted. Activity was coordinated and used fake accounts to misrepresent. For example, accounts from China were removed for what was described as a "disinformation campaign against pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong."
The logical error of concentrating on the people or things that made it past some selection process and then overlooking those that did not, typically because of their lack of visibility. This can lead to false conclusions in several different ways. It is a form of selection bias.
Wellywood is an informal name for the city of Wellington, New Zealand. The name—a conflation of Wellington and Hollywood—is a reference to the film production business established in the city.
The snares collected by the anti-poaching units of (PaintedDog.org) who turn them into animal sculptures. Through sales of these snares and other crafts they spread the conversation message of the painted dogs both to their own community and internationally.
Scheele's Green was used as a color for paper, e.g. for wallpapers and paper hangings, and in paints, wax candles, and even on some children's toys. It was also used to dye cotton and linen.
Despite evidence of its high toxicity, Scheele's Green was also used as a food dye for sweets such as green blancmange, a fondness of traders in 19th-century Greenock; this led to a long-standing Scottish prejudice against green sweets.
"Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to minimise negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights - it focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop using drugs as a precondition of support.
Harm reduction encompasses a range of health and social services and practices that apply to illicit and licit drugs. These include, but are not limited to, drug consumption rooms, needle and syringe programmes, non-abstinence-based housing and employment initiatives, drug checking, overdose prevention and reversal, psychosocial support, and the provision of information on safer drug use. Approaches such as these are cost-effective, evidence-based and have a positive impact on individual and community health."
This reminds me of the Medieval dunking ordeal to find out if a woman is a witch. If she drowns and dies, she's innocent. In this case, vomiting poison determines your innocence... but it could STILL kill you in the process. See tanghin.
"In Madagascar, one way of determining guilt is to poison you, and see if you spew."
Today the dialect is highly endangered, with only a few elderly native speakers. It is thought that any remaining speakers live in or around Old Mines, Missouri.
Hardscape refers to hard landscape materials in the built environment structures that are incorporated into a landscape. This can include paved areas, driveways, retaining walls, sleeper walls, stairs, walkways, and any other landscaping made up of hard-wearing materials such as wood, stone, and concrete, as opposed to softscape, the horticultural elements of a landscape.
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of the clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization or laicisation) is the removal of a bishop, priest or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy.
I'm still unclear on the meaning. Is being happy, dressed in black, and wearing rubber tips on one's fingers the only criteria for being a nickel thrower?
Loogan (sometimes spelled loogin or lugan, according to the Historical Dictionary of American Slang) is no longer used to mean “a minor hoodlum,” though hood, recorded by Kendall, is still used to mean “a petty gangster.”
I found LOOGAN in Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary of 1825 with a definition of “a rogue” and in a couple of prison slang lists online meaning “mentally ill prisoner."
receiver: In portable breech-loading firearms, the steel frame screwed to the breech end of the barrel, which receives the bolt or block, gives means of securing for firing, facilitates loading, and holds the ejector, cut-off, etc.
mustard-seed: A very fine kind of shot used by ornithologists and taxidermists for shooting birds with least injury to the plumage; dust-shot. The name includes No. 10 shot and finer numbers.
Leech houses were used to store the worms—often in special containers of moist earth—and keep them alive and fresh until they were needed by druggists or doctors.
Noun. malternative (plural malternatives) An alcoholic beverage, an alternative to beer, that contains some malt alcohol and may contain other types of alcohol.
Noun. malternative (plural malternatives) An alcoholic beverage, an alternative to beer, that contains some malt alcohol and may contain other types of alcohol.
PR Newswire coined the term “Social Echo” to describe “the powerful reverberation around brands that occurs through the millions of conversations in the social networks and communities where people gather today.”
In PR Newswire’s view, “A brand’s Social Echo has enormous power to shape reputation, influence mass opinion and drive growth. Social Echo has equal – and perhaps even greater – power to stop a brand dead in its tracks.”
They go on to say that…
“Marketers and communicators who understand this are actively engaged in listening to their Social Echo and in finding ways to participate in the conversations that comprise their Social Echo. Importantly, they are also gleaning real-time insights to apply back to their brands in every area – customer care, product development, brand positioning and messaging, innovation and more.
"An obscure hymn-writer, whose verses have been sung in all parts of the world, was Thomas Bilby, parish clerk of St. Mary's Church, Islington, between the years 1842 and 1872. He was the parish schoolmaster also, and thus maintained the traditions of his office handed down from mediæval times. Before the days of School Boards it was not unusual for the clerk to teach the children of the working classes the three R's and religious knowledge, charging a fee of twopence per week for each child. "
(The intimacy coordinator) will intervene in small but important ways, like giving a performer something to cover their private parts, knee pads, mouth spray or flavored lubricant, etc.
Tsundoku (Japanese: 積ん読) is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them.
The term originated in the Meiji era (1868–1912) as Japanese slang. It combines elements of tsunde-oku (積んでおく, to pile things up ready for later and leave) and dokusho (読書, reading books). It is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf. As currently written, the word combines the characters for "pile up" (積) and the character for "read" (読).
Suggesting that two wrongs equal a right. For example, suggesting that a particular CEO can mislead shareholders because some other CEO mislead shareholders even more.
A logical fallacy in which two completely opposing arguments appear to be logically equivalent when in fact they are not. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency.
False equivalence arguments are often used in journalism and in politics, where the minor flaws of one candidate may be compared to major flaws of another.
“ 'Mis-carriage,' in an insidious way, suggests fault for the mother - as if she dropped something, or failed to 'carry.' ”
Using the hashtags #WeNeedANewName and #MoreCommonThanYouHearAbout, Vmiscarriage happens far more frequently than some might think and that, ultimately, changing its name might help conversations about miscarriage flow more freely, as couples will no longer feel like they're being judged for the biological event over which they have little to no control.
'"So many women feel shame about losing a baby even though there is nothing shameful about it. But nevertheless, this often stops them from talking openly about their loss..."
Any suggestions for a new term? Leave suggestion(s) at hashtags above.
"Asian Americans argue that racial considerations have made them a victim of their own academic success. They tend to get better grades and score higher on standardized tests than other races but claim they are frequently rejected as a result of “racial balancing,” which is akin to racial quotas and has been ruled unconstitutional."
In Latvian, your favorite person is your sirds puķīte, a.k.a. “the little flower of your heart.” Another endearment for a loved one is sirsniņa: “little heart” (this is a noun with a feminine ending) or sometimes just sirds.
The person you love most is described in English as “the apple of your eye.” The phrase originates in Old English and means the pupil of the eye, which reflects the image of the one you’re looking at. In Latvian, your favorite person is your sirds puķīte, a.k.a. “the little flower of your heart.” Another endearment for a loved one is sirsniņa: “little heart” (this is a noun with a feminine ending) or sometimes just sirds.
Chocolate bloom refers two types of whitish coating that can appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
Chocolate bloom refers two types of whitish coating that can appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
Chocolate bloom refers to two types of whitish coating that appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
TV trope. The last character left alive to confront the killer. The character is almost ALWAYS female, a virgin, fully clothed, avoids death by sex, doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs.
The term was coined by Carol J. Colver in her 1992 book, Men, Women, And Chain Saws: Gender In The Modern Horror Film.
"I drank two cocktails, three glasses of sherry, a quart of champagne and several ponies of Cointreau. The show seemed to get better and better as it went ...
pony a small drinking glass or the drink contained in it.
"The term psychogeography was invented by the Marxist theorist Guy Debord in 1955. Inspired by the French nineteenth-century poet and writer Charles Baudelaire’s concept of the flâneur – an urban wanderer – Debord suggested playful and inventive ways of navigating the urban environment in order to examine its architecture and spaces.
The reimagining of the city proposed by psychogeography has its roots in dadaism and surrealism, art movements which explored ways of unleashing the subconscious imagination. Tristam Hillier’s paintings such as La Route des Alpes 1937 could be described as an early example of the concept.
Psychogeography gained popularity in the 1990s when artists, writers, and filmmakers such as Iain Sinclair and Patrick Keiller began using the idea to create works based on exploring locations by walking."
An elite unit of the Norwegian police that investigates organized crime and missing persons, for example. They have specialized technical and forensic expertise. They are currently investigating the disappearance of Arjen Kamphuis, a Dutch cybersecurity expert for Wikileaks. "Arjen Kamphuis is a Digital Self Defence professional. Every day he helps people keep their secrets safe in the digital world. He has seen firsthand how government-funded spying, hacking and security programs fall into the wrong hands and cause more harm than good. He argues that it is time we all start keeping ourselves safe by taking responsibility for our own digital defenses and letting go of the idea that we’re just not smart enough to adapt."
Men's Bread, Fairy Hearts Turkey Pork Sausage, boys walking rein and harness (blue), girls walking rein and harness (pink), pet shampoo (for him, for her).
"In 1966, the late sociologist Robert Bellah presented a now-classic essay, “Civil Religion in America.” The essay is about religion in public life, and how American politicians created a sense of shared national identity around general religious claims. Since then, sociologists and political theorists have argued about how inclusive civil religion really is (Does it include atheists or other minority groups who aren’t Christian? Lots of Americans don’t seem to think so.), but the theory is useful for highlighting how much of American political life takes on a religious tone."
"The ad blocker should not be seen as a selfish technology. It is a socialist cudgel—something that forces otherwise lazy capitalists to find new and inventive ways to make their creations sustainable. Ad blockers are one of the few tools users have to fight against the need to monetize fast and big because it troubles the predictability of readily traceable attention."
"Based on observations of three technology-rich Bay Area middle schools, Rafalow examined whether the skills students develop through digital play are considered cultural capital — skills, habits, and dispositions that that can be traded for success in school and work."
Jenny Edkins (Trauma and memory politics) explores how we remember traumatic events such as wars, famines, genocides and terrorism. She argues that remembrance does not have to be nationalistic but can instead challenge the political systems that produced the violence. Using examples from the World Wars, Vietnam, the Holocaust, Kosovo and September 11th, Edkins analyzes the practices of memory rituals through memorials, museums and remembrance ceremonies. This wide-ranging study embraces literature, history, politics and international relations, in an original contribution to the study of memory.
"Ukraine’s memory politics do not exclude women entirely. In 2016, the UINM chose to focus on women when commemorating the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The title of the institute’s project was “War makes no exceptions. Female history of the Second World War”. The intention to focus on women’s experiences in order to “reveal the criminal nature of war” seems admirable. But the 12 stories of both military and civilian women chosen by the UINM simply replicate a male pantheon rather than challenge the very tradition of glorifying the war through its heroes. The difference is that the male heroes are celebrated every year, whereas the female figures only once in a while, as part of a special project."
Such laws, however, do not have to pass to have a chilling effect. In 2014, I met Kyrgyz LGBTQI organisation Labrys, who said that lesbians and trans men already faced corrective rape, and gay men and trans women were often beaten and sometimes killed. Such attacks have since intensified. Soon after I went back to London, Labrys shut down their Facebook page, and had to sell the house where I first met them after it was subjected to an arson attack in 2015. They resurfaced last year, and in March I returned to Bishkek to meet a new generation of activists who, amidst the confusion and hostility, are fighting to make Kyrgyzstan more open to diversity of gender and sexuality.
At the Pasteur Institute in Paris Mechnikov was engaged in work associated with the establishment of his theory of cellular immunity, which, like many great advances in science, encountered considerable hostility. He published, during this period, several papers and two volumes on the comparative pathology of inflammation (1892), and his treatise entitled L’Immunité dans les Maladies Infectieuses (Immunity in infectious diseases, 1901). In 1908 he was awarded, together with Paul Ehrlich, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Biomedical gerontology, also known as experimental gerontology and life extension, is a sub-discipline of biogerontology that endeavors to slow, prevent, and even reverse aging in both humans and animals. Most "life extensionists" believe the human life span can be increased within the next century, if not sooner. biogerontologists vary in the degree to which they focus on the study of the aging process as a means of mitigating the diseases of aging or extending lifespan, although most agree that extension of lifespan will necessarily flow from reductions in age-related disease and frailty, although some argue that maximum life span cannot be altered or that it is undesirable to try. The area of geroscience is a recently formulated interdisciplinary field that embraces biomedical gerontology as the center of preventing diseases of aging through science emerging at the interface of the biology of aging and age-related disease.
"...so-called sneaker waves sometimes claim lives of the unwary along the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
Tuba Ozkan-Haller, a wave researcher at Oregon State University, recommends that when people go to the beach in Northern California, Oregon and Washington state — which because of the nature of the coastline are susceptible to sneaker waves — they study the wave action and ensure escape routes aren’t blocked by rocks or cliffs."
The term “calendering” refers to any of several processes in which fabric is subjected to great pressure and/or heat, in a type of ironing using large rollers.
For the study and collection of beetles, see coleopterology.
Beetling is the pounding of linen or cotton fabric to give a flat, lustrous effect. The process by which fabrics, etc. are beetled, or beaten with a mallet. Within Ireland, beetling was first introduced by Hamilton Maxwell in 1725. Beetling is part of the finishing of the linen cloth. The hammering tightens the weave and gives the cloth a smooth feel. The process was gradually phased out, in lieu of calendering. A similarity is the compression; however, with calendering, the finish does not remain for the life of the cloth. This distinguishes it from beetling.
Beetling eyebrows are thick and stick out from the face: He glared at me under beetling brows.
"When a dog crouches forward with its elbows on the ground and its rear end in the air, wagging tail and all, that's a play bow. The position is the ultimate sign of playfulness, which is important for a species that often uses playtime as practice for attacking prey.
The play bow first evolved in canids as a form of communication. When a dog sees another dog it wants to play with, it extends its front paws forward and lifts up its behind as a visual invitation to engage in a friendly play session. Dogs will "bow" in the middle of playtime to show that they're having fun and wish to continue, or when a session has paused to signal they want to pick it back up. Play bows can also be a sort of apology: When the roughhousing gets too rough, a bow says, “I’m sorry I hurt you. Can we keep playing?' "
Amnesty International on Thursday accused Nigeria's government of carrying out unlawful arrests and practicing "enforced disappearance" -- detention without trial -- to suppress dissent.
"Countries are increasingly copying the marketing tactics that companies use to raise their profiles, and let people know that they are open for business. Welcome to the world of nation branding.
A strong country brand should encourage tourists, trading partners and investors all at once. But having a snazzy logo, and an advertising budget won't sell a product that people don't want."
The best way to improve a country's image is for it to contribute to the well-being of the world beyond its borders rather than spending money on advertising.
"If you really want to earn a better reputation, the best thing you can do is stop chasing after it."
Among the Ga, the people who are indigenous to Ghana's capital, Accra, a woman is entitled to a live sheep on the delivery of her 10th child. The word for it is "nyongmato".
The first time I heard this word I was watching "To Kill a Mockingbird".
Mayella Ewell in the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962): "I was sittin' on the porch, and he come along. Uh, there's this old chifforobe in the yard, and I-I said, 'You come in here, boy, and bust up this chifforobe, and I'll give you a nickel.'"
On Twitter: "Today I asked my class to come up with a pair of terms that share a denotative meaning but whose connotative meanings differ and one student offered BUTT DIAL and BOOTY CALL."
"Make America Great Again" Americans (from Donald Trump's political slogan). As described on fivethirtyeight.com:
"Right Trolls behave like “bread-and-butter MAGA Americans, only all they do is talk about politics all day long.”
"Left Trolls often adopt the personae of Black Lives Matter activists, typically expressing support for Bernie Sanders and derision for Hillary Clinton, along with “clearly trying to divide the Democratic Party and lower voter turnout."
Sounds like a note brought to school as an excuse for something. "Dear Mrs. Frye: I couldn't finish my homework. We had a grasshopper escapement at home. You do believe me, don't you?'
Shadow banning isn't a new concept; it's frequently used in forums and on other social networks as an alternative to banning someone outright.
Instead of kicking someone off, shadow banning makes a person's post visible only to the user who created it. The idea is to protect others from harmful content while eventually prompting the shadow-banned user to voluntarily leave a forum due to a lack of engagement.
If a user is banned outright, the thinking goes, the person is aware of it and will likely just set up another account and continue the offending behavior.
Shadow banning is typically used to stop bots and trolls and is effective in combating bots where 'bot herders' who maintain these accounts don't necessarily know whether or not their bots are actually being seen by other people.
"Shadow banning: What it is -- and what it isn't", Alfred Ng, cnet.com, 26 July 2018
How does one add 110,098 words to a list? For me, and even if I managed to copy and paste hundreds or thousands of words, I'd still have to insert a semi-colon between those words. Is there a shortcut? An easier method I’m not using?
Here's the tree-free paper alternatives list. I tried before but I couldn't get my link to work, even with single curly braces. Okay, great. It works now.
qms: I'm looking for plant-based milks, so, yes, poppy milk qualifies. When I looked it up, I discovered that poppy milk (aguonų pienas) is a traditional Lithuanian drink or soup, one of the 12-dishes Christmas Eve Supper Kūčios. Usually, it is eaten together with kūčiukai, another traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dish. Thank you.
I will open this list with the understanding that only plant-based milks are added. Thank you.
I've been on a silly quest to sample many of these "milks". Just yesterday, I tried macadamia milk. I doubt if I'll be able to even find any candlenut milk, but is does exist! I'm also particularly interested in trying some black walnut milk. Will it have the unique flavor of black walnuts?
BTW, the dairy industry is trying relentlessly to force manufacturers of these non-dairy products from using the word "milk" when marketing their products. They claim that milk comes from mammals, not plants. The non-dairy milk people insist this is not able semantics, but because their product is affecting the popularity of goat / cow milk.
I thought this was paper made from the feces of an elephant. and not just "big" paper. I've read about paper made from elephant, rhino, and other herbivores.
Scottish. A football fan, esp of Rangers FC or Celtic FC, who exhibits religious bigotry at matches but does not consider him- or herself to be bigoted outside a football context.
I intended to start a list like this one, but after finding your impressive and thorough list, I figured: why bother? Love it. I've added it to my list of favorite lists.
ru: the day you started contributing to wordnik was--and continues to be!-- pure awesomeness. I love the way you think. You should be on a remarkable list yourself: a list of remarkable people! ♥♥♥♥
There are many words for pass in the English-speaking world. In the United States, pass is very common in the West, the word gap is common in the southern Appalachians, notch in parts of New England, and saddle in northern Idaho. Scotland has the Gaelic term bealach (anglicised "balloch"), while Wales has the similar bwlch. In the Lake District of north-west England, the term hause is often used, although the term pass is also common—one distinction is that a pass can refer to a route, as well as the highest part thereof, while a hause is simply the highest part, often flattened somewhat into a high-level plateau.--Wikipedia
In video games, and particularly eSports, commentators are often called shoutcasters; this term is derived from the free plugin for <i>Winamp</i> called <i>SHOUTcast</i>, which enabled users to live-stream audio-only feeds across the Internet.
Mansplaining (a blend of the word man and the informal form splaining of the verb explaining) means "(of a man) to comment on or explain something to a woman in a condescending, overconfident, and often inaccurate or oversimplified manner". Lily Rothman of "The Atlantic" defines it as "explaining without regard to the fact that the explainee knows more than the explainer, often done by a man to a woman". Author Rebecca Solnit ascribes the phenomenon to a combination of "overconfidence and cluelessness".
In its original use, mansplaining differed from other forms of condescension in that it is rooted in the sexist assumption that a man is likely to be more knowledgeable than a woman. However, it has come to be used more broadly, often applied when a man takes a condescending tone in an explanation to anyone, regardless of the age or gender of the intended recipients: a "man 'splaining" can be delivered to any audience. In 2010 it was named by the New York Times as one of its "Words of the Year".
A widespread phenomenon that "keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men's unsupported overconfidence.
To measure the women’s biological age, the researchers looked at the length of telomeres in their white blood cells. Telomeres are the dangly bits at the end of chromosomes that shorten every time a cell divides. Their length is considered a measure of cellular age.
Between three and five years later, 250 of the women came back so researchers could calculate their risk of developing heart disease in the next decade – known as their Framingham score. This takes account of risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight.
As expected, the team found that women with lower egg counts had higher Framingham scores, but they also had shorter telomeres. Previous studies have suggested that shorter telomeres are linked with heart disease, dementia and cancer, and also with a shorter lifespan. So women with fewer eggs may also be at higher risk of other age-related diseases, although epidemiological studies will be needed to bolster this link."
(The Framingham Risk Score is a gender-specific algorithm used to estimate the 10-year cardiovascular risk of an individual. The Framingham Risk Score was first developed based on data obtained from the Framingham Heart Study, to estimate the 10-year risk of developing coronary heart disease. In order to assess the 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, cerebrovascular events, peripheral artery disease and heart failure were subsequently added as disease outcomes for the 2008 Framingham Risk Score, on top of coronary heart disease.)
(Noun) A private technology company that was formerly valued at $1bn or more (slang, vulg)
Silicon Valley is nothing if not inventive, and that applies to language as much as product development. Three years ago, Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures, coined “unicorn” to capture the phenomenon of private technology companies achieving valuations of $1bn and more. She likened these desirable ventures to the mythical horned creature often represented in the shape of a horse.
More recently, in response to the declines in value of some unicorns, Ms Lee has concocted a less mythological variant: the “unicorpse”. It is one of a number of unicorn-related neologisms, including “My Little Pony” (a start-up worth $10m or more), the “Centaur” ($100m start-up) and the impressive “quinquagintacorn” (you work it out*).
--Financial TImes (article available for subscribers only)
The ancient concept of animal guides, particularly prominent in some indigenous, especially Native American, religions and cultures, was adopted in Pagan and Wiccan spirituality in the 1990s. In these contexts, spirit animals are meant literally, referring to spiritual guides or totems that take the form of animals.
Please do not kick or pound me if your pellets don't fall immediately. And don't press my buttons over and over. Be patient and you will receive your due reward.
"Australia's iconic koala has a problem that keeps boomeranging back.
Chlamydia, a type of sexually transmitted disease also found in humans, has hit wild koalas hard, with some wild populations seeing a 100 percent infection rate." --National Geographic, 14 April 2018
Likewise, necropsy is also necropsied. Most users seem to prefer the noun form. "The pathologist decided to forego a necropsy of the dead bilby on the side of the road."
Peter Haff coined the term technosphere (in 2014). He defines the technosphere as “the global, energy consuming techno-social system that is comprised of humans, technological artifacts, and technological systems, together with the links, protocols, and information that bind all these parts together.”
Basically, the technosphere is the vast, sprawling combination of humanity and its technology. Haff argues that in our thousands of years of harnessing technology – including the first technologies like stone tools, wheels and crops – the technology itself has basically begun to act practically independently, creating a new sphere (i.e., like the biosphere or atmosphere or lithosphere), but like nothing the planet has ever seen before.
“I would argue that domesticated animals and plants, as well as humans, are parts of the technosphere,” said Haff. “These are in effect manufactured by the technosphere for its own use on the basis of genetic blueprints appropriated from the biosphere.”
Blackbirding has continued to the present day in developing countries. One example is the kidnapping and coercion at gunpoint of indigenous people in Central America to work as plantation laborers in the region, where they are exposed to heavy pesticide loads and do backbreaking work for very little pay.
Dog meat has been eaten in every major German crisis at least since the time of Frederick the Great, and is commonly referred to as "blockade mutton."
--GERMANY: Dachshunds Are Tenderer, 25 November 1940. Time Magazine.
To a war menu which already included fish-fed poultry, decrepit horses, goats, and numerous zoo animals, Germany last week added those of its dogs which had not been killed by an earlier decree to save food. A new law, effective January 1, 1940, states that dogs, wolves, foxes, bears, badgers and wild hogs have been legalized as meat. After being inspected for trichina, their carcasses will be dressed, stamped and distributed to butchers for rationing to general consumers.
bilby: Have you ever visited Hastings Caves south of Hobart, or Mole Creek Karst National Park west of Launceston? I read somewhere that these sites have colonies of glowworms to see.
The newest addition to the modern dating lexicon. Named after the fictional child phantom, Casper, it’s a friendly alternative to ghosting. Instead of ignoring someone, you’re honest about how you feel, and let them down gently before disappearing from their lives.
"...the idea that the more “aromatic” (i.e. smelly) organic compounds foods share, the better they will taste together."
"...dishes whose ingredients share few compounds in common can also taste delicious; a 2011 analysis of more than 50,000 recipes found that while cuisines from Western Europe and North America tended to use ingredients with shared compounds, ingredients from East Asian recipes tended not to."
--An Illustrated Guide to Matching Foods' Flavor Molecules, Wired, 6 March 2018,
"On July 3, 2006, Amanda gave birth to fraternal twin girls, and the ecstatic parents gave their daughters intertwined names: One would be Millie Marcia Madge Biggs, the other Marcia Millie Madge Biggs."
In Australia, the term "flogger" is sometimes used rather than "pom-pom". Floggers are very large, heavy pom-poms in the team's colors. They sometimes require more than one person to lift them, and they are waved about when a goal is scored.
Floggers are an important part of Australian rules football culture and cheer-squads.
"In an interview with GQ magazine, the "Mummy" star said the alleged incident took place during HFPA luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2003. He alleged that former HFPA president, Philip Berk, came to shake his hand when he was leaving the crowded room. "His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around," Fraser said, adding that in that moment he was overcome with panic and fear."I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry," Fraser added."
Information which is available and relevant to a decision or action, but which is undiscovered or ignored, bringing unnecessary risk to the decision or action.
COMMENT: she is nothing!. shes famous for a sex video and having lip injections and butt implants. Its too bad she breaths the same air as everyone else, such a waste. Well the whole clan is, from Bruce Jenner aka "caitlyn" to kylie and kendall Jenner. I know i should just skip over anything about them, but i had to see about her sending her haters stuff. I think its just for attention.
REPLY: There was literally no need to deadname Caitlyn in your little rant. If you don't like the Kardashians then don't click on the articles.
(I did not correct any of the punctuation, etc, even though it was tempting.)
Would someone please define deadname? I'm a bit confused. The Twitter feed is all over the place with examples, but none nail it.
In cluttering, the breakdowns in clarity that accompany a perceived rapid and/or irregular speech rate are often characterized by deletion and/or collapsing of syllables (e.g., "I wanwatevision") and/or omission of word endings (e.g., "Turn the televisoff"). The breakdowns in fluency are often characterized by more typical disfluencies (e.g., revisions, interjections) and/or pauses in places in sentences not expected grammatically, such as "I will go to the/store and buy apples".--http://www.asha.org/
A well-known example of a nurse name (from a surname) is "Chips" (Professor Arthur Chipping from the 1969 film "Good-bye, Mr. Chips".)
Prior to Professor Chipping's marriage, however, and his subsequent personality change, his pupils called him "Ditchy," short for "dull as ditch-water."
Not sure if "Ditchy" is a "nurse name" since it isn't a term of endearment, but it is a nickname of sorts.
Ha, regarding your Great Aunt Lalla. My guess is that numerous "nurse names" found their origins via baby talk or a toddler's (temporary) fluency disorder.
As described in some old texts, a nurse name is a contraction or an affectionate nickname. One example I found was HUBE, a "nurse name" for HUBERT. Other examples weren't shortened versions of one's given name but as terms of endearment, such as LITTLE ANGEL or DEAR ONE.
"English teachers spent the bulk of year 10 teaching and marking coursework essays, and didn’t get on to doing mocks until year 11. I was really pleased when coursework was abolished as I felt it would free up so much more time for teachers to plan and teach, instead of mark and administer coursework. However, it does appear as though a lot of this gained time has now been replaced with equally time-consuming mock marking with mocks being introduced more and more in year 10. Many schools have three assessment points a year. If you were to do two mock papers three times a year in both year 10 and 11, then a teacher who taught one year 10 class and one year 11 class would spend 120 hours of the year marking GCSE mocks. That’s three normal working weeks, or nearly 10% of the contracted 1,265 annual hours of directed time."
What are the definitions for mocks and mock marking in the context above?
The retail store Target is sometimes referred to as TAR-zhay. It's supposed to sound French, and thus high-class. This unofficial name change, initiated by customers, took place around the time Target began using some well-known designer(s) to spiffy up their low-priced wares. The term has been used by The New York Times.
Chaetoderma elegans is a species of glisten worm, a kind of shell-less, worm-like mollusk in the family Chaetodermidae. This species is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. --wikipedia
An Icelandic tradition known as jólabókaflóð (Christmas book flood). Books are exchanged as Christmas Eve gifts and the rest of the night is spent reading and eating konfekt (filled chocolates) and sipping jólabland, an orange fizzy ale.
Iceland sells the greatest number of books per capita in the world – and most of them are sold in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The book catalog Bókatíðindi is published each November and lists every published book available during the Christmas season.
"Why them birds, bein' mostly nuts, is so nervous they can't read, nor work, nor do nothin' to ease the bugs that is bitin' their noodles. That's where this strongarm stuff comes in, and the flydicks knows it."
In professional wrestling, a heel is a wrestler who is villainous or a "bad guy", who is booked (scripted) by the promotion to be in the position of being an antagonist. They are typically opposed by their polar opposites called faces (the heroic protagonist or "good guy" characters). In American wrestling, it was common for the faces to be American and the heels to be portrayed as foreign.
In order to gain heat (with boos and jeers from the audience), heels are often portrayed as behaving in an immoral manner by breaking rules or otherwise taking advantage of their opponents outside the bounds of the standards of the match. Others do not (or rarely) break rules, but instead exhibit unlikeable, appalling and deliberately offensive and demoralizing personality traits such as arrogance, cowardice or contempt for the audience. Many heels do both, cheating as well as behaving nastily. No matter the type of heel, the most important job is that of the antagonist role, as heels exist to provide a foil to the face wrestlers. If a given heel is cheered over the face, a promoter may opt to turn that heel to face or the other way around or to make the wrestler do something even more despicable to encourage heel heat.
"Armed with theoretical microscopes, quantum physicists keep on magnifying, gazing deeper and deeper into empty space until out of nothing, they suddenly see something. That something is a roiling collection of virtual particles, collectively called quantum foam.... According to quantum physicists, virtual particles exist briefly as fleeting fluctuations in the fabric of spacetime, like bubbles in beer foam." "Is Space Full of Quantum Foam?", LiveScience, 5 August 2017.
In molecular biology, housekeeping genes are typically constitutive genes that are required for the maintenance of basic cellular function and are expressed in all cells of an organism under normal and pathophysiological conditions.
"Soon criminologists started to take killer nurses seriously. In 1995, British forensic chemist Alexander Forrest reviewed about 40 examples of the type and suggested that one or two new cases might be seen each year in the United States. He proposed calling these murders “CASKs,” for carer-associated serial killings, and noted that “the numbers of patients involved are not trivial.” --"The Killer Nurse", Slate, 2017 July 24. source
St Edmund's College Boat Club (SECBC) is the boat club for members of St Edmund's College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
SECBC uses the Cambridge '99 RC boathouse for training and storing its boats. The club has two boats, 'Lily' a men's eight and 'Dotty' a women's eight.
Book Book is a rural community in the central east part of the Riverina. It is situated about 12 km (7 mi) north from Kyeamba and 15 km (9 mi) south from Ladysmith.
Book Book exists now only through a set of old tennis courts and the telephone exchange that sits just off the Tumbarumba road.
(Book Book is considered a New South Wales "ghost town")
The Book Book Public School was discontinued on 27 October 1989.
According to a common misconception, century eggs are or were once prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine. The myth may have arisen from the urine-like odor of ammonia and other amines produced by the chemical reaction used to make century eggs. However, this myth is unfounded as horse urine has a pH ranging from 7.5 to 7.9 and therefore would not work for this process.
In Thai and Lao, the common word for century egg translates to "horse urine egg", due to the distinctive urine-like odor of the delicacy. --Wikipedia
Coywolves are not ‘shy wolves’—they are coyote-wolf hybrids (with some dog mixed in) and now number in the millions.
The hybrid, or Canis latrans var, is about 55 pounds heavier than pure coyotes, with longer legs, a larger jaw, smaller ears and a bushier tail. It is part eastern wolf, part wester wolf, western coyote and with some dog (large breeds like Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds), reports The Economist. Coywolves today are on average a quarter wolf and a tenth dog.
The player of a lute is called a lutenist, lutanist or lutist, and a maker of lutes (or any similar string instrument, or violin family instruments) is referred to as a luthier.
n. A snail-shell or a horse-chestnut used in a boys' game, in which the object is to break the snail-shell or horse-chestnut by striking it, with another.
Wow. So easy even boys are able to grasp the rules. Must be an easy game.
Genuphobia (from Latin word genu meaning "knee") is the fear of one's own knees or someone else's knees or the act of kneeling.
The phobia could be the result of a negative experience in a person’s life that was associated with knees. The discomfort at the sight of one's knees could be the result of the person’s parents or themselves wearing exclusively clothing that covered the knees growing up, therefore making the person unfamiliar with the sight of them. It could be the result of a traumatic injury that left a scar on the individual’s knee or on someone that they know.
Some people fear kneeling because it is a form of submission. Symptoms include but are not limited to becoming sick to the stomach, excessive sweating, dry mouth, and anxiety when presented with a situation including knees or kneeling. Sufferers fear the uncomfortable feeling they experience at the sight of knees or they fear the recollection of the injury and the pain associated with it.
I tried listing the name of the actual prize; however, I kept getting a 404 whenever it came time to add a comment.
The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair,1 commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to a book with an unusual title.
Past winners:
--Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice
--The Madam as Entrepreneur: Career Management in House Prostitution
--The Joy of Chickens
--Last Chance at Love – Terminal Romances
--How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art
--The Joy of Sex: Pocket Edition
--Developments in Dairy Cow Breeding: New Opportunities to Widen the Use of Straw
The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions around 1985. They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions.
