Double-Tongued Dictionary http://www.doubletongued.org/ A growing lexicon of slang, jargon, and new words from the fringes of English. en Grant Barrett Copyright 2009 2009-11-08T09:28:15-05:00 40.68209-73.977835 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/how_much_underworld_slang_is_still_used_from_80_years_ago/ How much underworld slang is still used from 80 years ago? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/9CvfUTNeBI8/ Language and Languages, My Commentary Malaysia Star: Underworld lingo. The column, as always, is written for an audience that may not be perfectly fluent with English.

...

In 1931, the Los Angeles Times published a story headlined Underworld lingo. It was a lexicon of criminal cant and jargon written by Ben Kendall, a police reporter.

Kendall formerly was a police reporter in Chicago, too, where he uncovered bribes and corruption by making friends with pickpockets, safeblowers, and shoplifters. Some eight years later, Kendall would be indicted and convicted for his role in bribery related to illegal gambling in Los Angeles.

So, given his experience on both sides of the law, one can only assume that the lingo he recorded was genuine. But how much of it lasted? Seventy-eight years on, we find that some of the lingo is still in use, while some of it has vanished.

Alky is recorded by Kendall as “straight alcohol.” Most people today would use it to mean an acoholic drinker rather than the drink itself.

Angle he records as “a plan; a lead,” which is more or less how it’s used today. If someone says, “I don’t know what his angle is, but he’s up to no good,” they’d mean that the fellow seemed to be planning something suspicious.

Booster does indeed still mean a shoplifter. Boost in general means “to steal” and a booster bag is a specially designed bag that is meant to conceal stolen merchandise as it is taken out of a store.

Chiv is common still in prison lingo, though it’s usually spelled shiv. An even older form is chive, meaning a knife as far back as the 17th century. A shiv is a knife, too, but in prison slang it is especially a crude, improvised one, such as a toothbrush that has had a razor blade attached to it.

Grand still means a thousand dollars. Take still means “a share,” too, but it’s a fairly straight business term: “What’s my take on all this? If he gets 15% of the ticket money, I want 15%, too.” A pay-off is still a bribe or a payment made to someone to keep them from hurting you or your things.

Haywire, Kendall writes, is a “mental aberration.” Today we’d say that a machine went haywire more often than we would say a person went haywire. We mean the machine started malfunctioning.

Jam still means trouble or a sticky situation. “Can you help me out with the rent this month? I’m in a jam until payday.” Or, “I’m in a jam with the wife. She doesn’t know I was at the bar last night. Tell her I was at your house.”

Lug he defines as a “stupid fellow; a hanger-on,” which is close to the way we’d use it today, but not quite. We’d say a man (almost never a woman) is a big lug, which would mean that he was kind of stupid, but also clumsy or ungainly. It’s often used as an affectionate insult. “You big lug! You didn’t have to bring me flowers!” might be the kind of thing a woman would say in a fake tough voice.

Muscling in is still done pretty much as Kendall defined it: “to force one’s way in for a cut on the profits of a venture.” People still get nailed, too, meaning they get caught or arrested. And screwy still means “crazy.”

Kendall calls a wing-ding “a fit; berserk,” which is a meaning that other dictionaries show to have been more common in the past. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it more fully as “a fit or spasm, esp. as simulated by a drug addict” and in a “weakened sense, a furious outburst.”

However, only a later meaning is used today, which is “a party.” I daresay that no-one who today throws a wing-ding is faking a seizure so that they can get controlled drugs from a doctor.

Yentz hasn’t lasted. It meant “to outsmart” or “to defeat.” It was sometimes spelled yence or yince and had another crude, sexual meaning that meant “to have a non-romantic act of copulation.” Both meanings are synonymous with different meanings of screw.

Loogan (sometimes spelled loogin or lugan, according to the Historical Dictionary of American Slang) is also no longer used to mean “a minor hoodlum,” though hood, recorded by Kendall, is still used to mean “a petty gangster.”