The project became more formalized with the creation of a website in 1993 and followed up by a series of books starting in 2000, authored by Wendy Northcutt. The criterion for the awards states, "In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."
Accidental self-sterilization also qualifies; however, the site notes: "Of necessity, the award is usually bestowed posthumously." The candidate is disqualified, though, if "innocent bystanders", who might have contributed positively to the gene pool, are killed in the process.
The Darwin Awards books state that an attempt is made to disallow known urban legends from the awards, but some older "winners" have been "grandfathered" to keep their awards. The Darwin Awards site does try to verify all submitted stories, but many similar sites, and the vast number of circulating "Darwin awards" emails, are largely fictional.
The Pigasus Award is the name of an annual tongue-in-cheek award presented by noted skeptic James Randi. The award seeks to expose parapsychological, paranormal or psychic frauds that Randi has noted over the previous year. Randi usually makes his announcements of the awards from the previous year on April 1 (April Fools Day).
The Stella Awards are awards that were given between 2002 and 2007 to people who filed "outrageous and frivolous lawsuits". The awards were named after Stella Liebeck who, in 1992, ordered a cup of McDonald's coffee at a drive thru, put it in between her knees while sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson's stationary car, and attempted to remove the lid in order to add cream and sugar. The coffee, 180 to 190 °F (82 to 88 °C), spilled from the cup, causing third-degree burns to her thighs and genitals; after McDonald's refused to pay for her skin grafts, and rejected several attempts at mediation and settlement, Liebeck sued. The awards were an offshoot of the weekly news column This is True written by Colorado writer Randy Cassingham, which featured "wacky-yet-true" news stories.5 The awards were documented on a website and in a 2005 book, both known as The True Stella Awards. There are also a number of false Stella Awards circulating on the Internet.
In July 2012 Cassingham sent a mail to the True Stella Awards mailing list, announcing that after several abortive attempts to restart the list he came to the conclusion that he had said everything about the subject of frivolous lawsuits that he had intended to say, and so was shutting down the Stella Awards.
The Golden Raspberry Awards often shortened to Razzies and Razzie Awards, is an award in recognition of the worst in film. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film-industry veterans, John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term raspberry in the name is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The awards themselves are in the form of a "golf ball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel, the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
Literary Review is well known for its annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Each year since 1993, Literary Review has presented the annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award to the author who produces the worst description of a sex scene in a novel. The award itself is in the form of a "semi-abstract trophy representing sex in the 1950s", which depicts a naked woman draped over an open book. The award was originally established by Rhoda Koenig, a literary critic, and Auberon Waugh, then the magazine's editor.
The award is "to draw attention to the crude, tasteless, often perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel, and to discourage it".
The Bent Spoon Award is an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The award is named as allusion to the practice of spoon bending by supposed psychics.
Australian Skeptics facetiously describes the trophy as a piece of gopher wood supposedly from the Noah’s Ark, upon which is affixed a spoon that was rumored to have been used at the Last Supper. The spoon was bent by energies unknown to science and was gold-plated through an Atlantean process.1 Although established in 1982 and first awarded in 1983, only one copy of the trophy exists, as "anyone wishing to acquire the trophy must remove it from our keeping by paranormal means" and no winner has yet overcome this obstacle.
The winner should either be an Australian or have carried out their activities in Australia.
The New Zealand Skeptics have a similar Bent Spoon Award.
The Ig Nobel Prizes are parodies of the Nobel Prizes given out each autumn for 10 unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. They have been awarded since 1991, with the stated aim to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think". The awards can be veiled criticism or satire but are also used to point out that even absurd-sounding avenues of research can yield useful knowledge.
The name is a play on the words ignoble ("characterized by baseness, lowness, or meanness") and the Nobel Prize. The pronunciation used during the ceremony is /ˌɪɡnoʊˈbɛl/ig-noh-bel, not like the word "ignoble".
Banana messengers or fruit messengers were agents sent on US railroads to accompany shipments of bananas and other fruit. They were accorded special ticket rates, similar to those for railway employees and clergy, as late as the 1960s. The tickets were not honored on some premium trains. Reportedly, the reduced rate also applied to the return trip (sans bananas).
The name was also used to refer to some cabooses. Described in IC 9650-9956, these were steel underframe drover's cabooses built between 1897 and 1913, and reclassified as banana messengers sometime between 1955 and 1963. The last five were scrapped or sold between 1963 and 1971.
This is not the meaning I expected. I figured it had something to do with a gringo changing into something else, and the dégringoler was the one to facilitate that change.
verb intransitive dégringoler /degʀɛ̃gɔle/
=chuter faire une chute précipitée
to tumble , to fall
verb transitive―
=dévaler descendre très rapidement
to race down
Le voleur dégringole les étages de l'immeuble pour échapper aux policiers.
The thief is racing down the stairs in the building to escape from the police.
The social and political theories of Robert Owen, an early 19th-century British reformer whose emphasis upon cooperative education and living led to the founding of communal experiments, including the ill-fated community of New Harmony, Indiana, purchased from the Rappites. — Owenite , n.
Mollusque has addictive lists. Such a learned fellow, and with a nice sense of humor to boot. I still miss all the camaraderie from the days when Wordnik was Wordie. (I wasn't known as vendingmachine around here during the Wordie days.)
"No need to dwell on the legendary beauty of the cornerpieces, the acme of art, wherein one can distinctly discern each of the four evangelists in turn presenting to each of the four masters his evangelical symbol, a bog oaksceptre, a North American puma (a far nobler king of beasts than the British article, be it said in passing), a Kerry calf and a golden eagle from Carrantuohill. The scenes depicted on the emunctory field, showing our ancient duns and raths and cromlechs and grianauns and seats of learning and maledictive stones, are as wonderfully beautiful and the pigments as delicate as when the Sligo illuminators gave free rein to their artistic fantasy long ago in the time of the Barmecides. Glendalough, the lovely lakes of Killarney, the ruins of Clonmacnois, Cong Abbey, Glen Inagh and the Twelve Pins, Ireland's Eye, the Green Hills of Tallaght, Croagh Patrick, the brewery of Messrs Arthur Guinness, Son and Company (Limited), Lough Neagh's banks, the vale of Ovoca, Isolde's tower, the Mapas obelisk, Sir Patrick Dun's hospital, Cape Clear, the glen of Aherlow, Lynch's castle, the Scotch house, Rathdown Union Workhouse at Loughlinstown, Tullamore jail, Castleconnel rapids, Kilballymacshonakill, the cross at Monasterboice, Jury's Hotel, S. Patrick's Purgatory, the Salmon Leap, Maynooth college refectory, Curley's hole, the three birthplaces of the first duke of Wellington, the rock of Cashel, the bog of Allen, the Henry Street Warehouse, Fingal's Cave—all these moving scenes are still there for us today rendered more beautiful still by the waters of sorrow which have passed over them and by the rich incrustations of time." --Ulysses, James Joyce
Thanks for running with this, ru. Finding out about the classification system was about all I could muster. This list idea would have languished without you.
Abetti is a lunar crater that has been completely submerged by mare lavas. It forms a 'ghost crater' in the surface, showing only a curved rise where the rim is located.
Mexican wrestling is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as "high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached.
..for Virginia-based vineyard consultant Lucie Morton, a world-renowned ampelographer, it’s still crucial to know how to distinguish vines the old-fashioned way: by sight and touch. It took Morton years to learn ampelography, a skill that few viticulturists in today’s high-tech world still work to master. “It’s like speaking a new language: practice makes perfect,” she says. “Ampelography is really hard, and it takes a trained eye. I would compare it to what a sommelier goes through in identifying wines blind. It takes interest, practice, focus. You build on your knowledge, just like you do with wine tasting, layering your experiences.”
Copyright law itself creates strong incentives for copyfraud. The Copyright Act provides for no civil penalty for falsely claiming ownership of public domain materials. There is also no remedy under the Act for individuals who wrongly refrain from legal copying or who make payment for permission to copy something they are in fact entitled to use for free. While falsely claiming copyright is technically a criminal offense under the Act, prosecutions are extremely rare. These circumstances have produced fraud on an untold scale, with millions of works in the public domain deemed copyrighted, and countless dollars paid out every year in licensing fees to make copies that could be made for free.
The term "copyfraud" was coined by Jason Mazzone, a Professor of Law at the University of Illinois. Because copyfraud carries little or no oversight by authorities and few legal consequences, it exists on a massive scale, with millions of works in the public domain falsely labeled as copyrighted. Payments are therefore unnecessarily made by businesses and individuals for licensing fees. Mazzone states that copyfraud stifles valid reproduction of free material, discourages innovation and undermines free speech rights. Other legal scholars have suggested public and private remedies, and a few cases have been brought involving copyfraud.
Most ducks shed their body feathers twice each year. Nearly all drakes lose their bright plumage after mating, and for a few weeks resemble females. This hen-like appearance is called the eclipse plumage. The return to breeding coloration varies in species and individuals of each species.
A quantitative study, published by folklorist Sara Graça da Silva and anthropologist Jamshid J. Tehrani in 2016, tried to evaluate the time of emergence for the "Tales of Magic" (ATU 300–ATU 749), based on a phylogenetic model] They found four of them to belong to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stratum of magic tales, namely:
ATU 328 The Boy Steals Ogre's Treasure,
ATU 330 The Smith and the Devil (= KHM 81a),
ATU 402 The Animal Bride (= KHM 63 and 106), and
ATU 554 The Grateful Animals (= The White Snake, KHM 17, and The Queen Bee, KHM 62).
The Aarne–Thompson classification systems are indices used to classify folktales: the Aarne–Thompson Motif-Index (catalogued by alphabetical letters followed by numerals), the Aarne–Thompson Tale Type Index (cataloged by AT or AaTh numbers), and the Aarne–Thompson–Uther classification system (developed in 2004 and cataloged by ATU numbers). The indices are used in folkloristics to organize, classify, and analyze folklore narratives and are essential tools for folklorists because, as Alan Dundes explained in 1997 about the first two indices, "the identification of folk narratives through motif and/or tale type numbers has become an international sine qua non among bona fidefolklorists"
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
ARDS. A disorder of the lung tissue caused by infection, shock, burns, or other insults in which the capillaries become leaky and the air spaces fill with fluid. With ARDS, the lung tissue loses its watertight seal and becomes soggy; it can't absorb gases, even with 100 percent oxygen on a ventilator. Once a patient develops ARDS, it's usually the point of no return.
People who make crossword puzzles are called constructors. All crossword puzzles used to be laid out by hand. Today many crossword puzzle constructors use computer software to assist in the puzzle layout. Crossword puzzles that end up in large newspapers or in syndication are controlled by an editor. Constructors submit their puzzles to a crossword editor and the editor decides which puzzles are selected (and for what day since crosswords raise in difficulty through the week).
A parasite is no doubt altering bilby's dopaminergic neurotransmissions resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms, including a change in predator vigilance. it's also entirely possible that parasites have affected bilby's sexual arousal pathways when he's exposed to muesli bars soaked in dingo urine.
Big surprise that zombie ants originated from a comment by bilby. I'm guessing there is a specific parasite out there that is manipulating bilby's brain into performing erratic behaviors so he'll get the attention of a bilby-eating predator (the next intended host).
Wildlife tourism—which accounts for 20 to 40 percent of all tourism worldwide—is controversial, and can be harmful to animals. After being accused of promoting such attractions, TripAdvisor halted sales to them in 2016.
Many tourists can’t tell if the places they visit hurt wildlife, according to a 2015 ranking of wildlife attractions around the world. Every year, two to four million tourists pay for experiences that aren’t good for animal welfare or conservation.
According to that ranking, dolphin tourism and shark cage diving, both popular in the Bahamas, have negative impacts on wildlife.
But Bethune hopes that, if the proper changes are made, pig-swimming tourism will continue to thrive.
Hairworms have a perpetual challenge: They infect landlubbing insects like crickets, but the parasites must make their way to an aquatic habitat in order to reproduce.
Researchers at France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique figured out how they accomplish this feat. Hairworms produce mind-controlling chemicals that cause their cricket host to move toward light. Because water bodies reflect moonlight, this often sends crickets toward lakes and streams.
The crickets jump in and drown, and the hairworms emerge, ready to find their next victim.
The fluke Euhaplorchis californiensis begins its life in an ocean-dwelling horn snail, where it produces larvae that then seek their next host, a killifish.
Once it finds a fish, the parasite latches on to its gills and makes its way to the brain. But this isn't its final stop.
The fluke needs to get inside the gut of a water bird in order to reproduce. So inside the killifish's brain, the fluke releases chemicals that cause the fish to shimmy, jerk, and jump.
Jenny Shaw, then at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and colleagues found that the parasite decreases serotonin and increases dopamine levels in the fish's brain. The switch in this brain chemistry stimulates the fish to swim and behave more aggressively.
These moves attract the attention of birds, which may eat the fish—and the flukes. The flukes mate, and their eggs are released back into the water in the bird's droppings to be eaten by horn snails and start the cycle anew.
As an adult, the lancet liver fluke—a type of flatworm—resides in the livers of grazing mammals such as cows.
Its eggs are excreted in the host's feces, which are then eaten by snails. After the eggs hatch inside the snail, the snail creates protective cysts around the parasites and coughs them up in balls of mucus.
These fluke-laden slime balls are then consumed by ants. When the flukes wiggle their way into an ant's brain, they cause the insect to climb to the tip of a blade of grass and sit motionless, where it's most likely to be eaten by a grazing mammal. That way, the liver fluke can complete its life cycle.
Females of the Costa Rican wasp Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga lay their eggs on the abdomens of unlucky orb spiders called Plesiometa argyra.
When the female jewel wasp is ready to procreate, she finds a cockroach to serve as a living nursery for her young.
First, she injects a toxin into the roach that paralyzes its front legs. Then the wasp strikes again in the roach's head. Frederic Libersat of Ben-Gurion University in Israel and colleagues discovered that the venom targets a specific area of the brain responsible for initiating movement.
Stripped of its ability to move of its own free will, the cockroach can be grabbed by the antenna and guided to a burrow, where the wasp will lay her egg on the victim and entomb them together. (Read more about how zombie roaches lose free will because of wasp venom.)
The wasp larva slowly consumes the cockroach for several days before pupating in its abdomen, emerging as an adult about a month later.
Females of the Costa Rican wasp Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga lay their eggs on the abdomens of unlucky orb spiders called Plesiometa argyra.
After living off its host for a few weeks, the wasp larva injects a chemical into the spider that makes it build a strange, new kind of web, unlike anything it's built before.
But this new web isn't for the spider: It's meant to support the cocoon that the wasp larva will build after finally killing and eating the spider.
Normally a rat or mouse will keep to the shadows, thus avoiding cats. But when they are infected by toxoplasma the parasite completely changes their behavior. An infected mouse is attracted to the smell of cat urine and will move out into the open, displaying reckless behavior. The reason, of course, is the parasite wants the mouse to be eaten by a cat, so it can then infect its new host.
Humans also get infected by toxoplasma, though it is only really serious when a woman is pregnant as toxoplasma can damage the unborn child. But new research suggests that toxoplasma may influence us in more subtle ways.
We know, for example, that people who have antibodies to toxoplasma are more than twice as likely to be involved in a traffic accident. It could be that the parasite is making us, like rodents, behave in a more reckless fashion. Research also suggests it may slow down reaction times, with the intention of making us more vulnerable to large predators. Either way it is a chilling thought that parasites may be influencing how we behave in ways we do not yet begin to understand.
-How Parasites Manipulate Us, BBC News, 19 Feb 2014
When performance of polishing of body is underway, is scent of lemon Pledge® used without flaw? I require utmost effective polish service with expediency and professional manner.
A symbiont living on the outside of a host's body.
"Exobiont growth on these setae might impair odor detection and the ability of the lobsters to evaluate many aspects of their environment. Each annulus of the olfactory organ contains an asymmetric seta that extends nearly perpendicular across the rows of aesthetasc setae."
"Exobiont growth on these setae might impair odor detection and the ability of the lobsters to evaluate many aspects of their environment. Each annulus of the olfactory organ contains an asymmetric seta that extends nearly perpendicular across the rows of aesthetasc setae."
An anti-debate appeal based on genetic fallacy, which attempts to detract from the validity of a statement by attacking the tone rather than the message.
In Bailey Poland's book, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, she suggests that tone policing is frequently aimed at women and derails or silences opponents lower on the "privilege ladder".
In changing their tactics to criticizing how the women spoke instead of what the women said, the men created an environment in which the outcome of a dispute was not decided on the merits of an argument but on whether the men chose to engage with the arguments in good faith.
— Bailey Poland, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, page 46
While anyone can engage in tone policing, it is frequently aimed at women as a way to prevent a woman from making a point in the discussion.
— Bailey Poland, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, page 47
"The real reality, the flickering of seen and unseen actualities, the moment under the moment, can't be put into words; the most that a writer can do--and this is only rarely achieved--is to write in such a way that the reader finds himself in a place where the unwordable happens off the page."
A happy number is a number defined by the following process: Starting with any positive integer, replace the number by the sum of the squares of its digits, and repeat the process until the number either equals 1 (where it will stay), or it loops endlessly in a cycle which does not include 1. Those numbers for which this process ends in 1 are happy numbers, while those that do not end in 1 are unhappy numbers (or sad numbers).
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which new information is added to already established facts in the continuity of a fictional work.
A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time — despite real-world markers like notable events, people and technology appearing in the works and correlating with the real world. A floating timeline is a subtle form of retroactive continuity. This is seen most clearly in the case of comic book characters who debuted as teens in the 1940s or the 1960s but who are still relatively young in current comics. Events from the characters' pasts are alluded to, but they are changed from having taken place years ago to having taken place more recently. -Wikipedia
Gasp. I hate truncated, cutesy words like this. From Twitter: Join us for some seasonal bites, bevies and banter. (It doesn't sound so bad in this context, more quaint). See bevy.
"Aloha is a tiny impact crater on the Moon, that lies to the northwest of the Montes Agricola ridge, on the Oceanus Procellarum. It is located near the faintterminus of a ray that crosses the mare from the southeast, originating at the crater Glushko."
"...the wingspan is 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). The adults have a bronzy or greenish metallic sheen with no markings. They fly during the day as well as after dark. They are on wing in June and July in western Europe and from May to August in North America."
"God-Building was an idea proposed by some prominent Marxists of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party which proved to be very controversial. It was inspired by Ludwig Feuerbach's 'religion of humanity' and had some precedent in the French Revolution with the 'cult of reason'. The idea consisted of the notion that in place of the abolition of religion, there should be a meta-religious context in which religions were viewed primarily in terms of the psychological and social effect of ritual, myth, and symbolism, and which attempted to harness this force for pro-communist aims, both by creating new ritual and symbolism, as well as re-interpreting existing ritual and symbolism in a socialist context. In contrast to the atheism of Lenin, the God Builders took an official position of agnosticism." --Wikipedia
Fly-on-the-wall is a style of documentary-making used in film and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, the camera crew works as unobtrusively as possible; however, it is also common for participants to be interviewed, often by an off-camera voice.
Breeches, a form of pants, came in a wide variety of styles. The most common form of breech was called the trunk hose. Trunk hose were attached to the bottom of the doublet, a padded overshirt, with points, or small ties, and bagged outward before fastening on the upper leg. They looked almost like a puffy short skirt. Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist. Venetians were a form of breeches that reached to the knee; they were padded at the waist and upper thighand grew slimmer as they reached the knee. Pluderhose were baggy all the way from the waist to the knee, and the baggy fabric hung down to hide the fastening at the knee. The longest breeches, known as slops, reached all the way to the calf.
Breeches, a form of pants, came in a wide variety of styles. The most common form of breech was called the trunk hose. Trunk hose were attached to the bottom of the doublet, a padded overshirt, with points, or small ties, and bagged outward before fastening on the upper leg. They looked almost like a puffy short skirt. Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist. Venetians were a form of breeches that reached to the knee; they were padded at the waist and upper thigh and grew slimmer as they reached the knee. Pluderhose/pluderhose were baggy all the way from the waist to the knee, and the baggy fabric hung down to hide the fastening at the knee. The longest breeches, known as slops, reached all the way to the calf.
"Aren't the dermal piercings with crystal studs brilliant? Wwhite ink tattoos often look like the body-art method of branding or scarring but this is much more delicate and super feminine!"
"“This pigment is of major importance, since it represents the bright red color desired by purchasers,” reads “Lawrie’s Meat Science,” one of the tentpole books for students and professionals in the meat industry. Some producers have even gone so far as to treat their meat with carbon dioxide gas in order to lock in this red color far past its normal lifespan."
"The data scientist role was thrust into the limelight early this year when it was named 2016's "hottest job," and there's been considerable interest in the position ever since. Just recently, the White House singled data scientists out with a special appeal for help."
An all-male panel of lawmakers in Utah refused to end the state’s sales tax on tampons, voting 8 to 3 against the Hygiene Tax Act.
The committee (again, all men) shot down the proposal because it wanted to keep the tax system predictable and believed that allowing for subjective variations on the tax code would only cause problems, according to reports.
Specifically, state representative Ken Ivory—one of the eight “no” votes—worried that exempting tampons would open the door for all kinds of crazy requests for exemptions, according to CBS News.
"It s expensive to be a woman. Several studies have shown that choosing the shampoo bottle marketed to women (with its pastel colors and floral motif) will cost you more than reaching for the gray bottle of "men's" shampoo, even when both items are essentially the same product. It’s referred to as the “pink tax,” and Boxed, a bulk shipping retailer, just announced a discount to combat it, Entrepreneur magazine reports. If the women’s product you’re buying costs more than the men’s equivalent, Boxed will cut the price on the ladies’ version.
Examples of “pink tax” products in 2014, finding that body washes, razors, shampoos, deodorants, and perfumes all charge different prices for the same products depending on whether they’re marketed to men or women. And in some states, tampons and other feminine hygiene products are legally considered “luxury” items subject to sales tax. (five states have actively made decisions not to tax tampons: Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota andNew Jersey. The rest either don’t have a sales tax or don’t consider tampons a “necessity.”)
“Sardinians are a group that people have considered distinct from other Europeans, and in this regard it would be interesting if they were more widely distributed in the past.”
A remembrance of someone (particularly a historical figure or a celebrity) who died long ago. The remembrance often appears as an article in a publication and includes details about their life and death.
Carter's Little Liver Pills (Carter's Little Pills after 1959) were formulated as a patent medicine by Samuel J. Carter of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1868.
Robert's snow vole (Chionomys roberti) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Russian Federation, and Turkey.
Krebs's fat mouse (Steatomys krebsii) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.
Bookbinder's soup is a type of soup pioneered in the United States in 1893 when Samuel Bookbinder created Old Original Bookbinder's restaurant in Philadelphia.
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague (Romanian: Ciuma lui Caragea) was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague (Romanian: Ciuma lui Caragea) was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.
Curschmann's spirals refers to a microscopic finding in the sputum of asthmatics which are spiral shaped mucus plugs from subepithelial mucous gland ducts or bronchioles. These may occur in several different lung diseases.
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the musical Cats.
Père David's rock squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), also known as the Chinese rock squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to China, where it is found widely in rocky habitats in the eastern and central parts of the country.
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups:
super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky;
space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera;
twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups: super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky; space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera; twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups: super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky; space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera; twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
"Every Aussie I've met, along with many commenters on different Gawker sites have humblebragged about how perfect Australia is compared to the US. "I can't believe X happens in America; Australia has/does Y." Is it not possible to comment on an issue on an American site without also mentioning your own country's superiority?"
Neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and white nationalists have begun using three sets of parentheses encasing a Jewish surname — for instance, (((Fleishman))) — to identify and target Jews for harassment on blogs and major social media sites like Twitter. As one white supremacist tweeted, "It's closed captioning for the Jew-blind."
The origins of the symbol ((())) can be traced to a hardcore, right-wing podcast called The Daily Shoah in 2014. It's known as an "echo" in the anti-Semitic corners of the alt-right — a new, young, amorphous conservative movement that comprises trolls fluent in internet culture, free speech activists warring against political correctness and earnest white nationalists. Some use the symbol to mock Jews; others seek to expose supposed Jewish collusion in controlling media or politics. All use it to put a target on their heads.
To the public, the symbol is not easily searchable on most sites and social networks; search engines strip punctuation from results. This means that trolls committed to uncovering, labeling and harassing Jewish users can do so in relative obscurity: No one can search those threats to find who's sending them.
The symbol comes from right-wing blog the Right Stuff, whose podcast The Daily Shoah featured a segment called "Merchant Minute" that gave Jewish names a cartoonish "echo" sound effect when uttered. The "parenthesis meme," as Right Stuff editors call it, is a visual pun. --tech.mic
"While primary effects of invasive animals are bioturbation, bioerosion, and bioconstruction. For example, invasion of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis have resulted in higher bioturbation and bioerosion rates."
"A chain used to secure something, especially a part of the dress and personal equipment, as, in the middle ages, the hilt of the sword to the breastplate or other part of the body-armor, or at the present day a watch, brooch, or bracelet."
"Moreover, people often use cards for awhile and then switch or they lose their cards and they need to be physically replaced. According to Federal Reserve data that I summarize in this article, in 2009 16.5% of credit card users discarded their cards and 29% of prepaid card users did so. Customer churn is especially high for prepaid card users, who often use their cards for only a short period or for a specified purpose. Churn is lowest for debit cards, because they are linked to bank accounts."
A "milagro" (miracle; a tiny replica of an arm or eye or animal, which can then be taken to the church and left with a donation). Sometimes made with "aged" bottle caps.
Nichos are made from mixed media and traditionally combine elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and popular culture.
Nichos are made of objects that can be easily purchased or scavenged in the home or community. The media are characteristically humble for a religious object, especially compared to the typically ornate icons of the Catholic Church. The shadow box itself is easily converted from a cigar box or other mass-produced wooden container, but can also be constructed from any lightweight wood, recycled tin, or glass. The colorful designs on the box and borders are created not only with paint, but also with sequins, glitter, chain, thread or rope, paper mache, and any small bric-a-brac. Other ornaments within nichos include milagro charms, beads, stones, nails, and other manufactured and found objects.
"The story of forensicneuropathologist Bennet I. Omalu brings dramatic focus to one doctor's breakthrough discovery of a progressive neurologic disorder found in victims of brain trauma.
Dr. Omalu called the disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), first discovered through an autopsy he performed on Mike Webster, the NFL's legendary Pittsburgh Steeler's player who died at age 50. Dr. Omalu went on to report and publish findings to identify CTE in eight more NFL players whose patterns of death were similar. Dr. Omalu's findings revolutionized neuroscience[, [sports medicine, the study of brain trauma, and the entire sports industry, even after being ridiculed by many of his professional peers, the NFL, and the industry."
--Spotlight Event, 2015 College of American Pathologists Foundation Awards.
Stanton Friedman considers the general attitude of mainstream academics as arrogant and dismissive or bound to a rigid worldview that disallows any evidence contrary to previously held notions. Denzler states that the fear of ridicule and a loss of status has prevented scientists of pursuing a public interest in UFOs. J. Allen Hynek's also commented, "Ridicule is not part of the scientific method and people should not be taught that it is." Hynek said of the frequent dismissal of UFO reports by astronomers that the critics knew little about the sightings, and should thus not be taken seriously. Peter A. Sturrock suggests that a lack of funding is a major factor in the institutional lack of interest in UFOs.--Wikipedia
@madmouth. It's my fault for baiting ru. One of the entries below really is PERSON WHOSE OX IS GORED, which sounded just offbeat enough to trip ruzuzu's stream of consciousness.
A curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling is sometimes called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator and author John Holt in his magazine, "Growing Without Schooling". The term emphasizes the more spontaneous, less structured learning environment where a child's interests drive their pursuit of knowledge. In some cases, a liberal arts education is provided using the trivium and quadrivium as the main models.--Wikipedia
Latinx is the gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina and even Latin@. Used by scholars, activists and an increasing number of journalists, Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public. It’s part of a “linguistic revolution“ that aims to move beyond gender binaries and is inclusive of the intersecting identities of Latin American descendants. In addition to men and women from all racial backgrounds, Latinx also makes room for people who are trans, queer, agender, non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender fluid.
“In Spanish, the masculinized version of words is considered gender neutral. But that obviously doesn’t work for some of us because I don’t think it’s appropriate to assign masculinity as gender neutral when it isn’t,” explains queer, non-binary femme writer Jack Qu’emi Gutiérrez in an interview with PRI. “The ‘x,’ in a lot of ways, is a way of rejecting the gendering of words to begin with, especially since Spanish is such a gendered language.”
Latinx is also, as pointed out by writer Gabe Gonzalez, a way to reclaim identity, a form of rebellion against “the language and legacy of European traditions that were imposed on the Americas.”
"Once within the walls of the Ghetto they were alone, and could go about the little streets in perfect security; they were free from the contamination as well as safe from the depredations of Christians, and within their own precincts they were not forced to wear the hated orange-coloured cap or net which Paul the Fourth imposed upon the Jewish men and women. To a great extent, too, such isolation was already in the traditions of the race. A hundred years earlier Venice had created its Ghetto; so had Prague, and other European cities were not long in following. Morally speaking their confinement may have been a humiliation; in sober fact it was an immense advantage; moreover, a special law of 'emphyteusis' made the leases of their homes inalienable, so long as they paid rent, and forbade the raising of the rent under any circumstances, while leaving the tenant absolute freedom to alter and improve his house as he would, together with the right to sublet it, or to sell the lease itself to any other Hebrew; and these leases became very valuable"--Francis Marion Crawford, Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 2, Studies from the Chronicles of Rome, 1899.
"A saltern is a word with a number of differing (but interrelated) meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands."
Modern psychology has a serious God problem. America is a deeply spiritual country. More than half of Americans say religion is “very important” to them, and more than 90 percent profess a belief in a higher power. Yet psychology, as a scientific endeavor, has done almost nothing to understand how spiritual beliefs shape psychological problems, or affect treatment. When a person with deep religious convictions comes in for professional help, they will find, more often than not, a therapist who is not fully prepared to help.--Gareth Cook, Modern Psychology's God Problem.
Relations between psychology and religion have a troubled history. Putting psychology on a scientific footing meant, in part, rejecting the notion that mental illness is a spiritual phenomenon, that madness implied possession by demons or foul spirits. Freud famously diagnosed religion as a psychological problem. To believe, in his view, was to be neurotic.
A problem addressed by means of intuition, such as a recipe (for coconut cake) in which the ingredients and amounts used are unclear.
"HARVARD PROFESSOR Roland Fryer has made a discovery with the potential to transform public education. To understand it, though, it helps to first hear a story about the conundrum of the coconut cake.
Fryer’s grandmother makes an astounding coconut cake, a magical confection of sweetness and air he’s loved since he was a kid growing up in Florida. Fryer wanted to learn to make the cake himself, but every time he pressed for a recipe, she gave him directions like “use a good amount of sugar, a little flour but not too much, and just a bit of baking powder.”--Gareth Cook, Education's Coconut Cake Problem
The use of a laparoscopic power morcellator during a hysterectomy is discouraged because it increases the risk of spreading cancerous tissue within the abdomen and pelvis.
During a hysterectomy with morcellation the surgeon slices the uterine tissue into small pieces and extracts them with a laparoscope through an incision in the abdomen. In women with undetected uterine cancer, the morcellator cuts through cancerous tissue and potentially distributes it outside the uterus.
A vaginal pessary can take a number of different forms, including doughnut-shaped devices; horn-shaped varieties, known as gellhorns; and tube-like insertions with bulbous ends that work as inflatable devices.
The search for habitable, alien worlds needs to make room for a second "Goldilocks," according to a Yale University researcher.
For decades, it has been thought that the key factor in determining whether a planet can support life was its distance from its sun. In our solar system, for instance, Venus is too close to the sun and Mars is too far, but Earth is just right. That distance is what scientists refer to as the "habitable zone," or the "Goldilocks zone."--Science Daily, August 19, 2016
Dorothy Parker dispensed caustic humor in prose and verse as well as over drinks. Her observations and remarks were very much of their time, but they still induce winces in an era when cutting snark has become practically de rigueur. Over the years many couplets and witticisms have been attributed to Parker, some apocryphally."
"The shoe features canvas, suede and mesh, with the varsity royal blue apparently inspired by Port Phillip Bay and the brown midsole chosen to represent the turdish Yarra River that winds its wiggly way through our magnificent city."
"hefting – also known as heafing in this part of the country, but known as many other things across the UK.
I’m no expert on hefting but the way I understand it to work, from a friend who does know, is that when shepherds want to establish a new flock, they take the sheep up onto the moorland where they want them to graze and they constrain them on that land. This is sometimes done with fencing, but is also done by physical shepherding. The flock gets to know where it can, and can’t, go because of the constraints. Eventually the shepherd removes the constraint, but the sheep don’t drift off. They stay where they have been hefted. They’ve learnt to live within their current constraints.
Once a flock has been established within its heft, the shepherd can add new sheep to the flock and they will take on the heft of the rest of the sheep, as long as too many fresh ideas aren’t introduced. The hefting is passed from generation to generation without the need for the constraints to be put back in place. That’s how strong the constraints are in the minds of the rest of the flock.
We’re not dissimilar to sheep. We pick a way of doing things, or a technology, based on what our tribe is doing. Having chosen a technology, we stay with it, we invest in it, and we live within its constraints. We become comfortable in our place of pasture." --Technology Perspectives.
"This research illustrates the importance of collaboration in the scientific discovery process, and how the study of one disease, in this case cancer, can have a profound impact on the understanding on another." said Dr. Courtneidge, "In the future, we hope to use our mouse model to study the disease in more depth, as well as to determine whether other genes involved in invadopodia formation are also associated with FTHS." See invadopodium.
A volcanic winter is a reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscuring the Sun and raising Earth's albedo (increasing the reflection of solar radiation) after a large particularly explosive volcanic eruption. Long-term cooling effects are primarily dependent upon injection of sulfide compounds in aerosol form into the upper atmosphere—the stratosphere—the highest, least active levels of the lower atmosphere where little precipitation occurs, thus requiring a long time to wash the aerosols out of the region. Stratospheric aerosols cool the surface and troposphere by reflecting solar radiation, warm the stratosphere by absorbing terrestrial radiation, and when combined with anthropogenic chlorine in the stratosphere, destroy ozone which moderates the effect of lower stratospheric warming. The variations in atmospheric warming and cooling results in changes in tropospheric and stratospheric circulation. --Robock, Alan (2000). "Volcanic eruptions and climate". Reviews of geophysics 38 (2): 191-219
Most recently, the 1991 explosion of Mount Pinatubo, a stratovolcano in the, Phillippines, cooled global temperatures for about 2–3 years
"Christian leaders stand on our soil and claim: "gay marriage" has never occurred here. Over 1300 tribes in every region of North America performed millions of same-sex marriages for hundreds of years. Their statements are both hateful and ignorant. Your "homosexual," was our "Two Spirit" people... and we considered them sacred."
A nuisance that befalls many high-achieving women, wherein they chalk up their success to: “…luck, to being in the right place at the right time, to factors other than ability. … They live in fear that eventually some significant person will discover that they are, indeed, intellectual impostors."
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk: We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller / We say to girls, “You can have ambition / But not too much / You should aim to be successful / But not too successful / Otherwise you will threaten the man.” It’s true. Women are much more likely to feel this way, because we’re taught to be modest and self-deprecating, to downplay our achievements for fear of looking arrogant or ungrateful, sipping pickle juice while our male counterparts are being praised for being bossed up.
In addition to controlling insect pests, bilbies may play a role in seed dispersal. The semifossorial bilbies may help aerate the soil through their burrowing.
Humans may disperse seeds by many various means and some surprisingly high distances have been repeatedly measured. Examples are: dispersal on human clothes, on shoes, or by cars.
Wind dispersal is one of the more primitive means of dispersal. Wind dispersal can take on one of two primary forms: seeds can float on the breeze or alternatively, they can flutter to the ground. The classic examples of these dispersal mechanisms include dandelions, which have a feathery pappus attached to their seeds and can be dispersed long distances, and maples, which have winged seeds (samara) and flutter to the ground. An important constraint on wind dispersal is the need for abundant seed production to maximise the likelihood of a seed landing in a site suitable for germination. There are also strong evolutionary constraints on this dispersal mechanism. For instance, Cody and Overton (1996) found that species in the Asteraceae on islands tended to have reduced dispersal capabilities (i.e., larger seed mass and smaller pappus) relative to the same species on the mainland. Reliance on wind dispersal is common among many weedy or ruderal species. Unusual mechanisms of wind dispersal include tumbleweeds.
Rodents (such as squirrels) and some birds (such as jays) may also disperse seeds by hoarding the seeds in hidden caches. The seeds in caches are usually well-protected from other seed predators and if left uneaten will grow into new plants. In addition, rodents may also disperse seeds via seed spitting due to the presence of secondary metabolites in ripe fruits.
Secondary dispersal by animals: Seeds may be secondarily dispersed from seeds deposited by primary animal dispersers. For example, dung beetles are known to disperse seeds from clumps of feces in the process of collecting dung to feed their larvae.
A type of seed dispersal that occurs when organisms transfer from one land mass to another by way of a sea crossing. Often this occurs via large mats of floating vegetation, such as are sometimes seen floating down major rivers in the tropics and washing out to sea, occasionally with animals trapped on them.
"Dormancy should not be confused with seed coat dormancy, external dormancy, or hardseededness, which is caused by the presence of a hard seed covering or seed coat that prevents water and oxygen from reaching and activating the embryo. It is a physical barrier to germination, not a true form of dormancy."(Quinliven, 1971; Quinliven and Nichol, 1971).
Apparently, it's referred to an anti-spit mask (yawn) or a spit sock hood. Pretty much the same name. Does anyone have a law enforcement terminology list?
"'Multiple incidents within the juvenile detention facilities have revealed that the NT Government prosecutes policies against Aboriginal children which include spit-hooding, gassing, hand cuffing, shackling and extensive periods of unlawful solitary confinement. Treatment such as this you wouldn’t think possible in any civilised nation. Let there be no doubts as to whom we are talking about here. This is all about Aboriginal children.'
Another example. In Louisville, Kentucky, Butler High School’s dress code prohibits dreadlocks, cornrolls, and twists. Students who violate the grooming policy cannot attend the school.
"Hair styles that are extreme, distracting, or attention getting will not be permitted. No dreadlocks, cornrows, twists, mohawks, and no jewelry will be worn in hair." ""Hair must be a natural color. No two-toned hair or severe contrasts. This includes unnatural colors.”" ""No male may dye, tint, or highlight his hair in any way."
"The styles that were targeted in this policy are the most basic and essential styles for black people all over the world. To ban them is essentially to ban blackness itself."--Shaun King, New York Daily News, July 28, 2016.
A once in a lifetime soul mate dog. There’s an understanding, a bond stronger than most, and a special level of communication. Your heart dog “gets” you and you get him or her right back.--found on The Daily Corgi blog.
Casting white actors in Hollywood productions instead of POC (people of color).
The popular blog Angry Asian Man called the movie “the latest movie in the grand cinematic tradition of the Special White Person”, adding: “You can set a story anywhere in the world, in any era of history, and Hollywood will still somehow find a way for the movie to star a white guy.”
In her post, Wu wrote: “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon. They look like Malala. Ghandi. Mandela. Your big sister when she stood up for you to those bullies that one time. We don’t need salvation. We like our color and our culture and our strengths and our own stories.”
?? Marcus Bachmann is defending his Christian counseling business for offering so-called ex-gay therapy, a controversial practice that's focused attention on the Bachmanns' views on social issues at a time when the Minnesota congresswoman has shown momentum in the Republican presidential race.
A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for their grain seed called pulse, for livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing green manure. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, and tamarind.
A legume fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a pod, although the term "pod" is also applied to a few other fruit types, such as that of vanilla (a capsule) and of radish (a silique).
It's called "gazumping" in England, the process by which someone selling a piece of property accepts an offer from one buyer, maybe even going so far as to shake hands on it, then quickly — and often surreptitiously — accepts another, higher, offer from a second buyer, leaving the first buyer with his pockets agape and his heart broken.
People with an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. People afraid of eating the wrong thing, ever. Unlike patients with anorexia nervosa, the goal of orthorexics is not to be thin but to be "pure, healthy and natural". Mental health experts say that the obsession about which foods are "good" and "bad" means that orthorexics can end up being malnourished and often shun food to the point of emaciation and starvation.
A person who lives on the Park Meadows street of Moray Court recently found a cache of pine cones stored underneath the hood of her cars and elsewhere on the outside of the vehicles.
It was apparently the work of a squirrel preparing for the winter.
"They were everywhere, every pocket," says Mary Cole, the owner of the cars, indicating she had never before experienced something similar.
A neighbor, Aggie Johanson, says the pine cones were "just stuffed in there."
"It's peculiar in the car. We know it has to be the squirrels," Johanson says.
Scholars have identified seven levels of authenticity which they have organized in a hierarchy ranging from literal authorship, meaning written in the author's own hand, to outright forgery:
Literal authorship. A church leader writes a letter in his own hand.
Dictation. A church leader dictates a letter almost word for word to an amanuensis.
Delegated authorship. A church leader describes the basic content of an intended letter to a disciple or to an amanuensis.
Posthumous authorship. A church leader dies, and his disciples finish a letter that he had intended to write, sending it posthumously in his name.
Apprentice authorship. A church leader dies, and disciples who had been authorized to speak for him while he was alive continue to do so by writing letters in his name years or decades after his death.
Honorable pseudepigraphy. A church leader dies, and admirers seek to honor him by writing letters in his name as a tribute to his influence and in a sincere belief that they are responsible bearers of his tradition.
Forgery. A church leader obtains sufficient prominence that, either before or after his death, people seek to exploit his legacy by forging letters in his name, presenting him as a supporter of their own ideas.
Aimee Toms was washing her hands in the women’s bathroom at Walmart in Danbury Friday when a stranger approached her and said, “You’re disgusting!” and “You don’t belong here!”
Toms’ has a short haircut because she recently donated hair - for the third time - to a program that makes wigs for child cancer patients.
“I’ve had people call me all sorts of names for having short hair. I’ve had people call me a boy, I’ve had people call me a dyke, I’ve had people call me gay.” Toms said. “I’m grateful that that woman only called me disgusting and didn’t physically attack me … I was a victim of transphobia today as a cisgender female because my hair is short.” -Woman mistaken for transgender harassed in Walmart bathroom, May 16, 2016
"Although their biology is not widely studied, many blister beetles are thought to be kleptoparasites and egg predators of bee, and they often specialize on a small number of host species, using the adults to transport them back to the host nest."
-Cheats and Deceits: how animals and plants exploit and mislead, 2016, p.34
"... hog hunting on conservation areas ruins efforts by department staff to trap and kill entire groups of feral hogs, called sounders. Groups can consist of several dozen animals."
-Missouri Conservationist, March 2016, vol. 77, issue 3, p. 8.
"Count the cogs on the wheels of a fanning-mill, washing-machine, apple-parer, or egg-beater, and determine how the direction or rate of the motion is changed thereby."
A meat analogue, also called a meat alternative, meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, imitation meat, or (where applicable) vegetarian meat or vegan meat, approximates certain aesthetic qualities (primarily texture, flavor and appearance) and/or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat. Many meat analogues are soy-based (such as tofu and tempeh) and are gluten-based.
A polar bear / grizzly bear hybrid. Canadian wildlife officials have suggested calling the hybrid "nanulak", taken from the Inuit names for polar bear (nanuk) and grizzly bear (aklak).
"Hof in Öræfi has been an ecclesiastical site for almost 700 years and is first mentioned in a cartulary from 1343. Hofskirkja Church was dedicated to Saint Clement. The core of the current church at Hof was built in 1884 and was the last turf church built in the old Icelandic architectural style. Its walls are assembled of rocks and its roof made of stone slabs, covered in turf. The reredos (an altarpiece, or a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church) in Hofskirkja Church was painted by the artist Ólafur Túbals. Hofskirkja Church is one of six churches, in Iceland still standing which are preserved as historical monuments. It is recorded that Páll Pálsson, a carpenter, built the church, but Þorsteinn Gissurarson, a blacksmith from Hof forged the building hardware, the lock, and hinges. The church is maintained by the National Museum but also serves as a parish church."
"The whole of the gut is attached to the body by a suspensory mechanism called the mesentery, which connects the 20m or so of gut loops to the underside of the spinal column within the abdomen over a length of a few centimeters."
Triphala (Hindi: “three fruits”) is an herbal formula consisting of equal parts of three myrobalans, taken without seed: amalaki (Emblica officinalis), bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), and haritaki (Terminalia chebula).
"Triphala tea, which is made by steeping a teaspoon of triphala in a cup of boiling water and then straining the resultant fluid through a fine mesh cloth, is one of the best eyewashes and strengtheners of the eyes."
"The three fruit extracts that make it the best colon cleanse are haritaki, bibhitaki and amalaki."
"In Japan the praying-wheel is turned by hand; but in China, according to Hue, it is sometimes carried by water-power, and rises to the dignity of a mill."
A device designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel. In the United States, the device became known as a "Denver boot" after the city of Denver, Colorado was the first in the country to employ them, mostly to force the payment of outstanding parking tickets.
"A "booter" was shot while booting a vehicle, Department of Revenue Director Bea Reyna-Hickey said, directing further inquiries to police."
"A local woman has been sentenced to five days shock time after pleading guilty to theft, resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer at the Dillards store at Mid Rivers Mall on May 28."
"Hansen who resigned from the police department in July, was sentenced to two years probation and 30 days of shock time in jail."
"His father had inspired him with a horror of jewellery; for once, when he had spent the savings of a month upon a cheap scarf-pin, the elder Armstrong had wrathfully asked him what he meant by sticking that brass-headed nail in his chest, and had thrown the gewgaw into the fire."
The woozle effect, also known as evidence by citation, or a woozle, occurs when frequent citation of previous publications that lack evidence misleads individuals, groups and the public into thinking or believing there is evidence, and nonfacts become urban myths and factoids.
The semmelweis reflex or "semmelweis effect" is a metaphor for the reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs or paradigms.
"There seems to be a general consensus among experienced needleworkers that eyelash yarn is more easily knit than crocheted as it is so hard to find the next stitch in crocheting such fuzzy yarn. Learn to count your stitches on each row as you work with this stuff. Be sure that the next stitch is really the next stitch and not a snag of the lashes. That is easy to mistake."-anonymous web comment
"Pastillage is a mixture of powdered sugar, gelatin, and cornstarch that dries to a porous, rigid form.
With care and patience, it's possible to make very intricate pastillage showpieces, such as detailed flowers, figures, and even delicate architectural details - perfect for victorian trim on gingerbread houses!"
"Staffordshire oatcakes are a local component of the full English breakfast. It is a plate-sized pancake, made with equal parts medium oatmeal and wheatmeal (flour), along with frothing yeast. Once the mixture has risen to produce something like a Yorkshire pudding batter, it is ladled onto a griddle or bakestone, and dried through. Staffordshire oatcakes are commonly paired with bacon, sausages, mushrooms, kidney, baked beans, among others."
"Maybe not in your blueberry muffin world but anyone who spent as much time as this guy in prison picks up a classroom of connections."--Crime Time: a mystery novel, R.E. Derouin, 2013.
"Healthcare workers are a special breed. They are compassionate and called into a career to care for the sick. Most are underpaid for their skills and the services they provide. The National Crime Victimization Survey suggests that each day in the US at least 200 of them are assaulted on the job. The healthcare industry has done a good job keeping this secret. It’s a disgrace that healthcare workers are the most assaulted workers in the country."
Haitian clergy attribute the creation of zombies to sorcery. The Vodun voodoo religion makes a distinction between the corps cadavre (the physical body), the gwo-bon anj (the animating principle) and the ti-bon anj (agency, awareness and memory). When zombifying someone, the Vodun sorcerer (or bokur) extracts the ti-bon anj of the victim and retains it in an earthenware jar (where it is then referred to as zombie astral)
Haitian doctors, on the other hand, consider zombification to be a result of poisoning, and there are reports that sorcerers use a white powder called coupe poudre to zombify their victims. In the early 1980s, Wade Davis, an anthropologist and ethnobotanist who was then working at Harvard University, travelled to Haiti in order to determine the ingredients of the coupe poudre. He interviewed a number of sorcerers and collected 8 samples of the zombie powder from 4 different regions of the country.
Upon analysis of the powders, Davis found that 7 of them shared a number of ingredients, including toxins produced by cane toad (Bufo marinus, left) and an irritant produced by a hyla tree frog (Osteopilus dominicensis). One of the samples also contained trace amounts of tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin produced by various marine organisms, most notably the pufferfish.
--"The ethnobiology of voodoo zombification", ScienceBlog, September 13, 2007.
I am unable to create a page for hinüber gedämmert outright or leave a comment. I thought the first letter (þ) was the culprit in the Icelandic Problem.
Around one o’clock in the morning, he noticed that his father’s breathing was slowing. Over the course of hours, his father had hinüber gedämmert, “faded across.”
“There was no exact time of death, but at some point, he had stopped breathing.”
I'm noticing that many of the links below the EXAMPLES warn me of possible malware if I proceed to the site. Example: ninme (above). Is wordnik warning us (since it directs us to api.wordnik.com for more info)?
"I have no idea what is happening in the world beyond my bedroom, but I can write a really good essay on deontology and natural moral law." -Twitter, April 16, 2016
"Walking through downtown Boston, Lisa sees a SALE sign, hands me her bags, and now I'm sitting in husband purgatory with all the other dudes."-Tony Gentilcore, Twitter, April 17, 2016
The rare Iranian spider-tailed viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) waggles a fake "spider"—actually a fleshy lure with leg-like scales at the tip of its tail—to tempt birds within striking distance.
"Carolina parakeets were probably poisonous—American naturalist and painter John J. Audubon noted that cats apparently died from eating them, and they are known to have eaten the toxic seeds of cockleburs."
"On the hardscrabble lands of the American West, blood is spilled by the most innocent-looking of outlaws—the white-tailed prairie dog.
These social rodents, native to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana, ruthlessly bite and thrash Wyoming ground squirrels to death, leaving their bloody bodies to rot, a new study says.
The killers' offspring then live longer, healthier lives—probably because their parents bumped off their competition for food.
It’s the first time that a herbivorous mammal has been seen killing competitors without eating them, suggesting that a plant-based diet doesn’t preclude mammals from having a taste for bloodsport." -National Geographic, Michael Greshko, March 22, 2016, "Praire dogs are serial killers that murder their competition".
bilby: Try entering an Icelandic word (with plenty of diacritics) in the SEARCH bar. It will appear on a normal-looking page, but it won't save and you can't leave a comment (and save it) either.
I tried to post the Icelandic words: gluggaveður (n.): window-weather raðljóst: (n.): enough light to find one's way by Wordnik wouldn't add the word directly (I had to add brackets here instead). Also, when I click on gluggaveður, I'm not able to add the definition in the comments.
Knismesis and gargalesis are the scientific terms, coined in 1897 by psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin, used to describe the two types of tickling. Knismesis refers to the light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often accompanied by an itching sensation.
knismesis and gargalesis are the scientific terms, coined in 1897 by psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin, used to describe the two types of tickling. Knismesis refers to the light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often accompanied by an itching sensation.
The California Refund Value (CRV) is the amount paid to consumers when they recycle beverage containers at certified recycling centers. The minimum refund value established for each type of eligible beverage container is 5 cents for each container under 24 ounces and 10 cents for each container 24 ounces or greater.
n. The illegitimate supplying of laboratory animals that are actually kidnapped pets or illegally trapped strays. (Does this include animals advertised online (i.e. FREE KITTENS) that are furtively used to feed one's snakes or other predators?)
The science of measuring the human body in order to ascertain the average dimensions of the human form at different ages, and in different divisions of race, class, etc.
"Matthew Reed, a researcher in anthropometry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, flat out called ANSUR the “best-gathered anthro data in the world.” Not only was the dataset accurate and reliable, in his view, it could save lives.
Imagine body armor that doesn’t completely cover your vital organs, or is too long or too short, making it horribly uncomfortable to wear, so you take it off. Imagine if you found yourself in a nerve gas attack and your mask doesn’t fit properly because it was designed for a different kind of face. (One study found that American-made gas masks fit poorly on “Chinese” faces.)
The differences in body type according to race could be striking. Reed sent me a graphic, based on data from the 1988 iteration of ANSUR, illustrating seated height versus standing height for Caucasian and African American men. Most African Americans had a shorter seated height compared to Caucasians of the same overall stature, meaning longer leg bones and shorter torsos. Asians, meanwhile, skewed slightly in the other direction, with taller sitting heights and longer torsos than both Caucasians and African-Americans.
The army doesn’t use this information to individually fit uniforms and gear, Reed explained, but to plan and manage costs. If the army knows that 15 percent of recruits are African American, when it orders, say, 20,000 bullet-proof vests, it will ensure that 15 percent conform to what it believes is their relatively shorter proportions. “That’s really important for the army,” Reed told me. “If you do that wrong, you end up with stuff that you need to store. And you don’t have enough of what you do need.”
Reed points out that race is also important in civilian contexts. Think about your car. Reed designs crash test dummies. If a car is tested only with “Caucasian” dummies, it may not be as safe for Asians or African Americans. Why? Leg length determines how far back you sit from the steering wheel — a major impact point — and your proximity to the airbag. Seated height also affects what you can see. “We don’t want to build a crash test dummy that’s based only on white guys,” Reed said.
An astragal is commonly used as a seal between a pair of doors. The astragal closes the clearance gap. The vertical member (molding) attaches to a stile on one of a pair of doors (either sliding or swinging) against which the other door strikes, or closes. Exterior astragals are kerfed for weatherstripping. Also, flush head and foot bolt hardware is commonly mortised into the astragal to hold the inactive door in place, when both doors operate, at the top and bottom.
Also known as “meeting stile seals,” the term can refer to the raised half-round overlap where pairs of doors meet, such as is the case with French doors. An astragal is designed to be applied to one or both doors of a pair at their meeting edges (meeting stiles). The astragal closes the clearance gap for the purpose of either providing a weather seal, ensuring privacy, preventing sound from leaking in or out of a room, minimizing the passage of light between the doors, or retarding the passage of smoke or flame during a fire.
Doors are typically the weakest link in any partition that is designed to block sound. This is often due to poor sealing around the perimeter of the door. Astragals, perimeter gasketing, drop seals and door sweeps can all be used to prevent sound from leaking through cracks around the door perimeter.
In cabinet making, an astragal can mean a bar separating panes of glass, either vertically or horizontally. This use is also common with window manufacturers.
"Antiperspirants use aluminum salts to block sweat glands, reducing perspiration and depriving odor-causing bacteria of the nutrients they need to survive. Deodorants use antimicrobial substances to kill off bacteria directly."
The kourotrophos Maffei "A marble, life-sized statue stands in the Museo Guarnacci, an image of a woman with a child and dated to the 4th century BCE. It has an inscription along the right arm. Etruscologists variously index it as CIE 76, CII 349, and ET Vt 3.3 but the general public knows it as the kourotrophos Maffei. The word kourotrophos is a Greek compound word meaning "child nurturer" or simply "nurse".
There are, as usual, wildly different accounts of what this one Etruscan inscription actually says. It's yet another insight into the madness within the field of Etruscology. It's as always unsettling to me how silent and disturbing the process of historical obfuscation is in a supposed age of information. We're drowned and hung by our own intellectual sloth."
WOTD https://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day/2016/3/12 includes this sentence among the EXAMPLES: "A necropsy is the term for a post-mortem examination performed on an animal or inanimate object." How can one determine the cause of death for something never alive?
alexz: I've noticed the same thing. I type in the search box a capitalized word followed by a lower case word ( (ie. Norman door) and Wordnik immediately redirects me to a new page with both words in lower case. It doesn't seem to redirect when both words are capitalized after being typed into search. Example: Old Baldy.
The Ishihara test is a color perception test for red-green color deficiencies. It was named after its designer, Dr. Shinobu Ishihara, a professor at the University of Tokyo, who first published his tests in 1917.
Voluntourists come for a week or two for a “project” — a temporary medical clinic, an orphanage visit or a school construction. A few are celebrities supporting their cause du jour, who drop in to meet locals and witness a project that often bears their name. Others come to teach English during high school, college vacations or during a gap year. Others are sun-seeking vacationers who stay at beachside resorts. Many voluntourists are religious — the sort of people who cite passages from the Bible, the Torah or the Quran that encourage followers to help those in need. There are some volunteers who possess specialized, sought-after skills like ophthalmology, but most do not. Sometimes volunteers do more harm than good.
Unsatisfying as it may be, many voluntourists ought to acknowledge the truth that they, as amateurs, often don’t have much to offer. Perhaps they ought to abandon the assumption that they, simply by being privileged enough to travel the world, are somehow qualified to help ease the world’s ills. Easing global poverty is an enormously complex task. To make so much as a dent requires hard, sustained work, and expertise. Even the experts sometimes get it wrong. If smart, dedicated professionals can fail to achieve lasting progress over a period of years, how then is an untrained vacationer supposed to do so in a matter of days?
The tendency for people to favor (promote, include) those who are similar to them. In the business world, this in-group bias is problematic because it reinforces stereotypes and inequality. However, while it is a common tendency, not everyone is allowed to advocate for their own group. Sometimes when women and minorities promote their own group, it garners criticism from others.
In the U.S., there is still a power and status gap between men and women and between whites and nonwhites. High-status groups, mainly white men, are given freedom to deviate from the status quo because their competence is assumed based on their membership in the high-status group. In contrast, when women and nonwhite leaders advocate for other women and nonwhites, it highlights their low-status demographics, activating the stereotype of incompetence, and leads to worse performance ratings. --"Women and minorities are penalized for promoting diversity", Harvard Business Review, March 23, 2016.
"If we love a friend without preferring her before others, the friendship is simple; if we prefer her, then this friendship is a dilection because we choose her from among many others we love, and prefer her."
Crumb rubber is recycled rubber produced from automotive and truck scrap tires. During the recycling process, steel and tire cord (fluff) are removed, leaving tire rubber with a granular consistency.
Vomiting serves an evolutionary purpose for humans by preventing the ingestion of something harmful, and by expelling noxious substances once ingested.
Vomiting excessive amounts of alcohol is an attempt by the body to prevent alcohol poisoning and death. Vomiting may also be caused by other drugs, such as opiates, or from toxins found in some foods and plants. Food allergies, such as lactose intolerance, can cause vomiting.
Even morning sickness, nausea and vomiting common to most pregnant women but no other mammals, has a defensive purpose. Morning sickness discourages pregnant women from eating meat and strong-tasting vegetables, which may contain toxins and microorganisms. If ingested, the fetus might be harmed. After around the 18th week, the fetus becomes less vulnerable.
The turkey vulture will vomit to dispel any disturbing animal. They can propel their vomit up to 10 feet.
The European roller, a much smaller bird found in parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, uses vomit in a different way. A baby European roller will vomit a foul-smelling orange liquid onto itself to turn away a predator. The smell also warns the parents to return to the nest.
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine syndrome must be distinguished from other conditions involving the startle reflex or tics.
Tourette syndrome is characterized by multiple physical (motor) tics, and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. There are many overlaps when compared clinically, but the abnormal "jumping" response is always provoked, unlike the involuntary tics in Tourette syndrome.
Latah from Southeast Asia is a disorder where one's startle response is similar to a state of trance with repetitive speech or movements. Miryachit is a disorder found in Siberia that also displays an action similar to "jumping". Neurasthenia is a disorder with a startle response during periods of great fatigue.
Hyperekplexia is an extremely rare autosomal dominant neurological disease. The symptoms start in infancy with hypertonia, an abnormal muscle tension that decreases flexibility, and an exaggerated startle in all ages of life.
A rare lesion consisting in internal resorption of a tooth, initiated by inflammatory hyperplasia of the pulp and hemorrhage, usually not associated with caries; the condition may appear as a pinkish area on the crown and, because the lesion is caused by osteoclasts, is known as an osteoclastoma; if detected early, ‘root canal’ therapy can salvage the tooth, otherwise it requires extraction.
The cause of minimal change disease is not fully known but it is believed to be an immune disorder in which T cells release a cytokine that damages the epithelial foot processes of the glomeruli. This leads to a leakage of albumin by the kidney. Certain events such as a viral infection, an allergic reaction, a bee sting, or an immunization may trigger an attack of MCD.
Minimal change disease is the most common form of the nephrotic syndrome in children aged 2 to 12 years. It is the cause of nephrotic syndrome in about 90% of children younger than 10 years, about 50% to 70% of older children, and 10% to 15% of adults.
Post-void dribbling or post-micturition dribbling is the phenomenon where urine remaining in the urethra after voiding the bladder slowly leaks out after urination. A common and usually benign complaint, it may be a symptom of urethral diverticula, prostatitis and other medical problems.
Men who experience dribbling, especially after prostate cancer surgery, will choose to wear incontinence pads to stay dry. Also known as guards for men, these incontinence pads conform to the male body. Simple ways to prevent dribbling include: strengthening pelvic muscles with Kegel exercises, changing position while urinating, or pressing on the perineum to evacuate the remaining urine from the urethra. Sitting down while urinating is also shown to alleviate complaints: a meta-analysis on the effects of voiding position in elderly males with benign prostate hyperplasia found an improvement of urologic parameters in this position while in healthy males no such influence was found.
A disease characterized by an excessive production of heavy chains that are short and truncated. These heavy chain disease proteins have various deletions which interfere with heavy chains to properly bond with light chains.
Asterixis (also called the flapping tremor, or liver flap) is a tremor of the hand when the wrist is extended, sometimes said to resemble a bird flapping its wings. This motor disorder is characterized by an inability to actively maintain a position, which is demonstrated by jerking movements of the outstretched hands when bent upward at the wrist. The tremor is caused by abnormal function of the diencephalic motor centers in the brain, which regulate the muscles involved in maintaining position. Asterixis is associated with various encephalopathies due especially to faulty metabolism. The term asterixis derives from the Greek a, "not" and stērixis, "fixed position"
Comments by vendingmachine
Show previous 200 comments...
vendingmachine commented on the word jackpot justice
Patients do not come to us (our medical malpractice law firm) because they want to bring a frivolous claim or “jackpot justice.” They come to us because they are in the most dire circumstances.
August 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word exuvia
Cool. Now I know what to call a cicada's exoskeleton. Cicada exuvia! (I hope I'm pronouncing it correctly.)
August 24, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word thallophori
‘thallophori’ is no one's favorite word yet, has no comments yet, and is not a valid Scrabble word.
So sad. That's why:
I favorited thallophori and left this comment. Sorry, I can't do anything about thallophori's Scrabble validity.
August 24, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word incontinent
Hm. I guess it's perfectly possible to be unchaste and also lack voluntary control over one's excretory functions.
August 24, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word albarello
A ceramic pharmacy or drug jar, generally majolica ware. They are usually tall rather than wide, and often of a waisted shape.
August 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word giant panda
Don't let that stop you, dear ru. Pun away! I see Twitter poster are busy in this regard, too.
*my fursona is a giant panda (said by an icon of an animal with fur)
August 14, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word information laundering
“Journals have devolved into information laundering operations for the pharmaceutical industry”, wrote Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet, in March 2004. In the same year, Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, lambasted the industry for becoming “primarily a marketing machine” and co-opting “every institution that might stand in its way”. Medical journals were conspicuously absent from her list of co-opted institutions, but she and Horton are not the only editors who have become increasingly queasy about the power and influence of the industry.
August 7, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word Thighland
Thailand:
https://twitter.com/LanguageLog/status/1291587631478792194
August 7, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word Zezuru
Mugabe's parents belonged to the Zezuru clan, one of the smallest branches of the Shona tribe.
August 5, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word chieftaincy
Through his father, Mugabe claimed membership of the chieftaincy family that has provided the hereditary rulers of Zvimba for generations.
August 5, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word parvenu
noun An upstart; a man newly risen into notice.
A man, huh. Really? How old is this definition?
August 5, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word wherret
A box on the ear? What kind of box.. a cereal box, a cake mix?
August 4, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word fress
Thanks for this clarification, bilby. "Humans essen and animals fressen." Easy and worth remembering!
August 4, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word fress
To gobble up food; to gorge oneself. "To eat quickly or noisily, like an animal".
August 3, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word fumette
The stench or high flavor (?) of game meat. Hm.
August 3, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word ignifluous
My favorite word for today.
August 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word API
It also awarded $354 million to Phlow Corp. in May to start producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, or API, among other chemical ingredients, used in certain essential medications. A spokesperson for Phlow said the company can’t disclose the list of drugs, but it includes treatments for pain and blood pressure that can be used by hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The total contract is worth up to $812 million. Phlow cites a shift toward producing API in China and India as the rationale behind its business model.
July 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word hobble skirt
Ironically (or not), with the rising militancy of suffragists, skirts began to narrow until they became the barreled, banded style known as the hobble skirt or "the speed-limit skirt."
July 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word isotonitazene
Discovered in 1957 by a Swiss pharmaceutical firm, isotonitazene is an analogue of its banned parent compound, etonitazene, which was discovered in 1956 and is itself 60 times more potent than morphine.
“Isotonitazene is the most persistent and prevalent new opioid in the U.S.,” said Logan, adding that he is now seeing 40 to 50 isotonitazene-related deaths per month in the U.S. compared to about six per month last summer (2019).
Isotonitazene is legal to export from China and is not specifically banned in the U.S., Europe or China. America’s Analog Act would cover it as a derivative of a banned substance, but no case has come to court yet. It could take years before it is scheduled in the U.S. and internationally.
Chemists in Shanghai and other major manufacturing centers are still out-inventing lawmakers the world over, quickly synthesizing new, legal variants of recently banned drugs. Isotonitazene and several variants of it are now being sold online, legally by Chinese suppliers offering bulk deals.
July 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word psychonaut
"Previously, isotonitazene was a niche drug used by internet drug geeks, or psychonauts, Logan said. But he now, as happened with fentanyl, there are bags of heroin on sale on the streets in the U.S. with mixtures containing isotonitazene, with users having no idea what they are buying."
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/wxebjb/40-americans-are-dying-every-month-from-taking-this-new-legal-opioid
July 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word spinal chord
I believe that this is a common MISSPELLING for spinal cord but no way is it a legitimate, alternative spelling.
July 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word stilt-petrel
What's wrong with long-legged petrel? Stilts are artificial legs, are they not?
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word zeme
Now I know what a zeme meme is, I guess.
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word symbolophobia
A fear of symbols is concise and seems to make sense, but the definition provided adds different layers of meaning that appear made-up.
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word vowelist
There are other examples of vowelless sentences in Czech and Slovak, such as prd krt skrz drn, zprv zhlt hrst zrn, meaning "a mole farted through grass, having swallowed a handful of grains"
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word vowelist
So, every -ist is an addict? How exactly does an addiction to vowels manifest itself? Do vowelists insist on buying game-show vowels even when a vowel is not needed to identify a word or phrase? Do vowelists suffer mercilessly when encountering languages such as Czech?