For what it’s worth, I find loogan in Jamieson’s Scottish Dictionary of 1825 with a definition of “a rogue” and in a couple of modern amateur lists of prison slang online as meaning “mentally ill prisoner” in Ontario, Canada.

Perhaps one of the most interesting additions to Kendall’s slang list is his definition of quim as “anybody’s sweetheart.” Historically, and more often, this term has meant “the vagina.”

Even when used to mean “a woman” (a usage confined mainly to North America) it has usually been the crudest of terms meant to refer to the woman as chattel (a personal possession) or as nothing more than the target of sexual acts. It objectifies her as being no better than what her sexual organs are good for.

It’s possible that Kendall only knew the term in a purer, more innocent form. But I imagine, especially given his connection with the rougher corners of the underworld, that he knew very well about its less polite meaning. He would have had a laugh at getting such a coarse word printed in a daily newspaper in a time when even hell and damn might not have been allowed. — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-28T03:46:39+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/how_much_underworld_slang_is_still_used_from_80_years_ago/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/remembering_william_safire/ Remembering William Safire http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/N4EcP2lS0A8/ Personal, Language and Languages, My Commentary, Dictionaries and Lexicography
He was unstinting with his help in matters that were important to me. He gave generous public praise to my radio show, A Way with Words. He supported the Historical Dictionary of American Slang when it applied for funding during my editorship, by writing letters of support that shone with erudition and respect. He gave my book, the Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang, a much kinder review than it deserved. He gave a cover blurb for my Official Dictionary of Unofficial English. He mentioned Wordnik, my latest project, in his column, generating interest from many thousands. He consented to a long interview about his political dictionary.

Perhaps most importantly, he gave me credit as often as possible in his column for helping him with his research, which allowed my own star to rise in the "language dodge," which is what he called this maven-rich, grammarizing, languagey niche we both inhabited. He did this for lots of people and he did it unbegrudgingly.

Thanks, Bill. You were kind. — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-09-27T18:43:49+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/remembering_william_safire/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/the_elephant_in_the_language/ The elephant in the language http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/_iI8tz2wcVw/ Personal, Language and Languages, My Commentary
One of the joys of my work as a dictionary editor is finding arbitrary but interesting connections among words, such as those colloquial expressions in English that have to do with elephants.

One elephant you might encounter in English is a white elephant. This is something like a building or a piece of furniture that is big, costly, and seemingly impossible to sell or give away. It can also be a programme or organisation that is a sinkhole for money, meaning that it is expensive and produces little of value. It continues to exist because it is in the favour of some person in power, or else because of inertia.

Related to this is a white elephant sale, which is the kind of event at which you are apt to find things for sale which are perfectly fine – working, clean, and otherwise OK – but yet which are unwanted. Eight-track tape players, maybe. Or a hand-cranked washing machine. Clothing that was fashionable 30 years ago and has yet to come back into style. Art made by the artless and given as gifts to the thankless – or once bought by the tasteless.

Pink elephants are a joking way to describe the hallucinations – strange, imaginary visions and thoughts – you might see if you are excessively drunk or under the influence of drugs. A pink elephant is also used to mean something extraordinary.

Pink elephant is also often used when talking about how hard it is to not think of something once it’s been mentioned. If I tell you: “Don’t think of pink elephants,” what are you going to do? You’re going to think about pink elephants.

The approximate opposite of a pink elephant is the elephant in the room or elephant in the living room. “They ignored the elephant in the room: their daughter still would not speak to them until they agreed to let her go to the beach with her friends.”

This sort of elephant is so big you can’t miss it. Everyone knows it’s there, but nobody mentions it, usually because there seems to be no happy solution to whatever problem that elephant represents.

Elephants are often used metaphorically because of their size. In gold mining and the petroleum business, a piece of land with very large deposits might be called an elephant. Similarly, jumbo, meaning very big, is connected in history to a famous elephant who was considered to be a very large specimen. Since the 1860s, the term has been used for anything that is larger than ordinary.

Indirectly, dumbo, meaning a dumb person, is an elephant-ish term, as it was popularised by the elephant who flew with his ears in the 1941 Disney movie Dumbo. It is probably a play off of jumbo.