Strč prst skrz krk
--a Czech and Slovak tongue-twister meaning "stick a finger through the throat".
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word gonotyl
A sucker surrounding the genital opening...
Not sure why this particular detail describes this worm, unless it helps to distinguish one trematode worm from another.
July 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word tropologize
To make a trope of.
July 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word mummachog
mummichog
July 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word caraccas
There were galleys and caravels, barques and feluccas, pinnaces and caraccas.
July 3, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the list a-group-of-bilbies-is-called
What? Not an earful of bilbies? (BTW, my spell-check keeps trying to change bilbies to bibles.)
July 3, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word pathocracy
A pathocracy is a social movement, society, nation, or empire wherein a small pathological minority takes control over a society of normal people.
June 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word political ponerology
Political ponerology (originating from the Greek word for evil, poneros) is a science on the nature of evil adjusted for political purposes which ultimately on a larger scale results in a pathocracy.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55641292@N03/5482658316
June 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word ponerological
See ponerology.
June 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word cross-cutting relationships
Cross-cutting relationships is a principle of geology that states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features. It is a relative dating technique in geology. It was first developed by Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno in Dissertationis prodromus (1669) and later formulated by James Hutton in Theory of the Earth (1795) and embellished upon by Charles Lyell in Principles of Geology (1830).
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word principle of faunal succession
The principle of faunal succession, also known as the law of faunal succession, is based on the observation that sedimentary rock strata contain fossilized flora and fauna, and that these fossils succeed each other vertically in a specific, reliable order that can be identified over wide horizontal distances. A fossilized Neanderthal bone will never be found in the same stratum as a fossilized Megalosaurus, for example, because neanderthals and megalosaurs lived during different geological periods, separated by many millions of years. This allows for strata to be identified and dated by the fossils found within.
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word principle of lateral continuity
The principle of lateral continuity states that layers of sediment initially extend laterally in all directions; in other words, they are laterally continuous. As a result, rocks that are otherwise similar, but are now separated by a valley or other erosional feature, can be assumed to be originally continuous.
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word principle of original horizontality
The Principle of Original Horizontality states that layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.1 It is a relative dating technique. The principle is important to the analysis of folded and tilted strata. It was first proposed by the Danish geological pioneer Nicholas Steno (1638–1686).
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word law of superposition
The law of superposition is an axiom that forms one of the bases of the sciences of geology, archaeology, and other fields dealing with geological stratigraphy. It is a form of relative dating. In its plainest form, it states that in undeformed stratigraphic sequences, the oldest strata will be at the bottom of the sequence. This is important to stratigraphic dating, which assumes that the law of superposition holds true and that an object cannot be older than the materials of which it is composed.
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word outcrop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcrop
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word remnant prairie
See also prairie remnant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_remnant
Land that has never been plowed and remains undisturbed by agricultural and urban/suburban development.
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word thaumaturgism
thaumaturgy
June 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word nuciculture
nut-culture; a branch of pomology.
June 26, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word deme
demonymic: bearing a name derived from the deme, or township, to which one (who was an inhabitant of ancient Attica) belonged.
June 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word redpilled
“Take the red pill.” The term is popular in internet communities such as the alt-right and the manosphere, and refers to the scene in the film The Matrix in which the protagonist, Neo, is offered the choice between a blue pill that will allow him to remain safely deluded, or a red pill, which will allow him to discover the underlying truth about reality. The phrase has come to mean rejecting widely accepted truths — particularly those that relate to equality between races, genders and social groups — and choosing an alternative narrative about society. Such narratives lean, in many cases, towards racism, misogyny and other highly controversial beliefs. While this is not true of every single person who would consider themselves “redpilled”, the members of pretty much every alt-right group you might have heard of – incels, neo-Nazis, eco-fascists – will often consider themselves to have awakened in this way to their fringe theories and socially unacceptable beliefs.
June 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word memeification
How do the Jans, Chads, Janets, and Sharons of the world feel about the memeification of their names? While their experiences are obviously in no way comparable to people who face real-world, racially-motivated name discrimination, it is potentially frustrating to have a name that is part of pop culture. Just ask Harry Potter.
June 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the list words-for-women
These words don't actually describe women; they label women. Words used to describe women could be: intelligent, tall, brave, adventurous, funny; meddlesome, annoying, attractive, unattractive...
*climbing off my soap-box now.
June 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word wolfian theory
A variation of bilby-ian theory. Not sure about spelling. bilbian? bilbyian?
June 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word baby bilby boom
Nice alliteration!
June 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word increased glaciation
Beats decreased glaciation, I guess.
June 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word shitstem
Meaning what? Is it a disparaging term? My first thought was a weed, but then, I just got through pulling a bunch from my garden.
June 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word wordnik factor
Hey, we got a visual below. This must be the wordnik factor!!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9361468@N05/1338213272
June 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word foreign factor
Thanks, Alex. I was hoping for more intrigue than this. The explanation ended up sounding as boring at its newfound meaning.
What do you suppose the definition is for the wordnik factor? :)
June 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word foreign factor
reverse dictionary: hong.
Still not helping to explain foreign factor. You are such a tease, wordnik.
June 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word foreign factor
OK, wordnik. You randomly selected this term for me. Explain it. What is the foreign factor?
June 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word Festival of Extraordinary Teapots
A real event, apparently.
June 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bouldering
"Luce's climbing style was dynamic and determined and she seemed to thrive in the modern style of competition bouldering. Athletes and coaches sharing tributes online are recalling the energy that she brought to competitions with her ever-smiling presence.
Luce began climbing from a young age with her father on crags in the Chartreuse Massif near her home. In May, Luce ticked her first 8b+ on rock at a local crag, just weeks after French lockdown ended."
June 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word doomage
So much gloom and doomage...
June 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bolthole
Everyone needs a bolthole.
May 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word sett
Many badger species are very social creatures and live in groups called a cete or clan. A clan shares territory and setts. Setts can be centuries old and are used by many generations of badgers. One sett can be 22 to 109 yards (20 to 100 meters) or more long.
May 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word honey badger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
Honey badgers became popular due to a YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg) with a humorous voiceover. Honey badgers are known for their ferocity. Some fun facts about honey badgers:
* They are called ratels because of the rattling sound they make when they are being attacked.
* They have a resistance to snake venom.
* When attacking beehives, they release a fume that spreads throughout the hive.
* When attacking large animals, such as lions, they go for the scrotum.
May 29, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word balloon clock
This visual makes more sense than the actual definition:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/148501304@N06/49855658911
May 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word Mormon cricket
Interesting history regarding this insect's name.
May 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word water spirit
From Twitter:
A rare representation of an Ogbanje and mami-water spirit messenger communicating in encrypted language..
Yep. Water spirits communicate in encrypted language. Good to know.
May 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word poak
Found this:
Any substance added to the soil with the view of rendering it more fertile; specifically, and as used in leases and other contracts relating to real property, the excrementitious product of livestock, with refuse litter, accumulated, and used for enriching the land.
May 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word poak
I thought manure consists of feces. How can hair, lime and oil be classified as manure?
Never heard of the word POAK.
May 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word nonpig
That's what you get for giving us a swift kick when we don't uncoil your Dorito's fast enough.
April 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word hanging naked men
What pajamas? --frogapplause
April 30, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word diegetic sound
A diegetic sound is any sound that originates from the world of a production. A very simple way to think about diegetic sounds is to think of them as anything that’s real, or anything that could make sound in the world of a film. The sound doesn't have to be featured on-screen.
In fact, many diegetic sounds are not shown on-screen. Say there’s an emergency and an ambulance is called. The corresponding siren sound would be diegetic, even if it’s not shown on screen. This is because it’s a natural sound of the film world.
Examples of Diegetic Sounds
*Dialogue between characters
*Music played within the world. Piano playing at a restaurant, music in an elevator, a street performer banging drums.
*Sound effects such as: explosions, rain drops on a stormy night, wind whirring through a turbine, and many, many more.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-diegetic-sound/
April 25, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word nonpig
nonbilby... that which is not a bilby.
April 25, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word wonky hole
Who knew?
April 11, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word slow loris
Why not call it a stocky lemur?
April 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word butt woman
I'm not sure she I want to know what a butt woman is.
April 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word parolist
A paroled man, huh? So, is this a one-size-fits-both-genders type word?
April 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word food insecure
According to a 2018 survey by the United States Department of Agriculture, 11.1 percent of American households could be described as “food insecure.”
April 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word fishtancing
I misread it as fishdancing.
April 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word oxgate
See oxland, oxgang.
March 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word oxgang
See oxland, oxgate.
March 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word BTDTBTTS
Seriously?
March 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the user norm.mclaughlin
Don't you mean remote computer fraud/scam/control/hijacking/stealing? Shame on you and scum like you.
March 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word touch elbows
True or False... the CDC recommends that instead of shaking hands, people touch elbows.
March 27, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word M-m-m-my Sharona
M-m-m-my Coronavirus
March 25, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word coins
I read that coins pose a greater threat to virus transmission than paper money.
March 20, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bunny boiler
This is listed under Fun Words?
March 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word cap of maintenance
The janitor's hat?
March 17, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word Me no Leica.
I like this statement:
"Kerr was well known for panning musicals that were musically ambitious."
March 11, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word LGBTQ
The military has a long history of discriminating against servicemembers who either were or were perceived to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer (LGBTQ). That history of discrimination included the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy in place from 1994 to 2011, as well as predecessor policies that were even more harsh, and extends to the current ban on service by openly transgender individuals. Under DADT and prior policies, between the end of World War II and the repeal of DADT, over 100,000 servicemembers were discharged with bad paper discharge because of their actual or perceived LGBTQ status. In addition, thousands of LGBTQ servicemembers were discharged with bad paper for behaviors—interpreted as inexcusable misconduct—that stemmed from the trauma of having to conceal their sexual or gender identity or were discharged for pretextual reasons, such as minor misconduct, when the true cause was discrimination against them due to their LGBTQ status.16 The nation’s history of discrimination against LGBTQ servicemembers is therefore another cause of bad paper discharges that is perpetuated when these veterans are turned away from VA without being allowed to apply.
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word TBI
PTSD and TBI Traumatic Brain Injury are considered the signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and both conditions can significantly impair a person’s ability to conform their behavior to the military’s standards. In particular, the symptoms of PTSD can lead to behaviors that are misinterpreted by military commanders, which in turn can lead to a bad paper discharge.
http://www.legalservicescenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Turn-Away-Report.pdf
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bad paper discharge
Others may have been discharged with bad paper based on discriminatory policies, such as the now-repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) policy.
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word MST
Military Sexual Trauma
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bad paper discharge
Every servicemember is assigned a “character of service” or “discharge status” upon leaving military service. While most servicemembers receive Honorable discharge statuses, a substantial percentage—approximately 7 percent of (American) veterans discharged since 1980—receive discharge statuses that are not Honorable, which are known as “bad paper.” Servicemembers usually get “bad paper” because of some alleged misconduct, though that misconduct frequently is minor, for a military-only offense, or not proved in any court. Studies also show that many servicemembers are separated with bad paper for misconduct related to a service-related mental or physical health condition or Military Sexual Trauma (MST).
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bad paper discharge
Former military servicemembers with “bad paper” — an Other Than Honorable, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable discharge...
(Dear VA: Stop kicking veterans with PTSD out of your hospitals)
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/486640-dear-va-stop-kicking-veterans-with-ptsd-out-of-your-hospitals
March 10, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word super spreader
What are super-spreaders?
Not everybody is equal when it comes to the transmission of infectious diseases. In fact, it has been established for at least two decades that there is something called the 20/80 rule – that a small core group of about one in five people transmit infections to far more people than the majority do.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/27/what-are-super-spreaders-and-how-are-they-transmitting-coronavirus
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/11/what-is-a-coronavirus-covid-19-super-spreader-infections-explained.html
March 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word infodemic
Coronavirus is more of an infodemic than an epidemic.
March 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word infodemic
On 2 February, the WHO declared there was a "massive infodemic" accompanying the outbreak and response, citing an over-abundance of reported information, accurate and false, about the virus that "makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it."
March 8, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word leucocytiform
Elephants doing somebody job, eh? What kind of job?
March 6, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word ʻokina
About Hawaiian diacritical marks. https://www.hawaii.edu/site/info/diacritics.php
The Hawaiian language uses two diacritical markings. The ‘okina is a glottal stop, similar to the sound between the syllables of "oh-oh." In print, the correct mark for designating an ‘okina is the single open quote mark. The kahako is a macron, which lengthens and adds stress to the marked vowel. For example 'pau,' depending on placement of ‘okina and kahako, can mean completed, smudge, moist or skirt.
The State of Hawai‘i and University of Hawai‘i strongly encourage use of Hawaiian diacritical markings.
March 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word hoʻoponopono
"In many Polynesian cultures, it is believed that a person's errors (called hara or hala) caused illness. Some believe error angers the gods, others that it attracts malevolent gods, and still others believe the guilt caused by error made one sick. In most cases, however, specific 'untie-error' rites could be performed to atone for such errors and thereby diminish one's accumulation of them.
Among the islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, people believe that illness usually is caused by sexual misconduct or anger. "If you are angry for two or three days, sickness will come," said one local man. The therapy that counters this sickness is confession. The patient, or a family member, may confess. If no one confesses an error, the patient may die. The Vanuatu people believe that secrecy is what gives power to the illness. When the error is confessed, it no longer has power over the person.
Like many other islanders, including Hawaiians, people of Tikopia in the Solomon Islands, and on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, believe that the sins of the father will fall upon the children. If a child is sick, the parents are suspected of quarreling or misconduct. In addition to sickness, social disorder could cause sterility of land or other disasters. Harmony could be restored only by confession and apology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoʻoponopono (grave accent mark messes up link; must copy and paste. In Hawaiian, the grave accent is not placed over another character but is sometimes encountered as a typographically easier substitute for the ʻokina: Hawai`i instead of Hawaiʻi.).
March 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word hoʻoponopono
See hooponopono.
March 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word honestly, it's not for everyone
Nebraska's tag line. https://www.omaha.com/news/state_and_regional/nebraska-s-new-tourism-pitch-honestly-it-s-not-for/article_4e7a5320-fe58-544a-b8ac-078e075fb3f8.html
Another ad, which was popular with focus groups in Minneapolis, Kansas City and Denver, was titled “Festivals for everything from mud to testicles.” The latter refers to a Father’s Day weekend Testicle Festival, at the Round the Bend Steakhouse east of Ashland, that features deep-fried sheep and beef testicles.
February 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word plim
So, slim and plim isn't so good, I guess.
February 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word ground blizzard
We call these snow devils; they are pretty much the opposite of a dust devil.
February 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word celery-looper
And yo' Momma was a celery-looper, too.
February 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word salad onions
This is probably what I'd call green onions. Some people call them, irk, scallions.
February 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word celery-looper
Sounds like a good insult.
February 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word rudder-iron
See pintle.
February 3, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word equilibristics
"Equilibristics is a blanket term for a number of circus skills which involve balancing or maintaining equilibrium. The term applies equally to acts in which the performer balances on a prop, and acts in which the performer balances or spins a prop. Many different tricks and stunts fit into this category. Some well-known examples of equilibristics include juggling, baton twirling, unicycle riding, stilt walking, tightrope walking, the manipulation of devil sticks, plate spinning, and some acrobatics. Couch juggling is a stunt in which one lies on one's back, balancing an upended sofa on the soles of one's feet. The couch is flipped end-for-end and caught at the other end, beginning a spin which is maintained by deft movements of the feet. This stunt can also be performed with a canoe, or any other large and unwieldy object. It can even be performed as a gymnastic stunt, using a human gymnast as the juggled object. Technically, balancing a cane on the tip of a finger is an equilibristic stunt, but generally equilibristics is more flashy."
February 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word horseless carriage syndrome
"During times of rapid change, there is always a lag between events and our perception and understanding of those events. “Thought” is past tense. Reflection is always after the fact. Someone once said that “time makes hypocrites of us all”, but what that really means is that there is a dissonance between change and the adequacy of our responses to that change. We are already living in the future, but our thinking is still in the past, so that we live divided between the past and the future."
--https://longsworde.wordpress.com/2017/11/15/horseless-carriage-syndrome/
February 2, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the list anagram-poetry
Thanks for liking my shitty anagram poem!
My two-word poem also works on another list of mine (created by my former user identity, frogapplause).
https://www.wordnik.com/lists/two-word-poems
February 1, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the list anagram-poetry
I'm having fun adding to this list. One entry, however, might be misconstrued:
this shit
January 25, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word clinodactyly
Clinodactyly is an autosomal dominant trait that has variable expressiveness and incomplete penetrance*
January 23, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word bossed
Some phenotypes (characteristics) of people who have Russell–Silver syndrome are inadequate catch-up growth in the first two years, body asymmetry, lack of appetite, low-set posteriorly rotated ears, clinodactyly* (inward curving) of the 5th finger, webbed toes, non-descended testicles, weak muscle tone, delayed bone age, downturned corners of mouth and thin upper lip, hypospadias, high-pitched voice, small chin, delayed closure of the fontanel, hypoglycemia, and a bossed forehead.
January 18, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word ninja star
A shuriken. A throwing star.
January 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word omoluwabi
The omoluwabi is a philosophical and cultural concept that's native to the Yoruba people. It's used to describe a person of good character. The omoluabi concept signifies courage, hard work, humility and respect. An omoluabi is a person of honor who believes in hard work, respects the rights of others, and gives to the community in deeds and in action. Above all, an omoluwabi is a person of integrity.
The Omoluwabi concept is an adjectival Yoruba phrase, which has the words - "Omo + ti + Olu-iwa + bi" as its components. Literally translated and taken separately, omo means 'child', ti means 'that or which', Olu-iwa means the chief or master of Iwa (character), bi means 'born'. When combined, omoluabi translates as "the baby begotten by the chief of iwa". Such a child is thought of as a paragon of excellence in character.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omoluwabi
January 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word omoluwabi
January 16, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word carucage
The act of plowing.
January 14, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word scatebrous
What kind of springs? Bedsprings?
January 14, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word concierge medicine
More than 1 in 5 wealthy people pay an extra fee for direct access to their doctor, according to a new poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. For low and middle income people, the rates are less than half that.
https://tinyurl.com/wwghlyn
January 14, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word coenestopathic
So, a bilby with coenestopathy is perhaps unaware that he has big ears.
January 14, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word micropenis
This term seems rather harsh and belittling (no pun intended.)
January 11, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word vagina-scented candle
https://www.thecut.com/2020/01/gwyneth-paltrow-is-selling-a-vagina-scented-candle.html
January 11, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the list hedgepiglet
Another fun and creative list by yarb.
January 7, 2020
vendingmachine commented on the word muddler
Not to be confused with a puddler, cuddler, fuddler or huddler.
December 31, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word muddler
The Houdini Deluxe Mojito Muddler:
https://tinyurl.com/whz7y9q
Also, get your muddler away from my double jigger!
https://tinyurl.com/rg5ktyc
December 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word upcycling
also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products of better quality and environmental value.
December 23, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word cake-urchin
aka urinal cake-urchin
December 23, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word hazel-oil
A severe beating with hazel rods? What's a severe beating with bilby ears and feet?
December 23, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word muddler
I've never heard of a muddler. I suppose it could be used interchangeably with potato masher.
December 23, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word lek
My new favorite word, birdwise.
December 19, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the user naman77
I'm looking for a used rickshaw to add luxury to my life and to boost my bidness. Please help me most promptly.
December 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word disorderly house
The newspaper report of 1 September featured in the comments suggests that Annie Anderson may have been involved in prostitution. This is made more explicit in a report of a later arrest in the Shields Daily Gazette for 21 July 1904, 'disorderly house' being a euphemism for brothel.
"At North Shields Annie Anderson (34) was charged with keeping a disorderly house in Liddell Street on July 1st. Sergt. G. Scougal proved the case. Chief Constable Huish said that the prisoner was convicted for a similar offence on March 28th of this year, and committed for one month. Immediately she came out of prison she went back to the room and continued to carry on the house in the same manner as before. The complaints received by the police about it were serious. Defendant, who pleaded not guilty, was committed for three months with hard labour".
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29295370@N07/6628772201
December 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word bind
So you're a medieval landlord, collecting property rent from your peasants in eels. How do you measure them?
Eels were usually counted in units called sticks (25 eels) -- likely from the number of eels you can smoke on a stick at one time. 10 sticks of eels was called a bind.
--https://twitter.com/greenleejw
December 13, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word clickership
‘clickership’ is no one's favorite word yet, has no comments yet, and is not a valid Scrabble word.
Ah, what a sad and lonely word!
December 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word scriptorium
The killer was Colonel Mustard in the scriptorium!
December 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Brodie knob
The plot thickens...
necker's knob: A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
November 25, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word necker's knob
The plot thickens... "leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion."
A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.
See Brodie knob.
November 25, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Brodie knob
A few examples here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodie_knob
November 21, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word opihi
The opihi, or Cellana exarata, is an edible shellfish of the limpet species of molluscs. There are 3 types in Hawaii. The opihi alinalina or yellowfoot is one. The opihi makaiauli or blackfoot is the second. And the opihi ko`ele or giant opihi is the third. Most say they prefer the taste of the opihi alinalina or yellowfoot.
According to local researchers, the opihis are probably the most expensive seafood in Hawaii. In terms of cost of the delicacy (including the shell), one can value it in the range of $150 a gallon. A long time ago, pickers were selling over 140,000 pounds annually. Today, there are only 13,000 pounds harvested annually. This due to diminished stock and over harvesting. Despite this, demand for opihis remains very high.
November 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word buffel duck
See also marionette.
November 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word passion bearer
In Eastern Christianity, a passion bearer (Russian: страстотéрпец, tr. strastoterpets, IPA: strəstɐˈtʲɛrpʲɪts) is one of the various customary titles for saints used in commemoration at divine services when honouring their feast on the Church Calendar; it is not generally used in the Latin Church.
The term can be defined as a person who faces his or her death in a Christ-like manner. Unlike martyrs, passion bearers are not explicitly killed for their faith.
Notable passion bearers include the brothers Boris and Gleb, Alexander Schmorell (member of the White Rose resistance movement), and the entire Imperial Family of Russia, executed by the Bolsheviks in 1918.
November 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word BIG suit
noun An airtight full-body suit intended to protect wearer from biologically hazardous persons, serums, materials, or lifeforms.
What's an example of a hazardous lifeform? An alien from Mars maybe?
November 12, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word sugar tit
Really?
November 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word BIG suit
BIG from “Biological Isolation Garment” + suit.
November 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word mill-power
How can a value change because of its locality?
November 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list polychronic-liquidators--cyf
Misread puddling-furnace. Thought I saw pudding-furnace. Like pudding-furnace better.
November 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list polychronic-liquidators--cyf
I'm afraid to find out what a donkey-boiler is.
November 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word podium sweep
A podium sweep is when one team wins all available medals in a single event in a sporting event.
November 5, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word woke culture
Woke (/ˈwoʊk/) as a political term of African American origin refers to a perceived awareness of issues concerning social justice and racial justice. It is derived from the African-American Vernacular English expression "stay woke", whose grammatical aspect refers to a continuing awareness of these issues.
November 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word cancel culture
This term describes a form of boycott in which someone (usually a celebrity) who has shared a questionable or unpopular opinion, or has had behavior that is perceived to be either offensive or problematic called out on social media is "canceled"; they are completely boycotted by many of their followers or supporters, often leading to massive declines in celebrities' (almost always social media personalities) careers and fanbase.
November 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word callout-culture
Call-out culture (also known as outrage culture) is a form of public shaming that aims to hold individuals and groups accountable for their actions by calling attention to behavior that is perceived to be problematic, usually on social media. A variant of the term, cancel culture, describes a form of boycott in which someone (usually a celebrity) who has shared a questionable or unpopular opinion, or has had behavior that is perceived to be either offensive or problematic called out on social media is "canceled"; they are completely boycotted by many of their followers or supporters, often leading to massive declines in celebrities' (almost always social media personalities) careers and fanbase.
November 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list retro-names-for-movie-houses-BJX43YqsEME9
Fox, Paramount, Avon, Alameda, Plaza, Majestic, Repertory, Regent, Imperial, Jewelbox, Mayfair, Garden, Savoy, ShowRoom, Apollo, Beach, Capitol, Colonial, Hollywood, Embassy, Empress, Exposition, Globe, Palace, Park, Roxy, Century, Victory, Alpha, Union, Bourbon, Glacier, Memorial, Prism, Auburn, Village, Frontier, Moonlight, Crescent, Stadium, Ruby, Spectrum, Sunland, Ritz, Crestview, Arcade, Boulevard, Old Mill, Colony, Rainbow, Classic, Cascade, Thunderbird, Westgate, Starlite, Suburban, Venture, Liberty, Sunset, International, Gateway, Clover Leaf, Bengal, Philmore, Uptown, State, Dixie, Rivoli, Casino, Vogue, Cottage, Radio City, Folly, Star, Fremont, Renaissance, Midway, Heritage, Capri, Carousel, Tower, Medallion, Varsity, King, Holiday, Jubilee, Studio...
November 1, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word scomfishing
strangling, smothering...
October 30, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list no-reason-yf0LEROMMFwE
I like the three Ls: wallless, cowbellless...
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Steal This Book
Steal This Book is a book written by Abbie Hoffman. Written in 1970 and published in 1971, the book exemplified the counterculture of the sixties. The book sold more than a quarter of a million copies between April and November 1971.
The book is, in the style of the counterculture, mainly focused on ways to fight the government, and against corporations in any way possible. The book is written in the form of a guide to the youth. Hoffman, a political and social activist himself, used many of his own activities as the inspiration for some of his advice in Steal This Book.
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word culture jamming
Culture jamming (sometimes guerrilla communication) is a tactic used by many anti-consumerist social movements to disrupt or subvert media culture and its mainstream cultural institutions, including corporate advertising. It attempts to "expose the methods of domination" of a mass society to foster progressive change. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word timber mafia
Timber mafia refers to organized crime in the field of illegal logging in timber. Not to be confused with lumber cartel.
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Anonymous Christian
Anonymous Christian is the controversial notion introduced by the Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner (1904–1984) that declares that people who have never heard the Christian Gospel might be saved through Christ. Non-Christians could have "in their basic orientation and fundamental decision," Rahner wrote, "accepted the salvific grace of God, through Christ, although they may never have heard of the Christian revelation.
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word black dog syndrome
Black dog syndrome or big black dog syndrome is a phenomenon in which black dogs are passed over for adoption in favor of lighter-colored animals. Animal shelters often use the term BBD, or big black dog, to describe the type of larger dark-colored mixed-breed said to be typically passed over by adopters. Black cats suffer the same problem in shelters, being passed over for adoption in favor of other coat colors.
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word titman
A titman in the 19th century could mean a small or stunted person, as Henry David Thoreau indicates when he calls his generation “a race of tit-men.”
October 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word double obelus
double obelus rolls off the tongue much nicer than double dagger.
October 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word eyeleteers
Wow. eeeee.
October 24, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word ookpik
My new favorite word.
October 23, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word caste
Example: nasutus: One of a caste of termites in which the head is prolonged into a point like a long nose. A duct opens at the extremity of the point and from it issues a fluid used as a cement in. constructing the nest.
October 16, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word caste
In entomology, any one of the distinct forms found among the polymorphic social insects, especially the true ants and the white ants or termites.
October 16, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Smith Volcano
Smith Volcano, also known as Mount Babuyan, is a cinder cone on Babuyan Island, the northernmost of the Babuyan group of islands on Luzon Strait, north of the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. The mountain is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines, which last erupted in 1924.
October 16, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Smith Act
A 1940 United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government.
October 16, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word colorway
A new term for me. Some sample sentences:
Nike's Air Max line of running shoes is a prime example in which a single model of a shoe is often produced for years, but the color and material combination ( " colorway " ) is changed every few months, or different colorways are offered in different markets.
Yarn with multiple shades of the same hue are called " omber ", while a yarn with multiple hues may be known as a given " colorway " a green, red and yellow yarn might be dubbed the " Parrot Colorway " by its manufacturer, for example . " Heathered " yarns contain small amounts of fiber of different colors, while " tweed " yarns may have greater amounts of different colored fibers.
The firm made wallpaper by block printing, where blocks of wood are carved and printed for each colorway of a design, and fabrics were produced using the indigo-discharge dyeing method, where cloth is stained a deep indigo, then designs are bleached out so that they can be dyed other colors.
October 16, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word intactivists
Anti-circumcision activists.
October 12, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the user wesleybrandon
But I want to pay the registration fee! I demand the opportunity to pay the registration fee in order to be initiated into the Illuminati ScamHood. Why are you depriving me of this great opportunity, wesleybrandon? I have money to burn and a hole in my pocket.
I am not interested in owning a Lamborghini, though. I'd love an adult tricycle instead (yellow and with a basket.)
TESTIMONY! TESTIMONY!! TESTIMONY!!!
October 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word quillow
Often sold in small country stores run by Amish or Mennonite communities.
October 9, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list the-yokes-on-you-7mgeGbMIVSvw
yokefellow, yokemate, yoke bone, yoke elm, yoke-footed, yokelry, yoke riveter.
October 6, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word trenchcoater
See raincoater.
October 6, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word looer
noun A hatters' brushing-pad.
October 5, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word coordinated inauthentic behavior
Coordinated inauthentic behavior is a Facebook cybersecurity term defined as “when groups of pages or people work together to mislead others about who they are or what they’re doing.”
October 5, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word selection bias
See survivorship bias.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word survivorship bias
The logical error of concentrating on the people or things that made it past some selection process and then overlooking those that did not, typically because of their lack of visibility. This can lead to false conclusions in several different ways. It is a form of selection bias.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the user 3041244
It seems me more handy than others, too -- except when it not handy, in such cases it less or not more handy.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Jollywood
Refers to the film industry of the state of Assam in India. The industry was born in 1935 when Jyoti Prasad Agarwala released his movie "Joymoti".
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Mollywood
Refers to the Malayalam film industry based in the state of Kerala, India.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Kaliwood
Refers to the Nepali film industry based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Follywood
Refers to the film industry of Sri Lanka.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Dhaliwood
refers to the Bangladeshi film industry (based in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.) See also Dhallywood.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Dhallywood
Refers to the Bangladeshi film industry (based in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh.) See also Dhaliwood.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Lollywood
More specifically refers to the Punjabi films of Pakistan based in Lahore, Pakistan.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Pollywood
1. The cinema of Punjab, India.
2. The Pashto language movie industry in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Wellywood
Wellywood is an informal name for the city of Wellington, New Zealand. The name—a conflation of Wellington and Hollywood—is a reference to the film production business established in the city.
September 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word snare wire art
The snares collected by the anti-poaching units of (PaintedDog.org) who turn them into animal sculptures. Through sales of these snares and other crafts they spread the conversation message of the painted dogs both to their own community and internationally.
September 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word pooer
Combining the definitions above: A poor person that poops.
September 10, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Scheele's Green
Scheele's Green was used as a color for paper, e.g. for wallpapers and paper hangings, and in paints, wax candles, and even on some children's toys. It was also used to dye cotton and linen.
Despite evidence of its high toxicity, Scheele's Green was also used as a food dye for sweets such as green blancmange, a fondness of traders in 19th-century Greenock; this led to a long-standing Scottish prejudice against green sweets.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheele%27s_Green
September 10, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word poison dress
"The Poison Dress", or "Embalmed Alive" features a dress that has in some way been poisoned.
Also contributing to the poison-dress theme is the prevalence of smallpox-contaminated blankets, which were given to native Americans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_dress
September 7, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word harm reduction
"Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices that aim to minimise negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use, drug policies and drug laws. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights - it focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination, or requiring that they stop using drugs as a precondition of support.
Harm reduction encompasses a range of health and social services and practices that apply to illicit and licit drugs. These include, but are not limited to, drug consumption rooms, needle and syringe programmes, non-abstinence-based housing and employment initiatives, drug checking, overdose prevention and reversal, psychosocial support, and the provision of information on safer drug use. Approaches such as these are cost-effective, evidence-based and have a positive impact on individual and community health."
https://www.hri.global/what-is-harm-reduction
September 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word pailer
NIce! Thanks.
August 29, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word green vitriol
I thought it might be jealousy (green-eyed monster) with a hint of cruelty added.
August 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word pailer
A straw bed? Not the definition I expected. I assumed it meant someone who empties a pail.
August 28, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word flancard
See flanchard.
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word flancard
OK. I found this one: https://www.wordnik.com/lists/medieval-horse-related-words-listed-by-a-non-horse-knowledgeable-person.
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word flancard
Is there no list pertaining to armory or knights, etc?
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word tanguin
This reminds me of the Medieval dunking ordeal to find out if a woman is a witch. If she drowns and dies, she's innocent. In this case, vomiting poison determines your innocence... but it could STILL kill you in the process. See tanghin.
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word lunky
Lunky and lanky sound like their meanings.
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word thankyouverymuch
I like this version because it emphasizes the speed spoken and its informality. I'm not a fan of tysm, for example.
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word glitch poetry
Glitch poetry is the practice of introducing orthographic anomalies in poems.
https://medium.com/@massimo.franceschet/glitch-poetry-75e2247bfc43
August 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word orthosilicic
Good find, alexz.
August 26, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word orthosilicic
A word used only in the following phrase. That's the definition of orthosilicic?
August 25, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Missouri French
Today the dialect is highly endangered, with only a few elderly native speakers. It is thought that any remaining speakers live in or around Old Mines, Missouri.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_French
August 24, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list 43
Why is this named 43? Trump is, sadly, the 45th POTUS.
August 24, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word ustilaginales
Which is worse... being parasitic fungi or belonging to the smut family?
August 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word tadago-pie
At first glance, I thought I read tadpole pie.
August 17, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word jean dimmock
Hey, what happened to my list (created under a different user identity): https://www.wordnik.com/lists/wordniks-who-proudly-contribute-worthless-stuff--a-lot-of-dumb-comments--and-useless-words-to-the-zeitgeist-page
August 14, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word nikword dot com
A message popped up warning me that I was being directed to the site above for possibly nefarious reasons.
August 14, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word xeriscaping
Grouping plants with similar watering requirements together on a landscape.
August 3, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word hardscaping
Hardscape refers to hard landscape materials in the built environment structures that are incorporated into a landscape. This can include paved areas, driveways, retaining walls, sleeper walls, stairs, walkways, and any other landscaping made up of hard-wearing materials such as wood, stone, and concrete, as opposed to softscape, the horticultural elements of a landscape.
August 3, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word axillary falcon
Axillary Falcon - This bird has also been identified as a black-shouldered kite, Elanus notatus.
June 15, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word laicized
In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of the clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization or laicisation) is the removal of a bishop, priest or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy.
June 15, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word thought leaders
"Lists like this one arm citizens and thought leaders with the data to “help make important business and life decisions.”
June 12, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word nickel thrower
I'm still unclear on the meaning. Is being happy, dressed in black, and wearing rubber tips on one's fingers the only criteria for being a nickel thrower?
June 11, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word loogan
Loogan (sometimes spelled loogin or lugan, according to the Historical Dictionary of American Slang) is no longer used to mean “a minor hoodlum,” though hood, recorded by Kendall, is still used to mean “a petty gangster.”
I found LOOGAN in Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary of 1825 with a definition of “a rogue” and in a couple of prison slang lists online meaning “mentally ill prisoner."
May 31, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word horseapple
See also osage orange.
May 15, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word horseapple
My regional vocabulary refers to a horseapple as a hedgeapple. A horseapple sounds more interesting.
May 15, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list firearm-terms
receiver: In portable breech-loading firearms, the steel frame screwed to the breech end of the barrel, which receives the bolt or block, gives means of securing for firing, facilitates loading, and holds the ejector, cut-off, etc.
May 10, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the list firearm-terms
mustard-seed: A very fine kind of shot used by ornithologists and taxidermists for shooting birds with least injury to the plumage; dust-shot. The name includes No. 10 shot and finer numbers.
May 10, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word cowboy shot
I'm content adding to hernesheir's list, if I'm lucky enough to find other words to add. Hernesheir is a creative and masterful listmaker.
May 10, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word cowboy shot
Is there a film/cinematography list? If so, this term is missing from it.
May 9, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word threat actor
Hey back, Tom.
May 9, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word threat actor
Also known a a hacktivist or ecoteur.
.May 7, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word snitty
"He decided to cast her in The Last Picture Show as Jacy, a spoiled, snitty, small town high school heartbreaker."
— Lloyd Shearer, The Hartford Courant (Hartford, CT), 16 Jul. 1972
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word lungeous
Ill-tempered; rough and violent.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word purdy
Disagreeably self-important.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word snitty
Disagreeably ill-tempered.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word bottom surgery
A type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's genitalia are altered to match their gender identity.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word top surgery
A type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's breasts are removed or augmented to match their gender identity.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word go-cup
A plastic or paper cup used especially for taking a beverage off the premises of a bar, restaurant, etc.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word garbage time
The final moments or minutes of a game in which one side has an insurmountable lead.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Goldilocks
An area of planetary orbit in which temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold to support life.
May 4, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word owlbino
an albino owl
April 27, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word leech house
Leech houses were used to store the worms—often in special containers of moist earth—and keep them alive and fresh until they were needed by druggists or doctors.
The UK's last-standing leech house: http://mentalfloss.com/article/518390/uks-last-standing-leech-house
March 7, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word red handfish
The rare red handfish from Tasmania doesn't really swim—it just walks slowly along the sea floor.
March 3, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word malternatives
Noun. malternative (plural malternatives) An alcoholic beverage, an alternative to beer, that contains some malt alcohol and may contain other types of alcohol.
February 18, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word malterative
Noun. malternative (plural malternatives) An alcoholic beverage, an alternative to beer, that contains some malt alcohol and may contain other types of alcohol.
February 18, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word social echo
PR Newswire coined the term “Social Echo” to describe “the powerful reverberation around brands that occurs through the millions of conversations in the social networks and communities where people gather today.”
In PR Newswire’s view, “A brand’s Social Echo has enormous power to shape reputation, influence mass opinion and drive growth. Social Echo has equal – and perhaps even greater – power to stop a brand dead in its tracks.”
They go on to say that…
“Marketers and communicators who understand this are actively engaged in listening to their Social Echo and in finding ways to participate in the conversations that comprise their Social Echo. Importantly, they are also gleaning real-time insights to apply back to their brands in every area – customer care, product development, brand positioning and messaging, innovation and more.
Read more at https://www.business2community.com/social-media/how-is-your-social-echo-0453783
January 2, 2019
vendingmachine commented on the word Bilby
"An obscure hymn-writer, whose verses have been sung in all parts of the world, was Thomas Bilby, parish clerk of St. Mary's Church, Islington, between the years 1842 and 1872. He was the parish schoolmaster also, and thus maintained the traditions of his office handed down from mediæval times. Before the days of School Boards it was not unusual for the clerk to teach the children of the working classes the three R's and religious knowledge, charging a fee of twopence per week for each child. "
December 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Bilby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Bilby
December 19, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dugdug
See nangka (In Guam, Artocarpus communis) and langka (In the Philippine Islands, Artocarpus integrifolia).
December 17, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word milkshake duck
Thanks for the reverso story, sionnach.
November 6, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word milkshake duck
A person or character on social media that appears to be endearing at first, but is found to have an unappealing backstory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkshake_Duck
November 4, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word choreopoem
An interwoven series of poetic monologues set to music.
Coined by Ntozake Shange, author of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf," 1975.
October 31, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word intimacy coordinator
(The intimacy coordinator) will intervene in small but important ways, like giving a performer something to cover their private parts, knee pads, mouth spray or flavored lubricant, etc.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hbo-hires-intimacy-coordinator-sex-scenes_us_5bd35c64e4b0a8f17ef7690e
October 29, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word gaslight
v. To manipulate someone psychologically such that they question their own sanity.
(I've watched the movie several times so this meaning is, uh, MEANINGFUL!)
October 18, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list occupations-grouped-together-with-chicken-sexer-by-careers-org
Fun list.
October 18, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word letterboxing
n. An outdoor hobby in which participants attempt to locate small boxes hidden in public places.
When was this a thing?! Imagine finding a small box with a little, baby bilby inside.
October 18, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word tsundoku
Tsundoku (Japanese: 積ん読) is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one's home without reading them.
The term originated in the Meiji era (1868–1912) as Japanese slang. It combines elements of tsunde-oku (積んでおく, to pile things up ready for later and leave) and dokusho (読書, reading books). It is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf. As currently written, the word combines the characters for "pile up" (積) and the character for "read" (読).
October 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word whataboutism
Suggesting that two wrongs equal a right. For example, suggesting that a particular CEO can mislead shareholders because some other CEO mislead shareholders even more.
October 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word false equivalence
A logical fallacy in which two completely opposing arguments appear to be logically equivalent when in fact they are not. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency.
False equivalence arguments are often used in journalism and in politics, where the minor flaws of one candidate may be compared to major flaws of another.
October 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word miscarriage
“ 'Mis-carriage,' in an insidious way, suggests fault for the mother - as if she dropped something, or failed to 'carry.' ”
Using the hashtags #WeNeedANewName and #MoreCommonThanYouHearAbout, Vmiscarriage happens far more frequently than some might think and that, ultimately, changing its name might help conversations about miscarriage flow more freely, as couples will no longer feel like they're being judged for the biological event over which they have little to no control.
'"So many women feel shame about losing a baby even though there is nothing shameful about it. But nevertheless, this often stops them from talking openly about their loss..."
Any suggestions for a new term? Leave suggestion(s) at hashtags above.
October 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word racial balancing
"Asian Americans argue that racial considerations have made them a victim of their own academic success. They tend to get better grades and score higher on standardized tests than other races but claim they are frequently rejected as a result of “racial balancing,” which is akin to racial quotas and has been ruled unconstitutional."
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-harvard-asians-affirmative-action-2018-story.html
October 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word hello
╔┓┏╦━━╦┓╔┓╔━━╗
║┗┛║┗━╣┃║┃║ 0 0 ║
║┏┓║┏━╣┗╣┗╣╰╯║
╚┛┗╩━━╩━╩━╩━━╩
October 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word bumbubúi
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word yndið mítt
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word elsku dúllan mín
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dúlla
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word krúttið
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word krútt
Icelandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word ástin
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word elskan
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sæti
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word ástvinur
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word kærasta
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word kærasti
celandic terms of endearment
Icelandic words that used with partners, children and other loved ones.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females.
kærasti = Darling, loved one (>m), boyfriend.
kærasta = Darling, loved one (>f), girlfriend
ástvinur = Darling, beloved (“love friend”)
sæti (>m), sæta (>f) = Sweetie, cutie
elskan (mín) = My love, my darling
ástin (mín) = My love, my darling
krútt (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie (used for children, animals, and between lovers)
krúttið (mitt) = Sweetie, cutie, honey
dúlla(n) (mín) = Sweetie (often used by girls for friends)
elsku dúllan mín = My dear sweetie
yndið mítt = My sweetie
bumbubúi = "belly dweller" (used for an unborn baby)
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sayang
A term used to express endearment and affection in Indonesian. It can be equated to 'dear’, 'darling’ or 'sweetheart’ when referring to a person.
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sirsniņa
In Latvian, your favorite person is your sirds puķīte, a.k.a. “the little flower of your heart.” Another endearment for a loved one is sirsniņa: “little heart” (this is a noun with a feminine ending) or sometimes just sirds.
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sirds puķīte
The person you love most is described in English as “the apple of your eye.” The phrase originates in Old English and means the pupil of the eye, which reflects the image of the one you’re looking at. In Latvian, your favorite person is your sirds puķīte, a.k.a. “the little flower of your heart.” Another endearment for a loved one is sirsniņa: “little heart” (this is a noun with a feminine ending) or sometimes just sirds.
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sirdsdraugs
In Latvian, your closest friend is your sirdsdraugs or “the friend of your heart.”
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list blooms--2
Bloom syydrome (sp?). Who knew that a little chocolate bloom would inspire our dearest ru with a list. Good job.
October 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sugar bloom
Chocolate bloom refers two types of whitish coating that can appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
October 9, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word fat bloom
Chocolate bloom refers two types of whitish coating that can appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
October 9, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word chocolate bloom
Chocolate bloom refers to two types of whitish coating that appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Chocolate that has "bloomed" remains edible but may have an unappetizing appearance and texture.
October 9, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sizzle reel
A sample of a film's concept or highlights; a prototype.
October 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word final girl
TV trope. The last character left alive to confront the killer. The character is almost ALWAYS female, a virgin, fully clothed, avoids death by sex, doesn't drink, smoke or take drugs.
The term was coined by Carol J. Colver in her 1992 book, Men, Women, And Chain Saws: Gender In The Modern Horror Film.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinalGirl
September 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word expoodles
Twitter: Autocorrect just changed the word “explodes” to “expoodles”. Saw it do it with my own eyes. Is that even a WORD??
September 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word adynaton
For ruzuzu:
Kad pūcei aste ziedēs ("When an owl's tail blooms")
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word ponies
The Popular Theatre by George Jean Nathan (1918)
"I drank two cocktails, three glasses of sherry, a quart of champagne and several ponies of Cointreau. The show seemed to get better and better as it went ...
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cointer
British verb (transitive) to bury together
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word twinter
dialectal, British
: a sheep, ox, or horse that has lived through two winters.
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word tripple
chiefly southern Africa
: a gait in which the horse moves both near and both off legs alternately and which somewhat resembles the amble
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dumbsize
To reduce the staff numbers of a company to such low levels that work can no longer be carried out effectively.
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word psychogeography
"The term psychogeography was invented by the Marxist theorist Guy Debord in 1955. Inspired by the French nineteenth-century poet and writer Charles Baudelaire’s concept of the flâneur – an urban wanderer – Debord suggested playful and inventive ways of navigating the urban environment in order to examine its architecture and spaces.
Psychogeography gained popularity in the 1990s when artists, writers, and filmmakers such as Iain Sinclair and Patrick Keiller began using the idea to create works based on exploring locations by walking."
-https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/psychogeography
September 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Kripos
An elite unit of the Norwegian police that investigates organized crime and missing persons, for example. They have specialized technical and forensic expertise. They are currently investigating the disappearance of Arjen Kamphuis, a Dutch cybersecurity expert for Wikileaks. "Arjen Kamphuis is a Digital Self Defence professional. Every day he helps people keep their secrets safe in the digital world. He has seen firsthand how government-funded spying, hacking and security programs fall into the wrong hands and cause more harm than good. He argues that it is time we all start keeping ourselves safe by taking responsibility for our own digital defenses and letting go of the idea that we’re just not smart enough to adapt."
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word pointlessly gendered products
https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2014/03/15/new-in-pointlessly-gendered-products/
Men's Bread, Fairy Hearts Turkey Pork Sausage, boys walking rein and harness (blue), girls walking rein and harness (pink), pet shampoo (for him, for her).
Pinterest collection: https://www.pinterest.com/socimages/pointlessly-gendered-products/
lip balm engineered for men, water for men, etc.
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cultural tropes
cultural tropes (like pointlessly gendered products)
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word civil religion
"In 1966, the late sociologist Robert Bellah presented a now-classic essay, “Civil Religion in America.” The essay is about religion in public life, and how American politicians created a sense of shared national identity around general religious claims. Since then, sociologists and political theorists have argued about how inclusive civil religion really is (Does it include atheists or other minority groups who aren’t Christian? Lots of Americans don’t seem to think so.), but the theory is useful for highlighting how much of American political life takes on a religious tone."
--https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2018/07/
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word selfish technology
"The ad blocker should not be seen as a selfish technology. It is a socialist cudgel—something that forces otherwise lazy capitalists to find new and inventive ways to make their creations sustainable. Ad blockers are one of the few tools users have to fight against the need to monetize fast and big because it troubles the predictability of readily traceable attention."
--https://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2015/09/23/full-communism-is-the-ultimate-ad-blocker/
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cultural capital
"Based on observations of three technology-rich Bay Area middle schools, Rafalow examined whether the skills students develop through digital play are considered cultural capital — skills, habits, and dispositions that that can be traded for success in school and work."
--https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2018/09/12/schools-selective-screening/
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word memory politics
Jenny Edkins (Trauma and memory politics) explores how we remember traumatic events such as wars, famines, genocides and terrorism. She argues that remembrance does not have to be nationalistic but can instead challenge the political systems that produced the violence. Using examples from the World Wars, Vietnam, the Holocaust, Kosovo and September 11th, Edkins analyzes the practices of memory rituals through memorials, museums and remembrance ceremonies. This wide-ranging study embraces literature, history, politics and international relations, in an original contribution to the study of memory.
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word memory politics
"Ukraine’s memory politics do not exclude women entirely. In 2016, the UINM chose to focus on women when commemorating the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The title of the institute’s project was “War makes no exceptions. Female history of the Second World War”. The intention to focus on women’s experiences in order to “reveal the criminal nature of war” seems admirable. But the 12 stories of both military and civilian women chosen by the UINM simply replicate a male pantheon rather than challenge the very tradition of glorifying the war through its heroes. The difference is that the male heroes are celebrated every year, whereas the female figures only once in a while, as part of a special project."
--What place for women in Ukraine's memory politics? https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/olesya-khromeychuk/what-place-for-women-in-ukraine-s-memory-politics
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word corrective rape
Such laws, however, do not have to pass to have a chilling effect. In 2014, I met Kyrgyz LGBTQI organisation Labrys, who said that lesbians and trans men already faced corrective rape, and gay men and trans women were often beaten and sometimes killed. Such attacks have since intensified. Soon after I went back to London, Labrys shut down their Facebook page, and had to sell the house where I first met them after it was subjected to an arson attack in 2015. They resurfaced last year, and in March I returned to Bishkek to meet a new generation of activists who, amidst the confusion and hostility, are fighting to make Kyrgyzstan more open to diversity of gender and sexuality.
--https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/juliet-jacques/fear-and-loathing-in-kyrgyzstan
September 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov
At the Pasteur Institute in Paris Mechnikov was engaged in work associated with the establishment of his theory of cellular immunity, which, like many great advances in science, encountered considerable hostility. He published, during this period, several papers and two volumes on the comparative pathology of inflammation (1892), and his treatise entitled L’Immunité dans les Maladies Infectieuses (Immunity in infectious diseases, 1901). In 1908 he was awarded, together with Paul Ehrlich, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
He coined the word gerontology in 1903.
September 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word gerontology
Gerontology is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903. The field is distinguished from geriatrics, which is the branch of medicine that specializes in the treatment of existing disease in older adults. Gerontologists include researchers and practitioners in the fields of biology, nursing, medicine, criminology, dentistry, social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, economics, [political science, architecture, geography, pharmacy, public health, housing, and anthropology.
September 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word biogerontology
Biomedical gerontology, also known as experimental gerontology and life extension, is a sub-discipline of biogerontology that endeavors to slow, prevent, and even reverse aging in both humans and animals. Most "life extensionists" believe the human life span can be increased within the next century, if not sooner. biogerontologists vary in the degree to which they focus on the study of the aging process as a means of mitigating the diseases of aging or extending lifespan, although most agree that extension of lifespan will necessarily flow from reductions in age-related disease and frailty, although some argue that maximum life span cannot be altered or that it is undesirable to try. The area of geroscience is a recently formulated interdisciplinary field that embraces biomedical gerontology as the center of preventing diseases of aging through science emerging at the interface of the biology of aging and age-related disease.
September 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sneaker waves
"...so-called sneaker waves sometimes claim lives of the unwary along the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
Tuba Ozkan-Haller, a wave researcher at Oregon State University, recommends that when people go to the beach in Northern California, Oregon and Washington state — which because of the nature of the coastline are susceptible to sneaker waves — they study the wave action and ensure escape routes aren’t blocked by rocks or cliffs."
September 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word involuntary suicide
= murder
September 11, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word wet diarrhea president
An odd insult found on Twitter:
"Wow #Uganda under the repulsive and primitive cow #Musevi is like a zoo...chei! Just like #Cameroon under our own piece of wet diarrhea president..."
Isn't diarrhea always wet? Is there such a thing as dry diarrhea?
September 11, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word calendering
The term “calendering” refers to any of several processes in which fabric is subjected to great pressure and/or heat, in a type of ironing using large rollers.
September 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word beetling
For the study and collection of beetles, see coleopterology.
Beetling is the pounding of linen or cotton fabric to give a flat, lustrous effect. The process by which fabrics, etc. are beetled, or beaten with a mallet. Within Ireland, beetling was first introduced by Hamilton Maxwell in 1725. Beetling is part of the finishing of the linen cloth. The hammering tightens the weave and gives the cloth a smooth feel. The process was gradually phased out, in lieu of calendering. A similarity is the compression; however, with calendering, the finish does not remain for the life of the cloth. This distinguishes it from beetling.
Beetling eyebrows are thick and stick out from the face: He glared at me under beetling brows.
September 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word nomophobia
A fear of being disconnected from social media in general.
September 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word mud volcano
Mud volcanoes occur when gases push hot water and dirt from deep in the ground up to the surface. https://twitter.com/ScienceAlert/status/1036068618805682176
September 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list the-bees-knees-and-the-cats-pajamas
Make up your own!
1. the bilby's bilirubin
2. the walrus's wallet
3. the kiwi's coinpurse
ABC animals, http://www.skyenimals.com/alph_index.cgi?letter=A
September 1, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word play bow
"When a dog crouches forward with its elbows on the ground and its rear end in the air, wagging tail and all, that's a play bow. The position is the ultimate sign of playfulness, which is important for a species that often uses playtime as practice for attacking prey.
The play bow first evolved in canids as a form of communication. When a dog sees another dog it wants to play with, it extends its front paws forward and lifts up its behind as a visual invitation to engage in a friendly play session. Dogs will "bow" in the middle of playtime to show that they're having fun and wish to continue, or when a session has paused to signal they want to pick it back up. Play bows can also be a sort of apology: When the roughhousing gets too rough, a bow says, “I’m sorry I hurt you. Can we keep playing?' "
Mental Floss, http://mentalfloss.com/article/544112/why-do-dogs-crouch-forward-play-bow
September 1, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word enforced disappearance
Amnesty International on Thursday accused Nigeria's government of carrying out unlawful arrests and practicing "enforced disappearance" -- detention without trial -- to suppress dissent.
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word nation branding
"Countries are increasingly copying the marketing tactics that companies use to raise their profiles, and let people know that they are open for business. Welcome to the world of nation branding.
A strong country brand should encourage tourists, trading partners and investors all at once. But having a snazzy logo, and an advertising budget won't sell a product that people don't want."
The best way to improve a country's image is for it to contribute to the well-being of the world beyond its borders rather than spending money on advertising.
"If you really want to earn a better reputation, the best thing you can do is stop chasing after it."
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word nyongmato
Among the Ga, the people who are indigenous to Ghana's capital, Accra, a woman is entitled to a live sheep on the delivery of her 10th child. The word for it is "nyongmato".
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word chifforobe
The first time I heard this word I was watching "To Kill a Mockingbird".
Mayella Ewell in the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962): "I was sittin' on the porch, and he come along. Uh, there's this old chifforobe in the yard, and I-I said, 'You come in here, boy, and bust up this chifforobe, and I'll give you a nickel.'"
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list glitched-definitions
Yes! This is the list I remember using.
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Unscented
Thanks!
August 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Unscented
I forgot who had the list of "problem" entries... alexz? madmouth?
August 29, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word butt dial
On Twitter: "Today I asked my class to come up with a pair of terms that share a denotative meaning but whose connotative meanings differ and one student offered BUTT DIAL and BOOTY CALL."
August 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word erinaceous
Erin is the perfect name for a pet hedgehog.
August 23, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word erinaceous
Lucky! Such a cute word, too.
August 23, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word fewmet
"I've met a few hunters who studied fewmet."
August 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the user heavenglows144
"pak" means pure in Urdu. Land of the pure.
August 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Englishly
or, even better: Englishish.
August 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word MAGA Americans
"Make America Great Again" Americans (from Donald Trump's political slogan). As described on fivethirtyeight.com:
"Right Trolls behave like “bread-and-butter MAGA Americans, only all they do is talk about politics all day long.”
"Left Trolls often adopt the personae of Black Lives Matter activists, typically expressing support for Bernie Sanders and derision for Hillary Clinton, along with “clearly trying to divide the Democratic Party and lower voter turnout."
August 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dermaesthetics
A different way to say hair transplantation. I found a doctor's practice listed as Advanced Dermatology and Dermaesthetics.
What is so advanced about a hair transplant?
August 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word grasshopper escapement
Sounds like a note brought to school as an excuse for something. "Dear Mrs. Frye: I couldn't finish my homework. We had a grasshopper escapement at home. You do believe me, don't you?'
July 31, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word shadow banning
Shadow banning isn't a new concept; it's frequently used in forums and on other social networks as an alternative to banning someone outright.
Instead of kicking someone off, shadow banning makes a person's post visible only to the user who created it. The idea is to protect others from harmful content while eventually prompting the shadow-banned user to voluntarily leave a forum due to a lack of engagement.
If a user is banned outright, the thinking goes, the person is aware of it and will likely just set up another account and continue the offending behavior.
Shadow banning is typically used to stop bots and trolls and is effective in combating bots where 'bot herders' who maintain these accounts don't necessarily know whether or not their bots are actually being seen by other people.
"Shadow banning: What it is -- and what it isn't", Alfred Ng, cnet.com, 26 July 2018
Also known as stealth banning, ghost banning or comment banning.
July 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dolmens
dolmens: dolls for men (Stonehenge)
lichened dolmens = dolls for men covered with lichens.
July 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list twitterbotlist
How does one add 110,098 words to a list? For me, and even if I managed to copy and paste hundreds or thousands of words, I'd still have to insert a semi-colon between those words. Is there a shortcut? An easier method I’m not using?
July 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word people-first language
People are not defined by their diseases. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list paper-and-papermaking
Is hieratica okay?
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word elephant dung
Here's the tree-free paper alternatives list. I tried before but I couldn't get my link to work, even with single curly braces. Okay, great. It works now.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word casse paper
This word is looking for a forever list home about paper.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word paper
I have a list called tree-free paper alternatives.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list non-dairy-beverages
qms: I'm looking for plant-based milks, so, yes, poppy milk qualifies. When I looked it up, I discovered that poppy milk (aguonų pienas) is a traditional Lithuanian drink or soup, one of the 12-dishes Christmas Eve Supper Kūčios. Usually, it is eaten together with kūčiukai, another traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve dish. Thank you.
I will open this list with the understanding that only plant-based milks are added. Thank you.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list non-dairy-beverages
I've been on a silly quest to sample many of these "milks". Just yesterday, I tried macadamia milk. I doubt if I'll be able to even find any candlenut milk, but is does exist! I'm also particularly interested in trying some black walnut milk. Will it have the unique flavor of black walnuts?
BTW, the dairy industry is trying relentlessly to force manufacturers of these non-dairy products from using the word "milk" when marketing their products. They claim that milk comes from mammals, not plants. The non-dairy milk people insist this is not able semantics, but because their product is affecting the popularity of goat / cow milk.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word elephant paper
I thought this was paper made from the feces of an elephant. and not just "big" paper. I've read about paper made from elephant, rhino, and other herbivores.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word duck blur
A chaotic commotion of activity, often compared to a hurricane.
July 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word lebensmagnetismus
An invisible natural force possessed by all living and animate beings (humans, animals, fruits, vegetables).
July 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word bling coffee
Trendy overpriced coffee.
July 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word splogs
Spam weblogs that steal content from other sites in order to appear legitimate. Also known as an adfarm.
July 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word fist-law
Good old fist-law, the code of brute force. See also club-law.
July 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word bilby
Among the list of Random Adoptions on Wordnik:
bilby was adopted by Royal Secret Society of Bilbies
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word 12 o'clock flasher
A person who is unwilling or unable to learn how to use all but the most basic functions of the electronic appliances he or she possesses.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word 90-minute bigot
Scottish. A football fan, esp of Rangers FC or Celtic FC, who exhibits religious bigotry at matches but does not consider him- or herself to be bigoted outside a football context.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word zeuglodont
Any of a group of extinct carnivorous whales known as Phocodontia or Zeuglodonta.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word zeroth
Denoting a term in a series that precedes the term otherwise regarded as the first term.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word zex
A tool for cutting roof slate.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cock-a-leekie soup
Scottish. A soup made from a fowl boiled with leeks.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word scolopendrine
Pertaining to any centipede of the family Scolopendridae, including some large and poisonous species.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word smaragdine
Any green gemstone, such as the emerald.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sourdeline
A type of bagpipe.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word tragelaphine
Of or relating to a tragelaph.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word vincristine
An alkaloid, C46H56N4O10·H2SO4, obtained from the leaves of a periwinkle (Vinca rosea) and used as a drug in the treatment of leukemia.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word vomerine
Pertaining to the thin flat bone forming part of the separation between the nasal passages in mammals.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word zibeline
A soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word zygaenine
pertaining to a family of moths (Zygaenidae) including the foresters, burnet moths, and related moths most of which are bright-colored and day-flying.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word aedine
relating to mosquitoes of the genus Aedes
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list animal-ine
Another great -ine list!
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list animal-ines-cheat-sheet
crotaline: having a rattle or pertaining to a rattlesnake
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list animal-ines-cheat-sheet
I intended to start a list like this one, but after finding your impressive and thorough list, I figured: why bother? Love it. I've added it to my list of favorite lists.
July 7, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word they are now very aware of my situation
Yes, they are aware... but they don't care.
June 28, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word circadian dysrhythmia
Jet lag.
June 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Schwellenangst
Fear of crossing a threshold to embark on something new.
What's with the potential customer in the definition from Wiki?
June 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list remarkable-wikipedia-categories
ru: the day you started contributing to wordnik was--and continues to be!-- pure awesomeness. I love the way you think. You should be on a remarkable list yourself: a list of remarkable people! ♥♥♥♥
June 4, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word pass
There are many words for pass in the English-speaking world. In the United States, pass is very common in the West, the word gap is common in the southern Appalachians, notch in parts of New England, and saddle in northern Idaho. Scotland has the Gaelic term bealach (anglicised "balloch"), while Wales has the similar bwlch. In the Lake District of north-west England, the term hause is often used, although the term pass is also common—one distinction is that a pass can refer to a route, as well as the highest part thereof, while a hause is simply the highest part, often flattened somewhat into a high-level plateau.--Wikipedia
June 1, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word shoutcaster
In video games, and particularly eSports, commentators are often called shoutcasters; this term is derived from the free plugin for <i>Winamp</i> called <i>SHOUTcast</i>, which enabled users to live-stream audio-only feeds across the Internet.
June 1, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word mumpfen
May 31, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word mimpfeln
See also mumpfen, to chew with a full mouth.
May 31, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word kainotophobia
Not to be confused with the fear of changing one's underwear.
May 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word mansplaining
Mansplaining (a blend of the word man and the informal form splaining of the verb explaining) means "(of a man) to comment on or explain something to a woman in a condescending, overconfident, and often inaccurate or oversimplified manner". Lily Rothman of "The Atlantic" defines it as "explaining without regard to the fact that the explainee knows more than the explainer, often done by a man to a woman". Author Rebecca Solnit ascribes the phenomenon to a combination of "overconfidence and cluelessness".
In its original use, mansplaining differed from other forms of condescension in that it is rooted in the sexist assumption that a man is likely to be more knowledgeable than a woman. However, it has come to be used more broadly, often applied when a man takes a condescending tone in an explanation to anyone, regardless of the age or gender of the intended recipients: a "man 'splaining" can be delivered to any audience. In 2010 it was named by the New York Times as one of its "Words of the Year".
A widespread phenomenon that "keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men's unsupported overconfidence.
May 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Framingham score
To measure the women’s biological age, the researchers looked at the length of telomeres in their white blood cells. Telomeres are the dangly bits at the end of chromosomes that shorten every time a cell divides. Their length is considered a measure of cellular age.
Between three and five years later, 250 of the women came back so researchers could calculate their risk of developing heart disease in the next decade – known as their Framingham score. This takes account of risk factors such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and body weight.
As expected, the team found that women with lower egg counts had higher Framingham scores, but they also had shorter telomeres. Previous studies have suggested that shorter telomeres are linked with heart disease, dementia and cancer, and also with a shorter lifespan. So women with fewer eggs may also be at higher risk of other age-related diseases, although epidemiological studies will be needed to bolster this link."
(The Framingham Risk Score is a gender-specific algorithm used to estimate the 10-year cardiovascular risk of an individual. The Framingham Risk Score was first developed based on data obtained from the Framingham Heart Study, to estimate the 10-year risk of developing coronary heart disease. In order to assess the 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, cerebrovascular events, peripheral artery disease and heart failure were subsequently added as disease outcomes for the 2008 Framingham Risk Score, on top of coronary heart disease.)
May 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word purple prose
subtitle: China's president-in-waiting turns to purple prose during populist speech aimed at top and bottom of Communist party
May 11, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word unicorpse
(Noun) A private technology company that was formerly valued at $1bn or more (slang, vulg)
Silicon Valley is nothing if not inventive, and that applies to language as much as product development. Three years ago, Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures, coined “unicorn” to capture the phenomenon of private technology companies achieving valuations of $1bn and more. She likened these desirable ventures to the mythical horned creature often represented in the shape of a horse.
More recently, in response to the declines in value of some unicorns, Ms Lee has concocted a less mythological variant: the “unicorpse”. It is one of a number of unicorn-related neologisms, including “My Little Pony” (a start-up worth $10m or more), the “Centaur” ($100m start-up) and the impressive “quinquagintacorn” (you work it out*).
--Financial TImes (article available for subscribers only)
April 29, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word spirit animal
The ancient concept of animal guides, particularly prominent in some indigenous, especially Native American, religions and cultures, was adopted in Pagan and Wiccan spirituality in the 1990s. In these contexts, spirit animals are meant literally, referring to spiritual guides or totems that take the form of animals.
April 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word tzitzit
No pronunciation available.
April 24, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word magnetotail
An odd-looking word.
April 23, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word bilby
Please do not kick or pound me if your pellets don't fall immediately. And don't press my buttons over and over. Be patient and you will receive your due reward.
April 16, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word chlamydia
"Australia's iconic koala has a problem that keeps boomeranging back.
Chlamydia, a type of sexually transmitted disease also found in humans, has hit wild koalas hard, with some wild populations seeing a 100 percent infection rate." --National Geographic, 14 April 2018
April 15, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word autopsied
Likewise, necropsy is also necropsied. Most users seem to prefer the noun form. "The pathologist decided to forego a necropsy of the dead bilby on the side of the road."
April 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word schollard
A corruption, perhaps... but vulgar? Words have feelings, too. Down with word-shaming!
April 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word technosphere
Peter Haff coined the term technosphere (in 2014). He defines the technosphere as “the global, energy consuming techno-social system that is comprised of humans, technological artifacts, and technological systems, together with the links, protocols, and information that bind all these parts together.”