One outdated expression that is now little used except by writers who are looking for a bit of historical colour – meaning you’ll probably never hear this expression from the mouth of your average English speaker – is to see the elephant.

This means to become experienced, or to have passed through life or some event (or series of events) and come out on the other side wiser, or to just plain see, hear, feel, and experience everything that an occasion, or life itself, can provide. You might say of a soldier: “You could tell when a soldier had seen the elephant. He had a thousand-yard stare, he could fall asleep at a moment’s notice, and his commanding officer listened to his opinions.”

(A thousand-yard stare is a sharp, unblinking gaze that appears to see nothing at all but at the same time seems to look through you and into your soul.)

By the way, to see the light or to have a come-to-Jesus moment are similar to see the elephant. To see the light means to finally come around to someone else’s point of view. A come-to-Jesus moment is a revelation or sudden overturning of previous attitudes or beliefs. Both of these are still common.

A rare bit of old-fashioned jargon that I picked up from my research is the expression the elephant walks, meaning, “it’s payday”. I found it in a collection of jargon from elevator constructors in the 1930s. I like the expression and use it, but the elephant in my room is that when I do, nobody knows what I’m talking about.

Grant Barrett is editorial director of Wordnik, http://www.wordnik.com, a new online dictionary that aims to collect every word in English. — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-08-12T23:18:33+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/grantbarrett/the_elephant_in_the_language/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/simming_1/ simming http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/Mee9jaNKJME/ It took a room full of networked computers called a “render farm” to do in about 14 months what would have taken a single machine 16 years: churn out digital scenes precisely modeled after real life, Mr. Weigert and Mr. Engel said. Artists positioned the sun in the virtual sky, and dictated how every surface—metal, glass, wood or stone—would reflect rays and cast shadows. Teams installed virtual hinges in lampposts and etched thousands of fault lines into skyscrapers and houses so when simulated tremors or winds or waves were applied, a process called “simming,” they’d crumble or buckle in natural-looking ways.. Full bibliographic information... English, Entertainment, Movies, Technology simming  n.—Gloss: From "simulating." «It took a room full of networked computers called a “render farm” to do in about 14 months what would have taken a single machine 16 years: churn out digital scenes precisely modeled after real life, Mr. Weigert and Mr. Engel said. Artists positioned the sun in the virtual sky, and dictated how every surface—metal, glass, wood or stone—would reflect rays and cast shadows. Teams installed virtual hinges in lampposts and etched thousands of fault lines into skyscrapers and houses so when simulated tremors or winds or waves were applied, a process called “simming,” they’d crumble or buckle in natural-looking ways.» —“Destroying the Earth, Over and Over Again” by Tyler Gray New York Times Nov. 8, 2009. Categories: , , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-11-08T13:28:15+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/simming_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/nimbleton_1/ nimbleton http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/4CNyeYPV20k/ So let’s raise a glass to big funds with a toast of sincere best wishes for their success . . . of course, I’ll be explicit about my ulterior motive: keeping the small fund space the preserve of the nimbletons. If big players continue to focus on big funds, it’ll be more beer for us.. Full bibliographic information... English, Business, New or Nonce nimbleton  n.— «So let’s raise a glass to big funds with a toast of sincere best wishes for their success . . . of course, I’ll be explicit about my ulterior motive: keeping the small fund space the preserve of the nimbletons. If big players continue to focus on big funds, it’ll be more beer for us.» —“The Suburban in the Garage, Or Big Investors and Their Funds” by Chris Douvos Super LP Nov. 4, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-11-06T15:08:55+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/nimbleton_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/kitchen_1/ kitchen http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/24LTvzDvq0c/ Lobsters like the shelter of rocks and prefer cold water to warm. They move around a lot and find their food by smell—that’s what the antennas are for—and not by sight. But the whole notion of trapping them may be a misconception. There is some evidence to suggest that the traditional lobster pot, with its two “rooms”—the kitchen and the parlor, as they’re known—and funnel-shaped nets, is not as confining as fishermen think, and that the bugs come and go more or less as they please.. Full bibliographic information... English, Animals, Insects, & Birds, Slang kitchen  n.