Basically, the technosphere is the vast, sprawling combination of humanity and its technology. Haff argues that in our thousands of years of harnessing technology – including the first technologies like stone tools, wheels and crops – the technology itself has basically begun to act practically independently, creating a new sphere (i.e., like the biosphere or atmosphere or lithosphere), but like nothing the planet has ever seen before.
“I would argue that domesticated animals and plants, as well as humans, are parts of the technosphere,” said Haff. “These are in effect manufactured by the technosphere for its own use on the basis of genetic blueprints appropriated from the biosphere.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/oct/20/the-four-horsemen-of-the-sixth-mass-extinction
April 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word blackbirding
Blackbirding has continued to the present day in developing countries. One example is the kidnapping and coercion at gunpoint of indigenous people in Central America to work as plantation laborers in the region, where they are exposed to heavy pesticide loads and do backbreaking work for very little pay.
April 1, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word blockade mutton
Dog meat has been eaten in every major German crisis at least since the time of Frederick the Great, and is commonly referred to as "blockade mutton."
--GERMANY: Dachshunds Are Tenderer, 25 November 1940. Time Magazine.
To a war menu which already included fish-fed poultry, decrepit horses, goats, and numerous zoo animals, Germany last week added those of its dogs which had not been killed by an earlier decree to save food. A new law, effective January 1, 1940, states that dogs, wolves, foxes, bears, badgers and wild hogs have been legalized as meat. After being inspected for trichina, their carcasses will be dressed, stamped and distributed to butchers for rationing to general consumers.
March 31, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word glowworms
bilby: Have you ever visited Hastings Caves south of Hobart, or Mole Creek Karst National Park west of Launceston? I read somewhere that these sites have colonies of glowworms to see.
March 30, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cockalorum
1. A little man with an unduly high opinion of himself. 2. The game leapfrog.
"A cockalorum playing cockalorum."
March 28, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word chittering-bite
See also chittering-crust and chittering-piece.
March 28, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word naunt
Mine aunt?
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Caspering
The newest addition to the modern dating lexicon. Named after the fictional child phantom, Casper, it’s a friendly alternative to ghosting. Instead of ignoring someone, you’re honest about how you feel, and let them down gently before disappearing from their lives.
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word sidebarring
Repeatedly checking one's phone and/or sending messages to others while on a date. Considered rude.
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Marleying
A term that refers to the awkward situation in which an ex-partner gets in touch with their ex out of nowhere, such as at Christmas time.
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word shaveducking
A dating term that refers to someone worrying that they're only attracted to a man because of his beard.
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word breadcrumbing
A dating term that refers to leading someone on with no intention of getting serious.
March 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word thraward
Splendid, qms! Rocky and Bullwinkle Effect.
March 18, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word flavor pairing
If it will keep your ears from convulsing, see flavour pairing.
*insincere smirk*
March 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word flavor pairing
How about incorrect change and a swift kick?
March 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word collectanea
I had to resort to the pronunciation feature for this one.
March 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word flavor pairing
"...the idea that the more “aromatic” (i.e. smelly) organic compounds foods share, the better they will taste together."
"...dishes whose ingredients share few compounds in common can also taste delicious; a 2011 analysis of more than 50,000 recipes found that while cuisines from Western Europe and North America tended to use ingredients with shared compounds, ingredients from East Asian recipes tended not to."
--An Illustrated Guide to Matching Foods' Flavor Molecules, Wired, 6 March 2018,
https://www.wired.com/story/the-flavor-matrix/
March 13, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word intertwined names
"On July 3, 2006, Amanda gave birth to fraternal twin girls, and the ecstatic parents gave their daughters intertwined names: One would be Millie Marcia Madge Biggs, the other Marcia Millie Madge Biggs."
March 12, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word flogger
In Australia, the term "flogger" is sometimes used rather than "pom-pom". Floggers are very large, heavy pom-poms in the team's colors. They sometimes require more than one person to lift them, and they are waved about when a goal is scored.
Floggers are an important part of Australian rules football culture and cheer-squads.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Richmond_Cheer_Squad_Rd_21_2006_closeup.jpg
March 6, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word chase-flying
"This is the first time I've seen a willet chase-flying insects."
March 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word prognathous
See lantern-jawed
March 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word dingo kidneys
Those crazy, non-explicit Australians.
March 5, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word ptisan
Any word that starts with pt is already more interesting.
February 28, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word umpolished
Umpolished has been looked up 393 times. Logical assumption: Umpolished has been selected by RANDOM WORD 393 times.
February 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word curiologic
How rude!
February 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word neckbeard
Hmm. I've only encountered this word used pejoratively.
A scraggly growth of hair on a man's neck and chin, indicative of poor grooming.
"I can picture myself wearing these clothes a week from now, bits of food caught in my overgrown neckbeard and man bun."
February 25, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word taint
"In an interview with GQ magazine, the "Mummy" star said the alleged incident took place during HFPA luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2003. He alleged that former HFPA president, Philip Berk, came to shake his hand when he was leaving the crowded room. "His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around," Fraser said, adding that in that moment he was overcome with panic and fear."I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry," Fraser added."
February 23, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word rangle
I prefer to do my rangling and ranging in a regular manner.
February 23, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word knowledge debt
Information which is available and relevant to a decision or action, but which is undiscovered or ignored, bringing unnecessary risk to the decision or action.
February 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Rafferty's rules
Australian and New Zealand slang:
no rules at all
February 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word leg-rope
If a leg-rope doesn't work, try an ear-rope.
February 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word pies
A certain frog makes up a simple word and it never goes away.
February 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word relationshit
Oh, my.
February 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word pies
I found a vintage stamp from India with NINE PIES inked across the stamp. Now I understand what it meant.
pies: A former monetary unit of India and Pakistan, equal to one-twelfth of an anna.
February 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word leg-rope
NZ, Australian
1(in surfing) a rope attached to a surfboard and tied to the surfer's ankle to prevent the board being washed away by the surf.
In order to relocate a pesky, trespassing bilby, a leg-rope expert was hired.
February 20, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word one-horse
Hence Petty
February 17, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word tsutsumu
What exactly is an appropriate manner?
February 17, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the list bits-and-pieces
You're a creative genius, madmouth.
February 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word deadname
COMMENT: she is nothing!. shes famous for a sex video and having lip injections and butt implants. Its too bad she breaths the same air as everyone else, such a waste. Well the whole clan is, from Bruce Jenner aka "caitlyn" to kylie and kendall Jenner. I know i should just skip over anything about them, but i had to see about her sending her haters stuff. I think its just for attention.
REPLY: There was literally no need to deadname Caitlyn in your little rant. If you don't like the Kardashians then don't click on the articles.
(I did not correct any of the punctuation, etc, even though it was tempting.)
Would someone please define deadname? I'm a bit confused. The Twitter feed is all over the place with examples, but none nail it.
February 2, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word coffin-ripe
At what point does one become coffin-overripe?
January 27, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word semantic typo
Forgot about this! Thanks for reintroducing it.
January 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word cluttering
In cluttering, the breakdowns in clarity that accompany a perceived rapid and/or irregular speech rate are often characterized by deletion and/or collapsing of syllables (e.g., "I wanwatevision") and/or omission of word endings (e.g., "Turn the televisoff"). The breakdowns in fluency are often characterized by more typical disfluencies (e.g., revisions, interjections) and/or pauses in places in sentences not expected grammatically, such as "I will go to the/store and buy apples".--http://www.asha.org/
January 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word nurse name
A well-known example of a nurse name (from a surname) is "Chips" (Professor Arthur Chipping from the 1969 film "Good-bye, Mr. Chips".)
Prior to Professor Chipping's marriage, however, and his subsequent personality change, his pupils called him "Ditchy," short for "dull as ditch-water."
Not sure if "Ditchy" is a "nurse name" since it isn't a term of endearment, but it is a nickname of sorts.
Ha, regarding your Great Aunt Lalla. My guess is that numerous "nurse names" found their origins via baby talk or a toddler's (temporary) fluency disorder.
See also sobriquet.
January 26, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word nurse name
A nurse name is a hypocorism, a diminutive form of a name. Hypocorisms include pet names or calling names, often a diminutive or augmentative form of a word or a given name when used as a nickname or term of endearment.
January 24, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word mock marking
"English teachers spent the bulk of year 10 teaching and marking coursework essays, and didn’t get on to doing mocks until year 11. I was really pleased when coursework was abolished as I felt it would free up so much more time for teachers to plan and teach, instead of mark and administer coursework. However, it does appear as though a lot of this gained time has now been replaced with equally time-consuming mock marking with mocks being introduced more and more in year 10. Many schools have three assessment points a year. If you were to do two mock papers three times a year in both year 10 and 11, then a teacher who taught one year 10 class and one year 11 class would spend 120 hours of the year marking GCSE mocks. That’s three normal working weeks, or nearly 10% of the contracted 1,265 annual hours of directed time."
What are the definitions for mocks and mock marking in the context above?
January 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Target
The retail store Target is sometimes referred to as TAR-zhay. It's supposed to sound French, and thus high-class. This unofficial name change, initiated by customers, took place around the time Target began using some well-known designer(s) to spiffy up their low-priced wares. The term has been used by The New York Times.
January 22, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word glisten worm
Chaetoderma elegans is a species of glisten worm, a kind of shell-less, worm-like mollusk in the family Chaetodermidae. This species is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. --wikipedia
January 21, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Cincinnati oysters
Here's an archived copy of Clapin's Americanisms, 1902:
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924104766328/cu31924104766328_djvu.txt
January 16, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word aporrhipsis
The meaning I found was along the lines of frantically removing one's clothes (such as one's pajamas) during a feverish delirium.
The Coxe meaning sounds like a disgruntled fashionista.
January 14, 2018
vendingmachine commented on the word Christmas book flood
An Icelandic tradition known as jólabókaflóð (Christmas book flood). Books are exchanged as Christmas Eve gifts and the rest of the night is spent reading and eating konfekt (filled chocolates) and sipping jólabland, an orange fizzy ale.
Iceland sells the greatest number of books per capita in the world – and most of them are sold in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The book catalog Bókatíðindi is published each November and lists every published book available during the Christmas season.
December 15, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word sheetcaking
Heal your feelings by eating sheetcake.
December 15, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word sheetcaking
Wordnik is mentioned in this article about sheetcaking.
"Sheetcaking: Seriously?" Chronicle of Higher Education.
"It has made its way into discussions on Wordnik and more than a dozen tweets, though as yet without a definition."
December 14, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word flydick
"Why them birds, bein' mostly nuts, is so nervous they can't read, nor work, nor do nothin' to ease the bugs that is bitin' their noodles. That's where this strongarm stuff comes in, and the flydicks knows it."
--Them Was The Good Old Days, W.L. Purcell, 1922.
November 1, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word purply
... a purple BLEE?
October 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word heel
In professional wrestling, a heel is a wrestler who is villainous or a "bad guy", who is booked (scripted) by the promotion to be in the position of being an antagonist. They are typically opposed by their polar opposites called faces (the heroic protagonist or "good guy" characters). In American wrestling, it was common for the faces to be American and the heels to be portrayed as foreign.
In order to gain heat (with boos and jeers from the audience), heels are often portrayed as behaving in an immoral manner by breaking rules or otherwise taking advantage of their opponents outside the bounds of the standards of the match. Others do not (or rarely) break rules, but instead exhibit unlikeable, appalling and deliberately offensive and demoralizing personality traits such as arrogance, cowardice or contempt for the audience. Many heels do both, cheating as well as behaving nastily. No matter the type of heel, the most important job is that of the antagonist role, as heels exist to provide a foil to the face wrestlers. If a given heel is cheered over the face, a promoter may opt to turn that heel to face or the other way around or to make the wrestler do something even more despicable to encourage heel heat.
August 31, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word quantum foam
"Armed with theoretical microscopes, quantum physicists keep on magnifying, gazing deeper and deeper into empty space until out of nothing, they suddenly see something. That something is a roiling collection of virtual particles, collectively called quantum foam.... According to quantum physicists, virtual particles exist briefly as fleeting fluctuations in the fabric of spacetime, like bubbles in beer foam." "Is Space Full of Quantum Foam?", LiveScience, 5 August 2017.
August 7, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word housekeeping gene
In molecular biology, housekeeping genes are typically constitutive genes that are required for the maintenance of basic cellular function and are expressed in all cells of an organism under normal and pathophysiological conditions.
August 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word scientific racism
"The scientific study of hereditary disease in Jewish populations was initially hindered by scientific racism, which is based on racial supremacism."
August 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word CASK
"Soon criminologists started to take killer nurses seriously. In 1995, British forensic chemist Alexander Forrest reviewed about 40 examples of the type and suggested that one or two new cases might be seen each year in the United States. He proposed calling these murders “CASKs,” for carer-associated serial killings, and noted that “the numbers of patients involved are not trivial.” --"The Killer Nurse", Slate, 2017 July 24. source
July 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word squaghetti
Another name for spaghetti squash. I found this word while looking at a recipe for spaghetti squash pizza crust.
July 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word eight
St Edmund's College Boat Club (SECBC) is the boat club for members of St Edmund's College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
SECBC uses the Cambridge '99 RC boathouse for training and storing its boats. The club has two boats, 'Lily' a men's eight and 'Dotty' a women's eight.
June 19, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word ruby-topaz
I concur. Check out the hummingbird images!
June 18, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word █████
orange IS the new black, after all.
June 18, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Book Book
Don't forget the free bookmark that comes with your Book Book book.
June 12, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Book Book
Book Book is a rural community in the central east part of the Riverina. It is situated about 12 km (7 mi) north from Kyeamba and 15 km (9 mi) south from Ladysmith.
Book Book exists now only through a set of old tennis courts and the telephone exchange that sits just off the Tumbarumba road.
(Book Book is considered a New South Wales "ghost town")
The Book Book Public School was discontinued on 27 October 1989.
June 12, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list food-that-shall-not-be-named
According to a common misconception, century eggs are or were once prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine. The myth may have arisen from the urine-like odor of ammonia and other amines produced by the chemical reaction used to make century eggs. However, this myth is unfounded as horse urine has a pH ranging from 7.5 to 7.9 and therefore would not work for this process.
In Thai and Lao, the common word for century egg translates to "horse urine egg", due to the distinctive urine-like odor of the delicacy. --Wikipedia
June 7, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word coywolves
Coywolves are not ‘shy wolves’—they are coyote-wolf hybrids (with some dog mixed in) and now number in the millions.
The hybrid, or Canis latrans var, is about 55 pounds heavier than pure coyotes, with longer legs, a larger jaw, smaller ears and a bushier tail. It is part eastern wolf, part wester wolf, western coyote and with some dog (large breeds like Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds), reports The Economist. Coywolves today are on average a quarter wolf and a tenth dog.
June 4, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word luthier
The player of a lute is called a lutenist, lutanist or lutist, and a maker of lutes (or any similar string instrument, or violin family instruments) is referred to as a luthier.
May 25, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word conker
n. A snail-shell or a horse-chestnut used in a boys' game, in which the object is to break the snail-shell or horse-chestnut by striking it, with another.
Wow. So easy even boys are able to grasp the rules. Must be an easy game.
May 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word genuphobia
Genuphobia (from Latin word genu meaning "knee") is the fear of one's own knees or someone else's knees or the act of kneeling.
The phobia could be the result of a negative experience in a person’s life that was associated with knees. The discomfort at the sight of one's knees could be the result of the person’s parents or themselves wearing exclusively clothing that covered the knees growing up, therefore making the person unfamiliar with the sight of them. It could be the result of a traumatic injury that left a scar on the individual’s knee or on someone that they know.
Some people fear kneeling because it is a form of submission. Symptoms include but are not limited to becoming sick to the stomach, excessive sweating, dry mouth, and anxiety when presented with a situation including knees or kneeling. Sufferers fear the uncomfortable feeling they experience at the sight of knees or they fear the recollection of the injury and the pain associated with it.
May 13, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word bilbies
Bilbies are never out of work. Being cute is a full-time job.
May 12, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list silly-silly-words
Many of these words border on "annoying".
May 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Oddest Title of the Year
I tried listing the name of the actual prize; however, I kept getting a 404 whenever it came time to add a comment.
The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, originally known as the Diagram Group Prize for the Oddest Title at the Frankfurt Book Fair,1 commonly known as the Diagram Prize for short, is a humorous literary award that is given annually to a book with an unusual title.
Past winners:
--Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice
--The Madam as Entrepreneur: Career Management in House Prostitution
--The Joy of Chickens
--Last Chance at Love – Terminal Romances
--How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art
--The Joy of Sex: Pocket Edition
--Developments in Dairy Cow Breeding: New Opportunities to Widen the Use of Straw
--Living with Crazy Buttocks
--The Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories
--Bombproof Your Horse
--Too Naked For the Nazis
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Darwin Awards
The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor, originating in Usenet newsgroup discussions around 1985. They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool via death or sterilization by their own actions.
The project became more formalized with the creation of a website in 1993 and followed up by a series of books starting in 2000, authored by Wendy Northcutt. The criterion for the awards states, "In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species' chances of long-term survival."
Accidental self-sterilization also qualifies; however, the site notes: "Of necessity, the award is usually bestowed posthumously." The candidate is disqualified, though, if "innocent bystanders", who might have contributed positively to the gene pool, are killed in the process.
The Darwin Awards books state that an attempt is made to disallow known urban legends from the awards, but some older "winners" have been "grandfathered" to keep their awards. The Darwin Awards site does try to verify all submitted stories, but many similar sites, and the vast number of circulating "Darwin awards" emails, are largely fictional.
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Pigasus Award
The Pigasus Award is the name of an annual tongue-in-cheek award presented by noted skeptic James Randi. The award seeks to expose parapsychological, paranormal or psychic frauds that Randi has noted over the previous year. Randi usually makes his announcements of the awards from the previous year on April 1 (April Fools Day).
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Stella Awards
The Stella Awards are awards that were given between 2002 and 2007 to people who filed "outrageous and frivolous lawsuits". The awards were named after Stella Liebeck who, in 1992, ordered a cup of McDonald's coffee at a drive thru, put it in between her knees while sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson's stationary car, and attempted to remove the lid in order to add cream and sugar. The coffee, 180 to 190 °F (82 to 88 °C), spilled from the cup, causing third-degree burns to her thighs and genitals; after McDonald's refused to pay for her skin grafts, and rejected several attempts at mediation and settlement, Liebeck sued. The awards were an offshoot of the weekly news column This is True written by Colorado writer Randy Cassingham, which featured "wacky-yet-true" news stories.5 The awards were documented on a website and in a 2005 book, both known as The True Stella Awards. There are also a number of false Stella Awards circulating on the Internet.
In July 2012 Cassingham sent a mail to the True Stella Awards mailing list, announcing that after several abortive attempts to restart the list he came to the conclusion that he had said everything about the subject of frivolous lawsuits that he had intended to say, and so was shutting down the Stella Awards.
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Golden Raspberry Awards
The Golden Raspberry Awards often shortened to Razzies and Razzie Awards, is an award in recognition of the worst in film. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film-industry veterans, John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term raspberry in the name is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The awards themselves are in the form of a "golf ball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel, the whole of which is spray-painted gold.
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Bad Sex in Fiction Award
Literary Review is well known for its annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Each year since 1993, Literary Review has presented the annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award to the author who produces the worst description of a sex scene in a novel. The award itself is in the form of a "semi-abstract trophy representing sex in the 1950s", which depicts a naked woman draped over an open book. The award was originally established by Rhoda Koenig, a literary critic, and Auberon Waugh, then the magazine's editor.
The award is "to draw attention to the crude, tasteless, often perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel, and to discourage it".
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Bent Spoon Award
The Bent Spoon Award is an award given by Australian Skeptics, "presented to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The award is named as allusion to the practice of spoon bending by supposed psychics.
Australian Skeptics facetiously describes the trophy as a piece of gopher wood supposedly from the Noah’s Ark, upon which is affixed a spoon that was rumored to have been used at the Last Supper. The spoon was bent by energies unknown to science and was gold-plated through an Atlantean process.1 Although established in 1982 and first awarded in 1983, only one copy of the trophy exists, as "anyone wishing to acquire the trophy must remove it from our keeping by paranormal means" and no winner has yet overcome this obstacle.
The winner should either be an Australian or have carried out their activities in Australia.
The New Zealand Skeptics have a similar Bent Spoon Award.
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Ig Nobel Prizes
The Ig Nobel Prizes are parodies of the Nobel Prizes given out each autumn for 10 unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. They have been awarded since 1991, with the stated aim to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think". The awards can be veiled criticism or satire but are also used to point out that even absurd-sounding avenues of research can yield useful knowledge.
May 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word banana messenger
Banana messengers or fruit messengers were agents sent on US railroads to accompany shipments of bananas and other fruit. They were accorded special ticket rates, similar to those for railway employees and clergy, as late as the 1960s. The tickets were not honored on some premium trains. Reportedly, the reduced rate also applied to the return trip (sans bananas).
The name was also used to refer to some cabooses. Described in IC 9650-9956, these were steel underframe drover's cabooses built between 1897 and 1913, and reclassified as banana messengers sometime between 1955 and 1963. The last five were scrapped or sold between 1963 and 1971.
May 5, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word dégringoler
This is not the meaning I expected. I figured it had something to do with a gringo changing into something else, and the dégringoler was the one to facilitate that change.
verb intransitive dégringoler /degʀɛ̃gɔle/
=chuter faire une chute précipitée
to tumble , to fall
verb transitive―
=dévaler descendre très rapidement
to race down
Le voleur dégringole les étages de l'immeuble pour échapper aux policiers.
The thief is racing down the stairs in the building to escape from the police.
May 5, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word potvaliancy
courage or bravery occasioned by drunkenness; Dutch courage. — potvaliant , adj . See also potvalor, potvalency
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Owenism
The social and political theories of Robert Owen, an early 19th-century British reformer whose emphasis upon cooperative education and living led to the founding of communal experiments, including the ill-fated community of New Harmony, Indiana, purchased from the Rappites. — Owenite , n.
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word arctophilist
What about chained bears?
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word tyrosemiophily
The collecting of Camembert cheese labels. Collecting cheese labels, in general, is laclabphily.
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word laclabphily
To specifically collect Camembert cheese labels is tyrosemiophily.
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word errinophily
The collecting of stamps other than postage stamps (green stamps, revenue/tax stamps).
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word brandophily
The collecting of cigar bands. Also known as cigrinophily.
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word argyrothecology
The collecting of money boxes, as those found in churches.
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list and-the-last-first
Mollusque has addictive lists. Such a learned fellow, and with a nice sense of humor to boot. I still miss all the camaraderie from the days when Wordnik was Wordie. (I wasn't known as vendingmachine around here during the Wordie days.)
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word maledictive
"No need to dwell on the legendary beauty of the cornerpieces, the acme of art, wherein one can distinctly discern each of the four evangelists in turn presenting to each of the four masters his evangelical symbol, a bog oak sceptre, a North American puma (a far nobler king of beasts than the British article, be it said in passing), a Kerry calf and a golden eagle from Carrantuohill. The scenes depicted on the emunctory field, showing our ancient duns and raths and cromlechs and grianauns and seats of learning and maledictive stones, are as wonderfully beautiful and the pigments as delicate as when the Sligo illuminators gave free rein to their artistic fantasy long ago in the time of the Barmecides. Glendalough, the lovely lakes of Killarney, the ruins of Clonmacnois, Cong Abbey, Glen Inagh and the Twelve Pins, Ireland's Eye, the Green Hills of Tallaght, Croagh Patrick, the brewery of Messrs Arthur Guinness, Son and Company (Limited), Lough Neagh's banks, the vale of Ovoca, Isolde's tower, the Mapas obelisk, Sir Patrick Dun's hospital, Cape Clear, the glen of Aherlow, Lynch's castle, the Scotch house, Rathdown Union Workhouse at Loughlinstown, Tullamore jail, Castleconnel rapids, Kilballymacshonakill, the cross at Monasterboice, Jury's Hotel, S. Patrick's Purgatory, the Salmon Leap, Maynooth college refectory, Curley's hole, the three birthplaces of the first duke of Wellington, the rock of Cashel, the bog of Allen, the Henry Street Warehouse, Fingal's Cave—all these moving scenes are still there for us today rendered more beautiful still by the waters of sorrow which have passed over them and by the rich incrustations of time." --Ulysses, James Joyce
May 3, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list aarne-thompson-classification-system-for-folktales
Thanks for running with this, ru. Finding out about the classification system was about all I could muster. This list idea would have languished without you.
May 2, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word lunar crater
Abetti is a lunar crater that has been completely submerged by mare lavas. It forms a 'ghost crater' in the surface, showing only a curved rise where the rim is located.
May 1, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word masks
Mexican wrestling is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as "high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached.
May 1, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word ampelography
..for Virginia-based vineyard consultant Lucie Morton, a world-renowned ampelographer, it’s still crucial to know how to distinguish vines the old-fashioned way: by sight and touch. It took Morton years to learn ampelography, a skill that few viticulturists in today’s high-tech world still work to master. “It’s like speaking a new language: practice makes perfect,” she says. “Ampelography is really hard, and it takes a trained eye. I would compare it to what a sommelier goes through in identifying wines blind. It takes interest, practice, focus. You build on your knowledge, just like you do with wine tasting, layering your experiences.”
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word copyfraud
Copyright law itself creates strong incentives for copyfraud. The Copyright Act provides for no civil penalty for falsely claiming ownership of public domain materials. There is also no remedy under the Act for individuals who wrongly refrain from legal copying or who make payment for permission to copy something they are in fact entitled to use for free. While falsely claiming copyright is technically a criminal offense under the Act, prosecutions are extremely rare. These circumstances have produced fraud on an untold scale, with millions of works in the public domain deemed copyrighted, and countless dollars paid out every year in licensing fees to make copies that could be made for free.
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word copyfraud
The term "copyfraud" was coined by Jason Mazzone, a Professor of Law at the University of Illinois. Because copyfraud carries little or no oversight by authorities and few legal consequences, it exists on a massive scale, with millions of works in the public domain falsely labeled as copyrighted. Payments are therefore unnecessarily made by businesses and individuals for licensing fees. Mazzone states that copyfraud stifles valid reproduction of free material, discourages innovation and undermines free speech rights. Other legal scholars have suggested public and private remedies, and a few cases have been brought involving copyfraud.
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list cryptic
cryptic sexual dimorphism
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word eclipse plumage
Most ducks shed their body feathers twice each year. Nearly all drakes lose their bright plumage after mating, and for a few weeks resemble females. This hen-like appearance is called the eclipse plumage. The return to breeding coloration varies in species and individuals of each species.
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word aarne-thompson-uther classification system
A quantitative study, published by folklorist Sara Graça da Silva and anthropologist Jamshid J. Tehrani in 2016, tried to evaluate the time of emergence for the "Tales of Magic" (ATU 300–ATU 749), based on a phylogenetic model] They found four of them to belong to the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stratum of magic tales, namely:
ATU 328 The Boy Steals Ogre's Treasure,
ATU 330 The Smith and the Devil (= KHM 81a),
ATU 402 The Animal Bride (= KHM 63 and 106), and
ATU 554 The Grateful Animals (= The White Snake, KHM 17, and The Queen Bee, KHM 62).
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word aarne-thompson-uther classification system
The Aarne–Thompson classification systems are indices used to classify folktales: the Aarne–Thompson Motif-Index (catalogued by alphabetical letters followed by numerals), the Aarne–Thompson Tale Type Index (cataloged by AT or AaTh numbers), and the Aarne–Thompson–Uther classification system (developed in 2004 and cataloged by ATU numbers). The indices are used in folkloristics to organize, classify, and analyze folklore narratives and are essential tools for folklorists because, as Alan Dundes explained in 1997 about the first two indices, "the identification of folk narratives through motif and/or tale type numbers has become an international sine qua non among bona fide folklorists"
April 30, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list never-use--word
Not a single word but I never use:
"... at the end of the day ..."
April 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word hidden-treasures
What hidden treasures are waiting to be found in a beard? Food crumbs?
April 21, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word sorn
To obtain food, lodging, etc, from others by taking advantage of their generosity; to impose in order to obtain hospitality; sponge.
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word sprong
Spring has sprong. Or is it sprung? Both sound unspringlike.
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word wellcurb
A stone border at the top of a well.
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word fuscous
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word termen
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word ochreous
"The forewings are ochreous-white, strongly suffused with deep gray. The inner angle, veins, a longitudinal dash in the cell and a series of spots around the termen are all blackish fuscous. The hindwings are pale smoky gray."
April 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word inmyendo
a suppository or an enema
April 16, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Wapasha II
Wapasha (II) (b.1768–1855) was the name of a Mdewakanton Dakota chief. He sided with the United States in the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.
April 16, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the user voa4you
SPAM
April 15, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the user Trp19430
The only idiot here is the one making statements such as yours.
April 15, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word needle vending machine
To provide sterile needles for drug users?
April 14, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list hail-size-descriptors
I create open lists because others invariably enrich those lists. Kindly add graupel, ru.
April 14, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list words-ending-with--gator
@kalayzich. This is an open list. I welcome your additions. What's anal retentive about your suggestions? Thank you.
April 14, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list hail-size-descriptors
.50 Marble, moth ball
.88 Nickel
1.00 Quarter
1.25 Half dollar
1.50 Walnut, ping pong
1.75 Golf ball
2.00 Hen egg
2.50 Tennis ball
2.75 Baseball
3.00 Tea cup
4.00 Softball
4.50 Grapefruit
I'm not sure what hail larger than a grapefruit is called. Maybe hail that size has never been reported.
April 14, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
SSPE. A slow virus infection of the brain caused by a defective form of the measles virus that occurs many years after meales.
April 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word Urechis caupo
A free-living burrowing marine worm that lives in tidal mudflats.
April 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word trichinosis
A disease of muscle caused by a parasitic roundworm and transmitted by eating undercooked pork or bear meat.
April 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word acute respiratory distress syndrome
ARDS. A disorder of the lung tissue caused by infection, shock, burns, or other insults in which the capillaries become leaky and the air spaces fill with fluid. With ARDS, the lung tissue loses its watertight seal and becomes soggy; it can't absorb gases, even with 100 percent oxygen on a ventilator. Once a patient develops ARDS, it's usually the point of no return.
April 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word sparganosis
An invasive infection by a larval tapeworm, often of the eye, contracted by applying a poultice made of raw frog flesh.
April 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word earage
Only dogs? What about other animals... bilbies?
April 2, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word bilby magic
Can't make up stuff like this.
bilby magic.
March 31, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word carillonneur
See also carillonist.
March 28, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the list marbling
I love unusual and niche-y topic lists such as this. Jauks darbs, ruz!
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word brasero
a place where criminals and heretics are burned.
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word diribitory
place where pay is distributed to soldiers
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word lococession
the place where alms are deposited.
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word lavadero
the place for washing gold ore.
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word volery
A place where aircraft are repaired.
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word thutter
That's how I purr. When I'm really purring along, I'll release two urinal cakes for the price of one. Tasty!
March 22, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word constructor
People who make crossword puzzles are called constructors. All crossword puzzles used to be laid out by hand. Today many crossword puzzle constructors use computer software to assist in the puzzle layout. Crossword puzzles that end up in large newspapers or in syndication are controlled by an editor. Constructors submit their puzzles to a crossword editor and the editor decides which puzzles are selected (and for what day since crosswords raise in difficulty through the week).
March 20, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word rise and shine it's time to make the doughnuts
While you're waiting for ruzuzu, may I share a doughnut hole with you?
March 17, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word commensalism
mutualism vs commensalism vs parasitism
March 9, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word blanketflower
a plant of the genus Gaillardia.
March 8, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word mutualism
A parasite is no doubt altering bilby's dopaminergic neurotransmissions resulting in neuropsychiatric symptoms, including a change in predator vigilance. it's also entirely possible that parasites have affected bilby's sexual arousal pathways when he's exposed to muesli bars soaked in dingo urine.
March 7, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word parasitic manipulation
See mutualism. I'm not sure how an ant benefits from parasitic manipulation in the case of ant brain control (caused by a fungus).
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word mutualism
Big surprise that zombie ants originated from a comment by bilby. I'm guessing there is a specific parasite out there that is manipulating bilby's brain into performing erratic behaviors so he'll get the attention of a bilby-eating predator (the next intended host).
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word pig-swimming tourism
Wildlife tourism—which accounts for 20 to 40 percent of all tourism worldwide—is controversial, and can be harmful to animals. After being accused of promoting such attractions, TripAdvisor halted sales to them in 2016.
Many tourists can’t tell if the places they visit hurt wildlife, according to a 2015 ranking of wildlife attractions around the world. Every year, two to four million tourists pay for experiences that aren’t good for animal welfare or conservation.
According to that ranking, dolphin tourism and shark cage diving, both popular in the Bahamas, have negative impacts on wildlife.
But Bethune hopes that, if the proper changes are made, pig-swimming tourism will continue to thrive.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word suicidal crickets
Hairworms have a perpetual challenge: They infect landlubbing insects like crickets, but the parasites must make their way to an aquatic habitat in order to reproduce.
Researchers at France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique figured out how they accomplish this feat. Hairworms produce mind-controlling chemicals that cause their cricket host to move toward light. Because water bodies reflect moonlight, this often sends crickets toward lakes and streams.
The crickets jump in and drown, and the hairworms emerge, ready to find their next victim.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word fishy dance of death
The fluke Euhaplorchis californiensis begins its life in an ocean-dwelling horn snail, where it produces larvae that then seek their next host, a killifish.
Once it finds a fish, the parasite latches on to its gills and makes its way to the brain. But this isn't its final stop.
The fluke needs to get inside the gut of a water bird in order to reproduce. So inside the killifish's brain, the fluke releases chemicals that cause the fish to shimmy, jerk, and jump.
Jenny Shaw, then at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and colleagues found that the parasite decreases serotonin and increases dopamine levels in the fish's brain. The switch in this brain chemistry stimulates the fish to swim and behave more aggressively.
These moves attract the attention of birds, which may eat the fish—and the flukes. The flukes mate, and their eggs are released back into the water in the bird's droppings to be eaten by horn snails and start the cycle anew.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word mind-controlling slime balls
As an adult, the lancet liver fluke—a type of flatworm—resides in the livers of grazing mammals such as cows.
Its eggs are excreted in the host's feces, which are then eaten by snails. After the eggs hatch inside the snail, the snail creates protective cysts around the parasites and coughs them up in balls of mucus.
These fluke-laden slime balls are then consumed by ants. When the flukes wiggle their way into an ant's brain, they cause the insect to climb to the tip of a blade of grass and sit motionless, where it's most likely to be eaten by a grazing mammal. That way, the liver fluke can complete its life cycle.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word zombie cockroaches
Females of the Costa Rican wasp Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga lay their eggs on the abdomens of unlucky orb spiders called Plesiometa argyra.
When the female jewel wasp is ready to procreate, she finds a cockroach to serve as a living nursery for her young.
First, she injects a toxin into the roach that paralyzes its front legs. Then the wasp strikes again in the roach's head. Frederic Libersat of Ben-Gurion University in Israel and colleagues discovered that the venom targets a specific area of the brain responsible for initiating movement.
Stripped of its ability to move of its own free will, the cockroach can be grabbed by the antenna and guided to a burrow, where the wasp will lay her egg on the victim and entomb them together. (Read more about how zombie roaches lose free will because of wasp venom.)
The wasp larva slowly consumes the cockroach for several days before pupating in its abdomen, emerging as an adult about a month later.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word web-slinging wasps
Females of the Costa Rican wasp Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga lay their eggs on the abdomens of unlucky orb spiders called Plesiometa argyra.
After living off its host for a few weeks, the wasp larva injects a chemical into the spider that makes it build a strange, new kind of web, unlike anything it's built before.
But this new web isn't for the spider: It's meant to support the cocoon that the wasp larva will build after finally killing and eating the spider.
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word parasitic manipulation
Normally a rat or mouse will keep to the shadows, thus avoiding cats. But when they are infected by toxoplasma the parasite completely changes their behavior. An infected mouse is attracted to the smell of cat urine and will move out into the open, displaying reckless behavior. The reason, of course, is the parasite wants the mouse to be eaten by a cat, so it can then infect its new host.
Humans also get infected by toxoplasma, though it is only really serious when a woman is pregnant as toxoplasma can damage the unborn child. But new research suggests that toxoplasma may influence us in more subtle ways.
We know, for example, that people who have antibodies to toxoplasma are more than twice as likely to be involved in a traffic accident. It could be that the parasite is making us, like rodents, behave in a more reckless fashion. Research also suggests it may slow down reaction times, with the intention of making us more vulnerable to large predators. Either way it is a chilling thought that parasites may be influencing how we behave in ways we do not yet begin to understand.
-How Parasites Manipulate Us, BBC News, 19 Feb 2014
March 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word attemptress
@bilby. You won me over when you mentioned the dwarf poinsettia leaves.
February 21, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the user hometurphindia
When performance of polishing of body is underway, is scent of lemon Pledge® used without flaw? I require utmost effective polish service with expediency and professional manner.
February 13, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word exobiont
--Lobster olfactory genomics, Integr Comp Biol (2006) 46 (6): 940-947.
--Lobster olfactory genomics, Integr Comp Biol (2006) 46 (6): 940-947.
February 6, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word unikernel
According to twitter, there's the term exokernel as well.
"I will definitely be watching unikernel and exokernel approaches closely in the next years, especially for security."
January 31, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word tone policing
An anti-debate appeal based on genetic fallacy, which attempts to detract from the validity of a statement by attacking the tone rather than the message.
In Bailey Poland's book, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, she suggests that tone policing is frequently aimed at women and derails or silences opponents lower on the "privilege ladder".
In changing their tactics to criticizing how the women spoke instead of what the women said, the men created an environment in which the outcome of a dispute was not decided on the merits of an argument but on whether the men chose to engage with the arguments in good faith.
— Bailey Poland, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, page 46
While anyone can engage in tone policing, it is frequently aimed at women as a way to prevent a woman from making a point in the discussion.
— Bailey Poland, Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online, page 47
January 31, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word blesseds
Beatified individuals or blesseds according to the Catholic Church.
January 19, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word unword
EVERY year the German Language Society selects a word of the year and an "unword", usually something somebody said but should not have done.
January 10, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word unwordable
Nice example:
"The real reality, the flickering of seen and unseen actualities, the moment under the moment, can't be put into words; the most that a writer can do--and this is only rarely achieved--is to write in such a way that the reader finds himself in a place where the unwordable happens off the page."
January 10, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word happy number
A happy number is a number defined by the following process: Starting with any positive integer, replace the number by the sum of the squares of its digits, and repeat the process until the number either equals 1 (where it will stay), or it loops endlessly in a cycle which does not include 1. Those numbers for which this process ends in 1 are happy numbers, while those that do not end in 1 are unhappy numbers (or sad numbers).
January 4, 2017
vendingmachine commented on the word hexahectaheptacontakaidigon
672-sided polygon. For a tutorial about naming polygons see NAMING POLYGONS.
December 31, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word retroactive continuity
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which new information is added to already established facts in the continuity of a fictional work.
December 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word floating timeline
A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time — despite real-world markers like notable events, people and technology appearing in the works and correlating with the real world. A floating timeline is a subtle form of retroactive continuity. This is seen most clearly in the case of comic book characters who debuted as teens in the 1940s or the 1960s but who are still relatively young in current comics. Events from the characters' pasts are alluded to, but they are changed from having taken place years ago to having taken place more recently. -Wikipedia
December 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word un-Australian
Why would anyone be anti-Australian? That sounds like a very un-Australian thing to be.
December 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bevy
See bevies. Ghastly!
December 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bevies
Gasp. I hate truncated, cutesy words like this. From Twitter: Join us for some seasonal bites, bevies and banter. (It doesn't sound so bad in this context, more quaint).
See bevy.
December 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word kleinhuisie
An outside lavatory / Afrikaans: literally, little house)
December 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word dumpster fire
See also Dumpster Fire.
December 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list sweet-tooth-fairy
pink puffer jacket
December 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word buttman
Apparently, buttman has no churchly duties or super-duper superpowers.
December 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pink puffer
sweet tooth fairy? pink puffer jacket
December 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pink puffer
A person where emphysema is the primary underlying pathology.
December 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word blue bloater
A person with chronic bronchitis who demonstrates evidence of cyanosis and pedal edema.
December 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bloater
A ripe corpse.
December 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word mare
"Aloha is a tiny impact crater on the Moon, that lies to the northwest of the Montes Agricola ridge, on the Oceanus Procellarum. It is located near the faint terminus of a ray that crosses the mare from the southeast, originating at the crater Glushko."
December 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pisshead
Ha. Another fine example of the grab bag surprise known as RANDOM WORD.
December 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Trump
What are the odds?! I can't believe this showed up on RANDOM WORD.
November 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word allenarly
How is this word pronounced?
November 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word on wing
"...the wingspan is 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). The adults have a bronzy or greenish metallic sheen with no markings. They fly during the day as well as after dark. They are on wing in June and July in western Europe and from May to August in North America."
November 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word god-building
"God-Building was an idea proposed by some prominent Marxists of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party which proved to be very controversial. It was inspired by Ludwig Feuerbach's 'religion of humanity' and had some precedent in the French Revolution with the 'cult of reason'. The idea consisted of the notion that in place of the abolition of religion, there should be a meta-religious context in which religions were viewed primarily in terms of the psychological and social effect of ritual, myth, and symbolism, and which attempted to harness this force for pro-communist aims, both by creating new ritual and symbolism, as well as re-interpreting existing ritual and symbolism in a socialist context. In contrast to the atheism of Lenin, the God Builders took an official position of agnosticism." --Wikipedia
November 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fly-on-the-wall
Fly-on-the-wall is a style of documentary-making used in film and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them. In the purest form of fly-on-the-wall documentary-making, the camera crew works as unobtrusively as possible; however, it is also common for participants to be interviewed, often by an off-camera voice.
November 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pumpkin breeches
Breeches, a form of pants, came in a wide variety of styles. The most common form of breech was called the trunk hose. Trunk hose were attached to the bottom of the doublet, a padded overshirt, with points, or small ties, and bagged outward before fastening on the upper leg. They looked almost like a puffy short skirt. Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist. Venetians were a form of breeches that reached to the knee; they were padded at the waist and upper thighand grew slimmer as they reached the knee. Pluderhose were baggy all the way from the waist to the knee, and the baggy fabric hung down to hide the fastening at the knee. The longest breeches, known as slops, reached all the way to the calf.
November 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pluderhose
Breeches, a form of pants, came in a wide variety of styles. The most common form of breech was called the trunk hose. Trunk hose were attached to the bottom of the doublet, a padded overshirt, with points, or small ties, and bagged outward before fastening on the upper leg. They looked almost like a puffy short skirt. Trunk hose were often worn with canions, a loose-fitting hose for the upper leg. An exaggerated form of trunk hose was known as pumpkin breeches. Made with contrasting vertical panels of fabric, these breeches ballooned outward, making it look as if the wearer had a large pumpkin about his waist. Venetians were a form of breeches that reached to the knee; they were padded at the waist and upper thigh and grew slimmer as they reached the knee. Pluderhose/pluderhose were baggy all the way from the waist to the knee, and the baggy fabric hung down to hide the fastening at the knee. The longest breeches, known as slops, reached all the way to the calf.
November 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word white ink tattoo
"Aren't the dermal piercings with crystal studs brilliant? Wwhite ink tattoos often look like the body-art method of branding or scarring but this is much more delicate and super feminine!"
October 19, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word tentpole
"“This pigment is of major importance, since it represents the bright red color desired by purchasers,” reads “Lawrie’s Meat Science,” one of the tentpole books for students and professionals in the meat industry. Some producers have even gone so far as to treat their meat with carbon dioxide gas in order to lock in this red color far past its normal lifespan."
That blood in your meat Isn't what you think it is
October 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word mental hygiene
Mental health in general matters. A lot of people are ignorant about mental hygiene.
October 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word French Riviera
n. An area of the coast in southern France, popular with holiday-makers.
I've never heard of a holiday-maker. I believe I'd say holiday-goers.
October 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word data scientist
"The data scientist role was thrust into the limelight early this year when it was named 2016's "hottest job," and there's been considerable interest in the position ever since. Just recently, the White House singled data scientists out with a special appeal for help."
October 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word tampon tax
An all-male panel of lawmakers in Utah refused to end the state’s sales tax on tampons, voting 8 to 3 against the Hygiene Tax Act.
The committee (again, all men) shot down the proposal because it wanted to keep the tax system predictable and believed that allowing for subjective variations on the tax code would only cause problems, according to reports.
Specifically, state representative Ken Ivory—one of the eight “no” votes—worried that exempting tampons would open the door for all kinds of crazy requests for exemptions, according to CBS News.
October 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pink tax
"It s expensive to be a woman. Several studies have shown that choosing the shampoo bottle marketed to women (with its pastel colors and floral motif) will cost you more than reaching for the gray bottle of "men's" shampoo, even when both items are essentially the same product. It’s referred to as the “pink tax,” and Boxed, a bulk shipping retailer, just announced a discount to combat it, Entrepreneur magazine reports. If the women’s product you’re buying costs more than the men’s equivalent, Boxed will cut the price on the ladies’ version.
October 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word sardinia
@Prolagus.
“Sardinians are a group that people have considered distinct from other Europeans, and in this regard it would be interesting if they were more widely distributed in the past.”
Iceman's DNA reveals health risks and relations.
October 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word retrobituary
A remembrance of someone (particularly a historical figure or a celebrity) who died long ago. The remembrance often appears as an article in a publication and includes details about their life and death.
October 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Swainson's crow
The Swainson's crow (Euploea swainson) is a species of nymphalid butterfly in the Danainae subfamily. It is found in Indonesia and the Philippines.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Carter's little liver pills
Carter's Little Liver Pills (Carter's Little Pills after 1959) were formulated as a patent medicine by Samuel J. Carter of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1868.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Christi's big-eared bat
Christi's big-eared bat (Plecotus christii) is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is endemic to Egypt.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Pirlot's big-eared bat
Pirlot's big-eared bat (Micronycteris homezi) is a species of bat endemic to Venezuela.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Robert's snow vole
Robert's snow vole (Chionomys roberti) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Russian Federation, and Turkey.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Jackson's fat mouse
Jackson's fat mouse (Steatomys jacksoni) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Ghana and Nigeria.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Kreb's fat mouse
Krebs's fat mouse (Steatomys krebsii) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Bookbinder's soup
Bookbinder's soup is a type of soup pioneered in the United States in 1893 when Samuel Bookbinder created Old Original Bookbinder's restaurant in Philadelphia.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list persons-thing
erin- Caradja's plague and Caragea's plague add as Caradja and Caragea. Apparently, the 's messes up the works.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Caradja
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague (Romanian: Ciuma lui Caragea) was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Caragea's plague
Caragea's plague or Caradja's plague (Romanian: Ciuma lui Caragea) was a bubonic plague epidemic that occurred in Wallachia, mainly in Bucharest, in the years 1813 and 1814. It coincided with the rule of the Phanariote Prince John Caradja.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Poinsot's spirals
Poinsot's spirals
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Curschmann's spirals
Curschmann's spirals refers to a microscopic finding in the sputum of asthmatics which are spiral shaped mucus plugs from subepithelial mucous gland ducts or bronchioles. These may occur in several different lung diseases.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Old Possum's book of practical cats
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939) is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the musical Cats.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Père David's rock squirrel
Père David's rock squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), also known as the Chinese rock squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to China, where it is found widely in rocky habitats in the eastern and central parts of the country.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Döbereiner's lamp
Döbereiner's lamp, also called a "tinderbox" ("Feuerzeug"), is a lighter invented in 1823 by the German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list persons-thing
Great list, alexz. I love how you think.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word snow-grooming machine
"The Austrian team doctor collided with another skier and was knocked under a snow-grooming machine, which crushed him instantly."
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word twilight shadowing
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups:
super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky;
space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera;
twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word super-high plumes
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups:
super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky;
space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera;
twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word space dandruff
James Oberg explained many UFO sightings on the Internet. Most of them belong to one of three groups:
super-high plumes – rocket or missile plumes, especially lit by Sun on a dark sky;
space dandruff – ice flakes, fragments of insulation, etc. flying alongside a space vehicle, especially seen on backward-facing camera;
twilight shadowing – objects that move from shadow into sunlight in space appear as if coming from behind the clouds or from beyond the edge of the Earth.
September 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list grammar-police---find-the-correct-dash-in-this-lineup
How many dashes equals a 50-yard dash? (Look at me, asking a Canadian)
September 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word jaw
From Twitter: "you have a southern jaw". What is a southern jaw?
September 19, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word orthognathic
orthognathic surgery = jaw surgery (a procedure performed by an oral surgeon.)
September 19, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word humblebrag
"Every Aussie I've met, along with many commenters on different Gawker sites have humblebragged about how perfect Australia is compared to the US. "I can't believe X happens in America; Australia has/does Y." Is it not possible to comment on an issue on an American site without also mentioning your own country's superiority?"
--FACTually (http://factually.gizmodo.com)
September 19, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word (((echoes)))
Neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and white nationalists have begun using three sets of parentheses encasing a Jewish surname — for instance, (((Fleishman))) — to identify and target Jews for harassment on blogs and major social media sites like Twitter. As one white supremacist tweeted, "It's closed captioning for the Jew-blind."
The origins of the symbol ((())) can be traced to a hardcore, right-wing podcast called The Daily Shoah in 2014. It's known as an "echo" in the anti-Semitic corners of the alt-right — a new, young, amorphous conservative movement that comprises trolls fluent in internet culture, free speech activists warring against political correctness and earnest white nationalists. Some use the symbol to mock Jews; others seek to expose supposed Jewish collusion in controlling media or politics. All use it to put a target on their heads.
To the public, the symbol is not easily searchable on most sites and social networks; search engines strip punctuation from results. This means that trolls committed to uncovering, labeling and harassing Jewish users can do so in relative obscurity: No one can search those threats to find who's sending them.
The symbol comes from right-wing blog the Right Stuff, whose podcast The Daily Shoah featured a segment called "Merchant Minute" that gave Jewish names a cartoonish "echo" sound effect when uttered. The "parenthesis meme," as Right Stuff editors call it, is a visual pun.
--tech.mic
September 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word starbugs
Hm! Fakeymcfakeystarbugs.
September 16, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list words-ending-with--bite
I opened the list. Thanks kalayzich and alexz.
September 16, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word wordnik
Thank you, wordnik!
Inspired by: thank every word
September 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list canadian-english--1
washroom (Can) vs bathroom/restroom (Amer)
September 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bioturbation
"While primary effects of invasive animals are bioturbation, bioerosion, and bioconstruction. For example, invasion of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis have resulted in higher bioturbation and bioerosion rates."
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word torus
Weaving a torus with villarceau circles.
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word hilt
The base of the penis
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word hilt
"A chain used to secure something, especially a part of the dress and personal equipment, as, in the middle ages, the hilt of the sword to the breastplate or other part of the body-armor, or at the present day a watch, brooch, or bracelet."
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word melongena
eggplant, hm.
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word adminicles
Icy cold and administrative flavored
September 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word chewblet
Tubular nugget sounds tasty.
September 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cosmogonist
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
One who understand not the meaning of above the sentence. How does one treat the universe? Antibiotics? Antidepressants?
Gad Bateway again...OK now.
September 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word mercorn
Are you sure this isn't a merkin made from corn silk? Or a mercenary with a callus?
September 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word customer churn
"Moreover, people often use cards for awhile and then switch or they lose their cards and they need to be physically replaced. According to Federal Reserve data that I summarize in this article, in 2009 16.5% of credit card users discarded their cards and 29% of prepaid card users did so. Customer churn is especially high for prepaid card users, who often use their cards for only a short period or for a specified purpose. Churn is lowest for debit cards, because they are linked to bank accounts."
--http://volokh.com/2014/01/21/economics-credit-card-security/
September 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word chavettes
Check out the visuals: the pregnant woman smoking is upsetting.
September 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word memetastic
How many other awful words have been created with -tastic?
September 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word milagro
A "milagro" (miracle; a tiny replica of an arm or eye or animal, which can then be taken to the church and left with a donation). Sometimes made with "aged" bottle caps.
September 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word nicho
Nichos are made from mixed media and traditionally combine elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and popular culture.
Nichos are made of objects that can be easily purchased or scavenged in the home or community. The media are characteristically humble for a religious object, especially compared to the typically ornate icons of the Catholic Church. The shadow box itself is easily converted from a cigar box or other mass-produced wooden container, but can also be constructed from any lightweight wood, recycled tin, or glass. The colorful designs on the box and borders are created not only with paint, but also with sequins, glitter, chain, thread or rope, paper mache, and any small bric-a-brac. Other ornaments within nichos include milagro charms, beads, stones, nails, and other manufactured and found objects.
See examples of nicho art here.
September 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bathtub madonna
A bathtub Madonna (also known as a lawn shrine, Mary on the half shell[, [bathtub Mary, bathtub Virgin, and bathtub shrine) is a artificial grotto typically framing a Roman Catholic religious figure.
September 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word lararia
plural for lararium.
September 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word vertiginous
adj. Having an aspect of great depth, drawing the eye to look downwards.
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word safeword
On Twitter:
My safeword is honorificabilitudinitatibus which is very hard to say through a barbed wire ballgag.
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word safeword
Who knew?
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word academic ridicule
"The story of forensic neuropathologist Bennet I. Omalu brings dramatic focus to one doctor's breakthrough discovery of a progressive neurologic disorder found in victims of brain trauma.
Dr. Omalu called the disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), first discovered through an autopsy he performed on Mike Webster, the NFL's legendary Pittsburgh Steeler's player who died at age 50. Dr. Omalu went on to report and publish findings to identify CTE in eight more NFL players whose patterns of death were similar. Dr. Omalu's findings revolutionized neuroscience[, [sports medicine, the study of brain trauma, and the entire sports industry, even after being ridiculed by many of his professional peers, the NFL, and the industry."
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word academic ridicule
Stanton Friedman considers the general attitude of mainstream academics as arrogant and dismissive or bound to a rigid worldview that disallows any evidence contrary to previously held notions. Denzler states that the fear of ridicule and a loss of status has prevented scientists of pursuing a public interest in UFOs. J. Allen Hynek's also commented, "Ridicule is not part of the scientific method and people should not be taught that it is." Hynek said of the frequent dismissal of UFO reports by astronomers that the critics knew little about the sightings, and should thus not be taken seriously. Peter A. Sturrock suggests that a lack of funding is a major factor in the institutional lack of interest in UFOs.--Wikipedia
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list words-to-remember--15
@madmouth. It's my fault for baiting ru. One of the entries below really is PERSON WHOSE OX IS GORED, which sounded just offbeat enough to trip ruzuzu's stream of consciousness.
September 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word unschooling
A curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling is sometimes called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator and author John Holt in his magazine, "Growing Without Schooling". The term emphasizes the more spontaneous, less structured learning environment where a child's interests drive their pursuit of knowledge. In some cases, a liberal arts education is provided using the trivium and quadrivium as the main models.--Wikipedia
August 31, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list words-to-remember--15
@ruzuzu. Knowing you, I would have guessed person whose ox is gored.
August 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bad gateway
Earlier today it was bad gateway this and bad gateway that. Unable to leave a comment. No visuals. I was starting to have wordnik withdrawal.
August 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word latinx
Latinx is the gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina and even Latin@. Used by scholars, activists and an increasing number of journalists, Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public. It’s part of a “linguistic revolution“ that aims to move beyond gender binaries and is inclusive of the intersecting identities of Latin American descendants. In addition to men and women from all racial backgrounds, Latinx also makes room for people who are trans, queer, agender, non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender fluid.
“In Spanish, the masculinized version of words is considered gender neutral. But that obviously doesn’t work for some of us because I don’t think it’s appropriate to assign masculinity as gender neutral when it isn’t,” explains queer, non-binary femme writer Jack Qu’emi Gutiérrez in an interview with PRI. “The ‘x,’ in a lot of ways, is a way of rejecting the gendering of words to begin with, especially since Spanish is such a gendered language.”
Latinx is also, as pointed out by writer Gabe Gonzalez, a way to reclaim identity, a form of rebellion against “the language and legacy of European traditions that were imposed on the Americas.”
--Why People Are Using The Term Latinx.
August 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word emphyteusis
"Once within the walls of the Ghetto they were alone, and could go about the little streets in perfect security; they were free from the contamination as well as safe from the depredations of Christians, and within their own precincts they were not forced to wear the hated orange-coloured cap or net which Paul the Fourth imposed upon the Jewish men and women. To a great extent, too, such isolation was already in the traditions of the race. A hundred years earlier Venice had created its Ghetto; so had Prague, and other European cities were not long in following. Morally speaking their confinement may have been a humiliation; in sober fact it was an immense advantage; moreover, a special law of 'emphyteusis' made the leases of their homes inalienable, so long as they paid rent, and forbade the raising of the rent under any circumstances, while leaving the tenant absolute freedom to alter and improve his house as he would, together with the right to sublet it, or to sell the lease itself to any other Hebrew; and these leases became very valuable"--Francis Marion Crawford, Ave Roma Immortalis, Vol. 2, Studies from the Chronicles of Rome, 1899.
August 26, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fenland
"A saltern is a word with a number of differing (but interrelated) meanings. In English archaeology, a saltern is an area used for salt making, especially in the East Anglian fenlands."
August 25, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word the god problem
Modern psychology has a serious God problem. America is a deeply spiritual country. More than half of Americans say religion is “very important” to them, and more than 90 percent profess a belief in a higher power. Yet psychology, as a scientific endeavor, has done almost nothing to understand how spiritual beliefs shape psychological problems, or affect treatment. When a person with deep religious convictions comes in for professional help, they will find, more often than not, a therapist who is not fully prepared to help.--Gareth Cook, Modern Psychology's God Problem.
Relations between psychology and religion have a troubled history. Putting psychology on a scientific footing meant, in part, rejecting the notion that mental illness is a spiritual phenomenon, that madness implied possession by demons or foul spirits. Freud famously diagnosed religion as a psychological problem. To believe, in his view, was to be neurotic.
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word coconut cake problem
A problem addressed by means of intuition, such as a recipe (for coconut cake) in which the ingredients and amounts used are unclear.
"HARVARD PROFESSOR Roland Fryer has made a discovery with the potential to transform public education. To understand it, though, it helps to first hear a story about the conundrum of the coconut cake.
Fryer’s grandmother makes an astounding coconut cake, a magical confection of sweetness and air he’s loved since he was a kid growing up in Florida. Fryer wanted to learn to make the cake himself, but every time he pressed for a recipe, she gave him directions like “use a good amount of sugar, a little flour but not too much, and just a bit of baking powder.”--Gareth Cook, Education's Coconut Cake Problem
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Jandal
Trademark /New Zealand: a type of sandal with a strip of material between the big toe and the other toes and over the foot.
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word morcellator
The use of a laparoscopic power morcellator during a hysterectomy is discouraged because it increases the risk of spreading cancerous tissue within the abdomen and pelvis.
During a hysterectomy with morcellation the surgeon slices the uterine tissue into small pieces and extracts them with a laparoscope through an incision in the abdomen. In women with undetected uterine cancer, the morcellator cuts through cancerous tissue and potentially distributes it outside the uterus.
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gellhorn
A vaginal pessary can take a number of different forms, including doughnut-shaped devices; horn-shaped varieties, known as gellhorns; and tube-like insertions with bulbous ends that work as inflatable devices.
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Goldilocks zone
The search for habitable, alien worlds needs to make room for a second "Goldilocks," according to a Yale University researcher.
For decades, it has been thought that the key factor in determining whether a planet can support life was its distance from its sun. In our solar system, for instance, Venus is too close to the sun and Mars is too far, but Earth is just right. That distance is what scientists refer to as the "habitable zone," or the "Goldilocks zone."--Science Daily, August 19, 2016
August 24, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word apocryphally
Dorothy Parker dispensed caustic humor in prose and verse as well as over drinks. Her observations and remarks were very much of their time, but they still induce winces in an era when cutting snark has become practically de rigueur. Over the years many couplets and witticisms have been attributed to Parker, some apocryphally."
August 22, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Yarra Yarra River
See Yarra River.
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Yarra River
The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, is a perennial river in east-central Victoria, Australia.
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word turdish
"The shoe features canvas, suede and mesh, with the varsity royal blue apparently inspired by Port Phillip Bay and the brown midsole chosen to represent the turdish Yarra River that winds its wiggly way through our magnificent city."
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word heft
"hefting – also known as heafing in this part of the country, but known as many other things across the UK.
I’m no expert on hefting but the way I understand it to work, from a friend who does know, is that when shepherds want to establish a new flock, they take the sheep up onto the moorland where they want them to graze and they constrain them on that land. This is sometimes done with fencing, but is also done by physical shepherding. The flock gets to know where it can, and can’t, go because of the constraints.
Eventually the shepherd removes the constraint, but the sheep don’t drift off. They stay where they have been hefted. They’ve learnt to live within their current constraints.
Once a flock has been established within its heft, the shepherd can add new sheep to the flock and they will take on the heft of the rest of the sheep, as long as too many fresh ideas aren’t introduced. The hefting is passed from generation to generation without the need for the constraints to be put back in place. That’s how strong the constraints are in the minds of the rest of the flock.
We’re not dissimilar to sheep. We pick a way of doing things, or a technology, based on what our tribe is doing. Having chosen a technology, we stay with it, we invest in it, and we live within its constraints. We become comfortable in our place of pasture." --Technology Perspectives.
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word humbucker
What a ghastly word.
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word invadopodia
"This research illustrates the importance of collaboration in the scientific discovery process, and how the study of one disease, in this case cancer, can have a profound impact on the understanding on another." said Dr. Courtneidge, "In the future, we hope to use our mouse model to study the disease in more depth, as well as to determine whether other genes involved in invadopodia formation are also associated with FTHS." See invadopodium.
August 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word herpe
rice krispies: the glitter herpe of breakfast cereals. What is glitter herpe?
August 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word duncify
See also stultify.
August 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Obergruppenführer
The highest rank in the SS.
August 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word corportation
Corporations need transportation on occasion, don't they?
August 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word volcanic winter
A volcanic winter is a reduction in global temperatures caused by volcanic ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscuring the Sun and raising Earth's albedo (increasing the reflection of solar radiation) after a large particularly explosive volcanic eruption. Long-term cooling effects are primarily dependent upon injection of sulfide compounds in aerosol form into the upper atmosphere—the stratosphere—the highest, least active levels of the lower atmosphere where little precipitation occurs, thus requiring a long time to wash the aerosols out of the region. Stratospheric aerosols cool the surface and troposphere by reflecting solar radiation, warm the stratosphere by absorbing terrestrial radiation, and when combined with anthropogenic chlorine in the stratosphere, destroy ozone which moderates the effect of lower stratospheric warming. The variations in atmospheric warming and cooling results in changes in tropospheric and stratospheric circulation.
--Robock, Alan (2000). "Volcanic eruptions and climate". Reviews of geophysics 38 (2): 191-219
August 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word two-spirit people
"Christian leaders stand on our soil and claim: "gay marriage" has never occurred here. Over 1300 tribes in every region of North America performed millions of same-sex marriages for hundreds of years. Their statements are both hateful and ignorant. Your "homosexual," was our "Two Spirit" people... and we considered them sacred."
August 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word impostor syndrome
A nuisance that befalls many high-achieving women, wherein they chalk up their success to:
“…luck, to being in the right place at the right time, to factors other than ability. … They live in fear that eventually some significant person will discover that they are, indeed, intellectual impostors."
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk: We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller / We say to girls, “You can have ambition / But not too much / You should aim to be successful / But not too successful / Otherwise you will threaten the man.” It’s true. Women are much more likely to feel this way, because we’re taught to be modest and self-deprecating, to downplay our achievements for fear of looking arrogant or ungrateful, sipping pickle juice while our male counterparts are being praised for being bossed up.
August 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word life-guard
n. Brushes or some other device placed before the forward wheels of a locomotive to sweep small obstructions from the track.
August 6, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cot death
The term cot death is often used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India, South Africa and New Zealand.
August 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word chokeslam
Yikes.
August 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word caruncle
caruncular, carunculous, carunculate, carunculated.
August 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word semifossorial
In addition to controlling insect pests, bilbies may play a role in seed dispersal. The semifossorial bilbies may help aerate the soil through their burrowing.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word unassisted dispersal
The seed or fruit has no obvious aids for longer-distance transport and merely falls passively from the plant.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word dispersule
Dispersule (or propagule = unit of seed, fruit or spore as it is dispersed)
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bristle contraction
Hygroscopic bristles on the dispersule that promote movement with varying humidity.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word anemochory
Humans may disperse seeds by many various means and some surprisingly high distances have been repeatedly measured. Examples are: dispersal on human clothes, on shoes, or by cars.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word anemochory
Wind dispersal is one of the more primitive means of dispersal. Wind dispersal can take on one of two primary forms: seeds can float on the breeze or alternatively, they can flutter to the ground. The classic examples of these dispersal mechanisms include dandelions, which have a feathery pappus attached to their seeds and can be dispersed long distances, and maples, which have winged seeds (samara) and flutter to the ground. An important constraint on wind dispersal is the need for abundant seed production to maximise the likelihood of a seed landing in a site suitable for germination. There are also strong evolutionary constraints on this dispersal mechanism. For instance, Cody and Overton (1996) found that species in the Asteraceae on islands tended to have reduced dispersal capabilities (i.e., larger seed mass and smaller pappus) relative to the same species on the mainland. Reliance on wind dispersal is common among many weedy or ruderal species. Unusual mechanisms of wind dispersal include tumbleweeds.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word malacochory
Seed dispersal by molluscs.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word endozoochory
Endozoochory (dispersal by animal ingestion - fish)
Endozoochory (dispersal by animal ingestion - amphibians, reptiles)
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word seed predators
Rodents (such as squirrels) and some birds (such as jays) may also disperse seeds by hoarding the seeds in hidden caches. The seeds in caches are usually well-protected from other seed predators and if left uneaten will grow into new plants. In addition, rodents may also disperse seeds via seed spitting due to the presence of secondary metabolites in ripe fruits.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word secondary zoochory
Secondary dispersal by animals: Seeds may be secondarily dispersed from seeds deposited by primary animal dispersers. For example, dung beetles are known to disperse seeds from clumps of feces in the process of collecting dung to feed their larvae.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word oceanic dispersal
A type of seed dispersal that occurs when organisms transfer from one land mass to another by way of a sea crossing. Often this occurs via large mats of floating vegetation, such as are sometimes seen floating down major rivers in the tropics and washing out to sea, occasionally with animals trapped on them.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word rafting event
See dispersal via a raft is sometimes referred to as a "rafting event."
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word hardseededness
"Dormancy should not be confused with seed coat dormancy, external dormancy, or hardseededness, which is caused by the presence of a hard seed covering or seed coat that prevents water and oxygen from reaching and activating the embryo. It is a physical barrier to germination, not a true form of dormancy."(Quinliven, 1971; Quinliven and Nichol, 1971).
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word spit-hooding
Apparently, it's referred to an anti-spit mask (yawn) or a spit sock hood. Pretty much the same name. Does anyone have a law enforcement terminology list?
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word spit-hooding
"'Multiple incidents within the juvenile detention facilities have revealed that the NT Government prosecutes policies against Aboriginal children which include spit-hooding, gassing, hand cuffing, shackling and extensive periods of unlawful solitary confinement. Treatment such as this you wouldn’t think possible in any civilised nation.
Let there be no doubts as to whom we are talking about here.
This is all about Aboriginal children.'
What is spit-hooding? I understand the hooding part, but not spit. Australian detention centre.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word whitewashing
Another example. In Louisville, Kentucky, Butler High School’s dress code prohibits dreadlocks, cornrolls, and twists. Students who violate the grooming policy cannot attend the school.
"Hair styles that are extreme, distracting, or attention getting will not be permitted. No dreadlocks, cornrows, twists, mohawks, and no jewelry will be worn in hair."
""Hair must be a natural color. No two-toned hair or severe contrasts. This includes unnatural colors.”"
""No male may dye, tint, or highlight his hair in any way."
"The styles that were targeted in this policy are the most basic and essential styles for black people all over the world. To ban them is essentially to ban blackness itself."--Shaun King, New York Daily News, July 28, 2016.
cultural whitewashing
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word heart dog
A once in a lifetime soul mate dog. There’s an understanding, a bond stronger than most, and a special level of communication. Your heart dog “gets” you and you get him or her right back.--found on The Daily Corgi blog.
August 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word whitewashing
Casting white actors in Hollywood productions instead of POC (people of color).
The popular blog Angry Asian Man called the movie “the latest movie in the grand cinematic tradition of the Special White Person”, adding: “You can set a story anywhere in the world, in any era of history, and Hollywood will still somehow find a way for the movie to star a white guy.”
In her post, Wu wrote: “Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon. They look like Malala. Ghandi. Mandela. Your big sister when she stood up for you to those bullies that one time. We don’t need salvation. We like our color and our culture and our strengths and our own stories.”
The Guardian.
August 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word jegging
Denim/jean leggings
July 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cicisbeism
The practice of dangling about women? How does one dangle?
July 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Tehrangeles
Another city with a large Persian community is Tehranto. (Tehran + Toronto).
July 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word peleton
It's odd when there are plenty of examples but no definition.
July 27, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word lymphangioleiomyomatosis
LAM for short. Rare lung disease that causes spontaneous lung collapse in women.
July 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word ex-gay
?? Marcus Bachmann is defending his Christian counseling business for offering so-called ex-gay therapy, a controversial practice that's focused attention on the Bachmanns' views on social issues at a time when the Minnesota congresswoman has shown momentum in the Republican presidential race.
July 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word furvert
A “furvert” is anyone who is sexually attracted to mascots and such. A furry who is a pervert; somebody who takes a sexual interest in furry media.
July 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word orage
In organ-building, a stop constructed so as to produce a noise in imitation of the sound of a storm.
July 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word smilingness
The state of being smiling. This sounds awkward.
July 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word horner
n. One who works or deals in horn or horns.
Is horn a non-count noun?!
July 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word clickjack
How is information stolen? Since "he" is mentioned, I'm guessing female users aren't as clickjackable.
July 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word amethyst
Interesting etymology. From Greek amethustos, not drunk or intoxicating. The Greeks believed that amethyst prevented intoxication.
July 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pulse
A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for their grain seed called pulse, for livestock forage and silage, and as soil-enhancing green manure. Well-known legumes include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lentils, lupins, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts, and tamarind.
A legume fruit is a simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens along a seam) on two sides. A common name for this type of fruit is a pod, although the term "pod" is also applied to a few other fruit types, such as that of vanilla (a capsule) and of radish (a silique).
July 6, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word testin
The perfect accompaniment to a glass of colonnade.
June 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word colonnade
Thankfully, not a beverage.
June 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gazumping
It's called "gazumping" in England, the process by which someone selling a piece of property accepts an offer from one buyer, maybe even going so far as to shake hands on it, then quickly — and often surreptitiously — accepts another, higher, offer from a second buyer, leaving the first buyer with his pockets agape and his heart broken.
-from Examples
June 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word quitlines
Smoking cessation, popularly known as "quitlines," are an increasingly common way for smokers to quit.
See quitline.
June 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word khachapuri
No visual :(
June 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word orthorexics
People with an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
People afraid of eating the wrong thing, ever.
Unlike patients with anorexia nervosa, the goal of orthorexics is not to be thin but to be "pure, healthy and natural".
Mental health experts say that the obsession about which foods are "good" and "bad" means that orthorexics can end up being malnourished and often shun food to the point of emaciation and starvation.
June 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word shitpost
Ha. I find it interesting that this word is listed on both Twitter Loves and Twitter Hates. And both lists are by hugovk!
June 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word sustenance
I know precisely which scene you mean, mikepurvis.
June 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word octoroon
History, unfortunately, reminds us of the one-drop rule:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule
I read this book a couple of years ago. Excellent.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/587123.Who_is_Black_
June 10, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word mayhaps
I like it.
June 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pickpurse
Sounds more interesting than pickpocket.
June 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word purses
purses is a kind of seaweed; purse; however, has (apparently) nothing to do with seaweed--unlesss I missed it in the definitions.
June 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word thosse
A glitch, a misspelling, or a nameless fish?
June 6, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word squirrelhood
A person who lives on the Park Meadows street of Moray Court recently found a cache of pine cones stored underneath the hood of her cars and elsewhere on the outside of the vehicles.
It was apparently the work of a squirrel preparing for the winter.
"They were everywhere, every pocket," says Mary Cole, the owner of the cars, indicating she had never before experienced something similar.
A neighbor, Aggie Johanson, says the pine cones were "just stuffed in there."
"It's peculiar in the car. We know it has to be the squirrels," Johanson says.
"Such is life in our little squirrelhood."
June 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word deadly-lively
A deadly-lively party.
June 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pseudepigraphy
Scholars have identified seven levels of authenticity which they have organized in a hierarchy ranging from literal authorship, meaning written in the author's own hand, to outright forgery:
Literal authorship. A church leader writes a letter in his own hand.
Dictation. A church leader dictates a letter almost word for word to an amanuensis.
Delegated authorship. A church leader describes the basic content of an intended letter to a disciple or to an amanuensis.
Posthumous authorship. A church leader dies, and his disciples finish a letter that he had intended to write, sending it posthumously in his name.
Apprentice authorship. A church leader dies, and disciples who had been authorized to speak for him while he was alive continue to do so by writing letters in his name years or decades after his death.
Honorable pseudepigraphy. A church leader dies, and admirers seek to honor him by writing letters in his name as a tribute to his influence and in a sincere belief that they are responsible bearers of his tradition.
Forgery. A church leader obtains sufficient prominence that, either before or after his death, people seek to exploit his legacy by forging letters in his name, presenting him as a supporter of their own ideas.
May 31, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gleed
The Dutch word for slipped is gleed.
May 31, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cisgender
Aimee Toms was washing her hands in the women’s bathroom at Walmart in Danbury Friday when a stranger approached her and said, “You’re disgusting!” and “You don’t belong here!”
Toms’ has a short haircut because she recently donated hair - for the third time - to a program that makes wigs for child cancer patients.
“I’ve had people call me all sorts of names for having short hair. I’ve had people call me a boy, I’ve had people call me a dyke, I’ve had people call me gay.” Toms said. “I’m grateful that that woman only called me disgusting and didn’t physically attack me … I was a victim of transphobia today as a cisgender female because my hair is short.”
-Woman mistaken for transgender harassed in Walmart bathroom, May 16, 2016
May 25, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word kleptoparasites
"Although their biology is not widely studied, many blister beetles are thought to be kleptoparasites and egg predators of bee, and they often specialize on a small number of host species, using the adults to transport them back to the host nest."
-Cheats and Deceits: how animals and plants exploit and mislead, 2016, p.34
May 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word sounders
"... hog hunting on conservation areas ruins efforts by department staff to trap and kill entire groups of feral hogs, called sounders. Groups can consist of several dozen animals."
-Missouri Conservationist, March 2016, vol. 77, issue 3, p. 8.
May 21, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cogs
"Count the cogs on the wheels of a fanning-mill, washing-machine, apple-parer, or egg-beater, and determine how the direction or rate of the motion is changed thereby."
May 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word meat analogue
A meat analogue, also called a meat alternative, meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, imitation meat, or (where applicable) vegetarian meat or vegan meat, approximates certain aesthetic qualities (primarily texture, flavor and appearance) and/or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat. Many meat analogues are soy-based (such as tofu and tempeh) and are gluten-based.
May 19, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word flaughter
When you have to cut peat, you have to cut peat.
May 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cicatrix
See keloid scar. Can be hereditary. "The main problem is that cutting a keloid out often leads to an even bigger one forming later in the same place."
May 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word nanulak
A polar bear / grizzly bear hybrid. Canadian wildlife officials have suggested calling the hybrid "nanulak", taken from the Inuit names for polar bear (nanuk) and grizzly bear (aklak).
May 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pizzly
See nanulak.
May 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word thrap
See frap
May 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word coprophagia
May 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word turf
"Hof in Öræfi has been an ecclesiastical site for almost 700 years and is first mentioned in a cartulary from 1343. Hofskirkja Church was dedicated to Saint Clement. The core of the current church at Hof was built in 1884 and was the last turf church built in the old Icelandic architectural style. Its walls are assembled of rocks and its roof made of stone slabs, covered in turf. The reredos (an altarpiece, or a screen or decoration behind the altar in a church) in Hofskirkja Church was painted by the artist Ólafur Túbals. Hofskirkja Church is one of six churches, in Iceland still standing which are preserved as historical monuments. It is recorded that Páll Pálsson, a carpenter, built the church, but Þorsteinn Gissurarson, a blacksmith from Hof forged the building hardware, the lock, and hinges. The church is maintained by the National Museum but also serves as a parish church."
May 12, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word thylacines
Bilby: Random search. https://www.flickr.com/photos/126377022@N07/14785125205
May 11, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word weet-weet
"The distance to which the weet-weet or kangaroo-rat* can be thrown is truly astonishing."
*substitute kangaroo-rat with bilby.
May 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word debeard
"The hardest part about cooking mussels is debearding them, which is simply removing the seaweed with which they attach themselves to their colony."
May 8, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gut loops
"The whole of the gut is attached to the body by a suspensory mechanism called the mesentery, which connects the 20m or so of gut loops to the underside of the spinal column within the abdomen over a length of a few centimeters."
--The Pig Site
May 6, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word mountain bumps
• Rock burst of coal rather than rock
• Occurs in coal mines
• Violent expulsion of coal from the ribs, roof and/or face
• Roof and/or floor rock remains intact (sometimes)
• Aka bumps or bursts, mountain bumps, and air blast
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word PEO
Prisoner escort officer.
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word triphala
Triphala (Hindi: “three fruits”) is an herbal formula consisting of equal parts of three myrobalans, taken without seed: amalaki (Emblica officinalis), bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), and haritaki (Terminalia chebula).
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word triphala
"Triphala tea, which is made by steeping a teaspoon of triphala in a cup of boiling water and then straining the resultant fluid through a fine mesh cloth, is one of the best eyewashes and strengtheners of the eyes."
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word praying-wheel
"In Japan the praying-wheel is turned by hand; but in China, according to Hue, it is sometimes carried by water-power, and rises to the dignity of a mill."
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the user hugovk
Thanks for all the great additions today, hugovk.
May 5, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word booting
Applying a device (a boot) to a vehicle in order to make a vehicle undrivable until unpaid parking fees, etc are paid.
See wheel clamp, wheel boot, parking boot, or Denver boot.
A device designed to prevent vehicles from being moved. In its most common form, it consists of a clamp that surrounds a vehicle wheel, designed to prevent removal of both itself and the wheel.
In the United States, the device became known as a "Denver boot" after the city of Denver, Colorado was the first in the country to employ them, mostly to force the payment of outstanding parking tickets.
"A "booter" was shot while booting a vehicle, Department of Revenue Director Bea Reyna-Hickey said, directing further inquiries to police."
May 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the user Sammiee11
No toilet? Crappy internet connections? That does sound like a memorable skill to Uttarakhand.
May 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word hypochondritis
Often used in the same context as malingering.
May 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word shock time
"A local woman has been sentenced to five days shock time after pleading guilty to theft, resisting arrest and assaulting a law enforcement officer at the Dillards store at Mid Rivers Mall on May 28."
"Hansen who resigned from the police department in July, was sentenced to two years probation and 30 days of shock time in jail."
May 3, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word dandle
We always called it "ridin' horsey".
May 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gingerism
Who doesn't love red hair?
May 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gewgaw
"His father had inspired him with a horror of jewellery; for once, when he had spent the savings of a month upon a cheap scarf-pin, the elder Armstrong had wrathfully asked him what he meant by sticking that brass-headed nail in his chest, and had thrown the gewgaw into the fire."
May 2, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word woozle effect
The woozle effect, also known as evidence by citation, or a woozle, occurs when frequent citation of previous publications that lack evidence misleads individuals, groups and the public into thinking or believing there is evidence, and nonfacts become urban myths and factoids.
May 1, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word semmelweis reflex
The semmelweis reflex or "semmelweis effect" is a metaphor for the reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs or paradigms.
May 1, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word nanga
Which century was this definition written in?
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. A small harp having but three or four strings, used by the negroes of Africa; a negro harp.
May 1, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word stickler
One who stickles.
April 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word eyelash yarn
"There seems to be a general consensus among experienced needleworkers that eyelash yarn is more easily knit than crocheted as it is so hard to find the next stitch in crocheting such fuzzy yarn. Learn to count your stitches on each row as you work with this stuff. Be sure that the next stitch is really the next stitch and not a snag of the lashes. That is easy to mistake."-anonymous web comment
April 29, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pew-rent
Pay up or else.
April 29, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word God's asshat
as in "What in the name of God's asshat are you doing here?"
April 29, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word luciferase
See luciferin.
April 29, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pastillage
"Pastillage is a mixture of powdered sugar, gelatin, and cornstarch that dries to a porous, rigid form.
With care and patience, it's possible to make very intricate pastillage showpieces, such as detailed flowers, figures, and even delicate architectural details - perfect for victorian trim on gingerbread houses!"
--Gingerbread House Heaven
April 25, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word frothing
"Staffordshire oatcakes are a local component of the full English breakfast. It is a plate-sized pancake, made with equal parts medium oatmeal and wheatmeal (flour), along with frothing yeast. Once the mixture has risen to produce something like a Yorkshire pudding batter, it is ladled onto a griddle or bakestone, and dried through. Staffordshire oatcakes are commonly paired with bacon, sausages, mushrooms, kidney, baked beans, among others."
April 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word blueberry muffin world
"Maybe not in your blueberry muffin world but anyone who spent as much time as this guy in prison picks up a classroom of connections."--Crime Time: a mystery novel, R.E. Derouin, 2013.
April 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word i like to press button which does nothing
Try to press it the button which does something.
April 20, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word assaulted
"Healthcare workers are a special breed. They are compassionate and called into a career to care for the sick. Most are underpaid for their skills and the services they provide. The National Crime Victimization Survey suggests that each day in the US at least 200 of them are assaulted on the job. The healthcare industry has done a good job keeping this secret. It’s a disgrace that healthcare workers are the most assaulted workers in the country."
April 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word coupe poudre
Haitian clergy attribute the creation of zombies to sorcery. The Vodun voodoo religion makes a distinction between the corps cadavre (the physical body), the gwo-bon anj (the animating principle) and the ti-bon anj (agency, awareness and memory). When zombifying someone, the Vodun sorcerer (or bokur) extracts the ti-bon anj of the victim and retains it in an earthenware jar (where it is then referred to as zombie astral)
Haitian doctors, on the other hand, consider zombification to be a result of poisoning, and there are reports that sorcerers use a white powder called coupe poudre to zombify their victims. In the early 1980s, Wade Davis, an anthropologist and ethnobotanist who was then working at Harvard University, travelled to Haiti in order to determine the ingredients of the coupe poudre. He interviewed a number of sorcerers and collected 8 samples of the zombie powder from 4 different regions of the country.
Upon analysis of the powders, Davis found that 7 of them shared a number of ingredients, including toxins produced by cane toad (Bufo marinus, left) and an irritant produced by a hyla tree frog (Osteopilus dominicensis). One of the samples also contained trace amounts of tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin produced by various marine organisms, most notably the pufferfish.
April 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word faded across
I am unable to create a page for hinüber gedämmert outright or leave a comment. I thought the first letter (þ) was the culprit in the Icelandic Problem.
April 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word faded across
Around one o’clock in the morning, he noticed that his father’s breathing was slowing. Over the course of hours, his father had hinüber gedämmert, “faded across.”
“There was no exact time of death, but at some point, he had stopped breathing.”
April 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fattism
Thanks, Erin. I think I've reached my quota for questions, concerns, and Icelandic shenanigans for the week.
April 18, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fattism
I'm noticing that many of the links below the EXAMPLES warn me of possible malware if I proceed to the site. Example: ninme (above). Is wordnik warning us (since it directs us to api.wordnik.com for more info)?
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fattism
Horrible word.
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word deontology
"I have no idea what is happening in the world beyond my bedroom, but I can write a really good essay on deontology and natural moral law." -Twitter, April 16, 2016
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word husband purgatory
"Walking through downtown Boston, Lisa sees a SALE sign, hands me her bags, and now I'm sitting in husband purgatory with all the other dudes."-Tony Gentilcore, Twitter, April 17, 2016
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word warty pig
Fewer than 250 adult Bawean warty pigs are alive today—meaning they're likely an endangered species, a new study says.
Rare video here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160406-warty-pigs-animals-science-endangered-species/
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word viper
The rare Iranian spider-tailed viper (Pseudocerastes urarachnoides) waggles a fake "spider"—actually a fleshy lure with leg-like scales at the tip of its tail—to tempt birds within striking distance.
See video here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBbbagXifRu/
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word cockleburs
"Carolina parakeets were probably poisonous—American naturalist and painter John J. Audubon noted that cats apparently died from eating them, and they are known to have eaten the toxic seeds of cockleburs."
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word hardscrabble
"On the hardscrabble lands of the American West, blood is spilled by the most innocent-looking of outlaws—the white-tailed prairie dog.
These social rodents, native to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and Montana, ruthlessly bite and thrash Wyoming ground squirrels to death, leaving their bloody bodies to rot, a new study says.
The killers' offspring then live longer, healthier lives—probably because their parents bumped off their competition for food.
It’s the first time that a herbivorous mammal has been seen killing competitors without eating them, suggesting that a plant-based diet doesn’t preclude mammals from having a taste for bloodsport."
-National Geographic, Michael Greshko, March 22, 2016, "Praire dogs are serial killers that murder their competition".
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Icelandic Problem
Tried to post this for alexz: (ू•ᴗ•ू❁). File under the Icelandic Problem.
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Icelandic Problem
Unable to post this Icelandic word: Þúsundþjalasmiður One skilled with a rasp.
April 17, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Icelandic Problem
Reminds me of "The Pelican Briefs" or "The Italian Job". Check out the VISUALS. Protesters demanding a resolution to the Icelandic Problem.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fouet
See fouat, houseleek, hen and chicks.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fouat
Where I live, we call these hen and chicks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hen_and_chicks
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word fouat
(Scottish) a succulent pink-flowered plant Also called: houseleek.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word (つ ツ )つ
Oh well, alexz... on with the butter!
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word the raisin at the end of the sausage
Rúsínan í pylsuendanum. Icelandic idiom meaning that something is already great (like the icing on a cake or a cherry on top.)
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word on with the butter
Áfram með smjörið. Icelandic idiom meaning "Keep doing what you’re doing, forge ahead, keep on keepin' on, get to work, keep moving."
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word erinmckean
bilby: Try entering an Icelandic word (with plenty of diacritics) in the SEARCH bar. It will appear on a normal-looking page, but it won't save and you can't leave a comment (and save it) either.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word ta'arof
"It's like extreme Southern hospitality."
http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-tarof-20150706-story.html
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word grief bacon
Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Derived from the German word kummerspeck.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word erinmckean
I tried to post the Icelandic words:
gluggaveður (n.): window-weather
raðljóst: (n.): enough light to find one's way by
Wordnik wouldn't add the word directly (I had to add brackets here instead). Also, when I click on gluggaveður, I'm not able to add the definition in the comments.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word knismesis
Knismesis and gargalesis are the scientific terms, coined in 1897 by psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin, used to describe the two types of tickling. Knismesis refers to the light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often accompanied by an itching sensation.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word gargalesis
knismesis and gargalesis are the scientific terms, coined in 1897 by psychologists G. Stanley Hall and Arthur Allin, used to describe the two types of tickling. Knismesis refers to the light, feather-like type of tickling. This type of tickling generally does not induce laughter and is often accompanied by an itching sensation.
April 15, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word CRV
The California Refund Value (CRV) is the amount paid to consumers when they recycle beverage containers at certified recycling centers. The minimum refund value established for each type of eligible beverage container is 5 cents for each container under 24 ounces and 10 cents for each container 24 ounces or greater.
April 14, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word bunching
n. The illegitimate supplying of laboratory animals that are actually kidnapped pets or illegally trapped strays. (Does this include animals advertised online (i.e. FREE KITTENS) that are furtively used to feed one's snakes or other predators?)
n. In sugar-beet growing, same as blocking.
April 14, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word burrowers
Any long-eared burrowers around here?
April 14, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word anthropometry
See also http://mreed.umtri.umich.edu/mreed/downloads.html#ansur
April 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word anthropometry
The science of measuring the human body in order to ascertain the average dimensions of the human form at different ages, and in different divisions of race, class, etc.
"Matthew Reed, a researcher in anthropometry at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, flat out called ANSUR the “best-gathered anthro data in the world.” Not only was the dataset accurate and reliable, in his view, it could save lives.
Imagine body armor that doesn’t completely cover your vital organs, or is too long or too short, making it horribly uncomfortable to wear, so you take it off. Imagine if you found yourself in a nerve gas attack and your mask doesn’t fit properly because it was designed for a different kind of face. (One study found that American-made gas masks fit poorly on “Chinese” faces.)
The differences in body type according to race could be striking. Reed sent me a graphic, based on data from the 1988 iteration of ANSUR, illustrating seated height versus standing height for Caucasian and African American men. Most African Americans had a shorter seated height compared to Caucasians of the same overall stature, meaning longer leg bones and shorter torsos. Asians, meanwhile, skewed slightly in the other direction, with taller sitting heights and longer torsos than both Caucasians and African-Americans.
The army doesn’t use this information to individually fit uniforms and gear, Reed explained, but to plan and manage costs. If the army knows that 15 percent of recruits are African American, when it orders, say, 20,000 bullet-proof vests, it will ensure that 15 percent conform to what it believes is their relatively shorter proportions. “That’s really important for the army,” Reed told me. “If you do that wrong, you end up with stuff that you need to store. And you don’t have enough of what you do need.”
Reed points out that race is also important in civilian contexts. Think about your car. Reed designs crash test dummies. If a car is tested only with “Caucasian” dummies, it may not be as safe for Asians or African Americans. Why? Leg length determines how far back you sit from the steering wheel — a major impact point — and your proximity to the airbag. Seated height also affects what you can see. “We don’t want to build a crash test dummy that’s based only on white guys,” Reed said.
April 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word guerrilla knitting
yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarn storming, guerrilla knitting, kniffiti, urban knitting or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted yarn or fiber rather than paint or chalk.
April 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list australian-films
Thanks for the additions, plethora. I opened this list, btw.
April 13, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word vacuna
The goddess of rural leisure? I need some examples.
April 9, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word astragal
An astragal is commonly used as a seal between a pair of doors. The astragal closes the clearance gap. The vertical member (molding) attaches to a stile on one of a pair of doors (either sliding or swinging) against which the other door strikes, or closes. Exterior astragals are kerfed for weatherstripping. Also, flush head and foot bolt hardware is commonly mortised into the astragal to hold the inactive door in place, when both doors operate, at the top and bottom.
Also known as “meeting stile seals,” the term can refer to the raised half-round overlap where pairs of doors meet, such as is the case with French doors. An astragal is designed to be applied to one or both doors of a pair at their meeting edges (meeting stiles). The astragal closes the clearance gap for the purpose of either providing a weather seal, ensuring privacy, preventing sound from leaking in or out of a room, minimizing the passage of light between the doors, or retarding the passage of smoke or flame during a fire.
Doors are typically the weakest link in any partition that is designed to block sound. This is often due to poor sealing around the perimeter of the door. Astragals, perimeter gasketing, drop seals and door sweeps can all be used to prevent sound from leaking through cracks around the door perimeter.
In cabinet making, an astragal can mean a bar separating panes of glass, either vertically or horizontally. This use is also common with window manufacturers.
See also astragalus.
April 7, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word campaign chest
Of or designating furniture characteristically having metal strips on the corners and handles on the sides: a campaign chest.
April 6, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word missing sock monkey
Nice sweet tooth fairy, ru!
April 4, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word deodorant
"Antiperspirants use aluminum salts to block sweat glands, reducing perspiration and depriving odor-causing bacteria of the nutrients they need to survive. Deodorants use antimicrobial substances to kill off bacteria directly."
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word kourotrophos
The kourotrophos Maffei
"A marble, life-sized statue stands in the Museo Guarnacci, an image of a woman with a child and dated to the 4th century BCE. It has an inscription along the right arm. Etruscologists variously index it as CIE 76, CII 349, and ET Vt 3.3 but the general public knows it as the kourotrophos Maffei. The word kourotrophos is a Greek compound word meaning "child nurturer" or simply "nurse".
There are, as usual, wildly different accounts of what this one Etruscan inscription actually says. It's yet another insight into the madness within the field of Etruscology. It's as always unsettling to me how silent and disturbing the process of historical obfuscation is in a supposed age of information. We're drowned and hung by our own intellectual sloth."
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word thawy
Dumb word.
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word frogapplause's mandle collection
That is a sad wallpaper!!
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word necropsy
WOTD https://www.wordnik.com/word-of-the-day/2016/3/12 includes this sentence among the EXAMPLES:
"A necropsy is the term for a post-mortem examination performed on an animal or inanimate object."
How can one determine the cause of death for something never alive?
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word norman door
alexz: I've noticed the same thing. I type in the search box a capitalized word followed by a lower case word ( (ie. Norman door) and Wordnik immediately redirects me to a new page with both words in lower case. It doesn't seem to redirect when both words are capitalized after being typed into search. Example: Old Baldy.
March 30, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Ishihara test
The Ishihara test is a color perception test for red-green color deficiencies. It was named after its designer, Dr. Shinobu Ishihara, a professor at the University of Tokyo, who first published his tests in 1917.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishihara_test
March 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word voluntourist
Voluntourists come for a week or two for a “project” — a temporary medical clinic, an orphanage visit or a school construction. A few are celebrities supporting their cause du jour, who drop in to meet locals and witness a project that often bears their name. Others come to teach English during high school, college vacations or during a gap year. Others are sun-seeking vacationers who stay at beachside resorts. Many voluntourists are religious — the sort of people who cite passages from the Bible, the Torah or the Quran that encourage followers to help those in need. There are some volunteers who possess specialized, sought-after skills like ophthalmology, but most do not. Sometimes volunteers do more harm than good.
Unsatisfying as it may be, many voluntourists ought to acknowledge the truth that they, as amateurs, often don’t have much to offer. Perhaps they ought to abandon the assumption that they, simply by being privileged enough to travel the world, are somehow qualified to help ease the world’s ills. Easing global poverty is an enormously complex task. To make so much as a dent requires hard, sustained work, and expertise. Even the experts sometimes get it wrong. If smart, dedicated professionals can fail to achieve lasting progress over a period of years, how then is an untrained vacationer supposed to do so in a matter of days?
March 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word purse-pride
See also purse-proud.
March 28, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word in-group bias
The tendency for people to favor (promote, include) those who are similar to them. In the business world, this in-group bias is problematic because it reinforces stereotypes and inequality. However, while it is a common tendency, not everyone is allowed to advocate for their own group. Sometimes when women and minorities promote their own group, it garners criticism from others.
In the U.S., there is still a power and status gap between men and women and between whites and nonwhites. High-status groups, mainly white men, are given freedom to deviate from the status quo because their competence is assumed based on their membership in the high-status group. In contrast, when women and nonwhite leaders advocate for other women and nonwhites, it highlights their low-status demographics, activating the stereotype of incompetence, and leads to worse performance ratings.
--"Women and minorities are penalized for promoting diversity", Harvard Business Review, March 23, 2016.
March 27, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list eye-dialect
See also inverse eye dialect.
http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=133
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list eye-dialect
See stabboard.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the list americanism--1
Loo is not an Americanism.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word dilection
"If we love a friend without preferring her before others, the friendship is simple; if we prefer her, then this friendship is a dilection because we choose her from among many others we love, and prefer her."
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word crumb rubber
Crumb rubber is recycled rubber produced from automotive and truck scrap tires. During the recycling process, steel and tire cord (fluff) are removed, leaving tire rubber with a granular consistency.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word defensive vomiting
Vomiting serves an evolutionary purpose for humans by preventing the ingestion of something harmful, and by expelling noxious substances once ingested.
Vomiting excessive amounts of alcohol is an attempt by the body to prevent alcohol poisoning and death. Vomiting may also be caused by other drugs, such as opiates, or from toxins found in some foods and plants. Food allergies, such as lactose intolerance, can cause vomiting.
Even morning sickness, nausea and vomiting common to most pregnant women but no other mammals, has a defensive purpose. Morning sickness discourages pregnant women from eating meat and strong-tasting vegetables, which may contain toxins and microorganisms. If ingested, the fetus might be harmed. After around the 18th week, the fetus becomes less vulnerable.
The turkey vulture will vomit to dispel any disturbing animal. They can propel their vomit up to 10 feet.
The European roller, a much smaller bird found in parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, uses vomit in a different way. A baby European roller will vomit a foul-smelling orange liquid onto itself to turn away a predator. The smell also warns the parents to return to the nest.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word miryachit
See miryachit.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word Latah
See latah.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word jumping frenchmen of maine
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine syndrome must be distinguished from other conditions involving the startle reflex or tics.
Tourette syndrome is characterized by multiple physical (motor) tics, and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. There are many overlaps when compared clinically, but the abnormal "jumping" response is always provoked, unlike the involuntary tics in Tourette syndrome.
Latah from Southeast Asia is a disorder where one's startle response is similar to a state of trance with repetitive speech or movements. Miryachit is a disorder found in Siberia that also displays an action similar to "jumping". Neurasthenia is a disorder with a startle response during periods of great fatigue.
Hyperekplexia is an extremely rare autosomal dominant neurological disease. The symptoms start in infancy with hypertonia, an abnormal muscle tension that decreases flexibility, and an exaggerated startle in all ages of life.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word pink tooth of mummery
A rare lesion consisting in internal resorption of a tooth, initiated by inflammatory hyperplasia of the pulp and hemorrhage, usually not associated with caries; the condition may appear as a pinkish area on the crown and, because the lesion is caused by osteoclasts, is known as an osteoclastoma; if detected early, ‘root canal’ therapy can salvage the tooth, otherwise it requires extraction.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word minimal change disease
The cause of minimal change disease is not fully known but it is believed to be an immune disorder in which T cells release a cytokine that damages the epithelial foot processes of the glomeruli. This leads to a leakage of albumin by the kidney. Certain events such as a viral infection, an allergic reaction, a bee sting, or an immunization may trigger an attack of MCD.
Minimal change disease is the most common form of the nephrotic syndrome in children aged 2 to 12 years. It is the cause of nephrotic syndrome in about 90% of children younger than 10 years, about 50% to 70% of older children, and 10% to 15% of adults.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word post-void dribbling
Post-void dribbling or post-micturition dribbling is the phenomenon where urine remaining in the urethra after voiding the bladder slowly leaks out after urination. A common and usually benign complaint, it may be a symptom of urethral diverticula, prostatitis and other medical problems.
Men who experience dribbling, especially after prostate cancer surgery, will choose to wear incontinence pads to stay dry. Also known as guards for men, these incontinence pads conform to the male body. Simple ways to prevent dribbling include: strengthening pelvic muscles with Kegel exercises, changing position while urinating, or pressing on the perineum to evacuate the remaining urine from the urethra. Sitting down while urinating is also shown to alleviate complaints: a meta-analysis on the effects of voiding position in elderly males with benign prostate hyperplasia found an improvement of urologic parameters in this position while in healthy males no such influence was found.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word heavy chain disease
A disease characterized by an excessive production of heavy chains that are short and truncated. These heavy chain disease proteins have various deletions which interfere with heavy chains to properly bond with light chains.
Patients with Franklin disease gamma chain disease usually have a history of progressive weakness, fatigue, intermittent fever, night sweats and weight loss and may present with lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly or hepatomegaly.
Patients usually have a rapid downhill course and die of infection if left untreated or misdiagnosed.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word asterixis
See liver flap.
March 23, 2016
vendingmachine commented on the word liver flap
Asterixis (also called the flapping tremor, or liver flap) is a tremor of the hand when the wrist is extended, sometimes said to resemble a bird flapping its wings. This motor disorder is characterized by an inability to actively maintain a position, which is demonstrated by jerking movements of the outstretched hands when bent upward at the wrist. The tremor is caused by abnormal function of the diencephalic motor centers in the brain, which regulate the muscles involved in maintaining position. Asterixis is associated with various encephalopathies due especially to faulty metabolism. The term asterixis derives from the Greek a, "not" and stērixis, "fixed position"
March 23, 2016
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