— «Lobsters like the shelter of rocks and prefer cold water to warm. They move around a lot and find their food by smell—that’s what the antennas are for—and not by sight. But the whole notion of trapping them may be a misconception. There is some evidence to suggest that the traditional lobster pot, with its two “rooms”—the kitchen and the parlor, as they’re known—and funnel-shaped nets, is not as confining as fishermen think, and that the bugs come and go more or less as they please.» —“Lobsters That Got Away, and Those That Didn’t ” by Charles McGrath in Westport, Massachusetts New York Times Nov. 6, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-11-06T15:03:53+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/kitchen_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/skuke_1/ skuke http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/JhS5jgMhvL8/ In this little town on the south coast, people like me — summer folk — are known as skukes. I’ve never met anyone who knows the real derivation of the term, but it’s not a compliment. Skukes are annoying because they drive up the price of real estate and because they do for fun what year-rounders do for a living. Take lobstering, for example. Most of the summer there was a local man at the town dock selling lobsters for a very reasonable $4.99 a pound. Skukishly, I thought I would be more enterprising and try to catch my own. My goal was by the end of the summer to hear my family complain: “What? Lobster again?”. Full bibliographic information... English, Colloquial skuke  n.— «In this little town on the south coast, people like me — summer folk — are known as skukes. I’ve never met anyone who knows the real derivation of the term, but it’s not a compliment. Skukes are annoying because they drive up the price of real estate and because they do for fun what year-rounders do for a living. Take lobstering, for example. Most of the summer there was a local man at the town dock selling lobsters for a very reasonable $4.99 a pound. Skukishly, I thought I would be more enterprising and try to catch my own. My goal was by the end of the summer to hear my family complain: “What? Lobster again?”» —“Lobsters That Got Away, and Those That Didn’t ” by Charles McGrath in Westport, Massachusetts New York Times Nov. 6, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-11-06T15:03:38+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/skuke_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/parlor_1/ parlor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/8HdXyBkdGJ0/ Lobsters like the shelter of rocks and prefer cold water to warm. They move around a lot and find their food by smell—that’s what the antennas are for—and not by sight. But the whole notion of trapping them may be a misconception. There is some evidence to suggest that the traditional lobster pot, with its two “rooms”—the kitchen and the parlor, as they’re known—and funnel-shaped nets, is not as confining as fishermen think, and that the bugs come and go more or less as they please.. Full bibliographic information... English, Animals, Insects, & Birds, Slang parlor  n.— «Lobsters like the shelter of rocks and prefer cold water to warm. They move around a lot and find their food by smell—that’s what the antennas are for—and not by sight. But the whole notion of trapping them may be a misconception. There is some evidence to suggest that the traditional lobster pot, with its two “rooms”—the kitchen and the parlor, as they’re known—and funnel-shaped nets, is not as confining as fishermen think, and that the bugs come and go more or less as they please.» —“Lobsters That Got Away, and Those That Didn’t ” by Charles McGrath in Westport, Massachusetts New York Times Nov. 6, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-11-06T15:03:01+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/parlor_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/broccoli_journalism_1/ broccoli journalism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/ZSA3o1dVCqE/ Collective responsibility. Socialized journalism. This is the ultimate in broccoli journalism: You are not only forced to read what journalists say is good for you but you are now forced to pay for it through taxation.. Full bibliographic information... English, Media, New or Nonce broccoli journalism  n.— «Collective responsibility. Socialized journalism. This is the ultimate in broccoli journalism: You are not only forced to read what journalists say is good for you but you are now forced to pay for it through taxation.» —“Giving up on the news business” by Jeff Jarvis BuzzMachine Oct. 19, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-19T15:59:21+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/broccoli_journalism_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/strap_hanging_1/ strap hanging http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/iaR7um0lw6k/ Usually the truck drivers wait at the opening of the valley for a U.S. Army patrol to pass and then they follow it, a practice soldiers have dubbed “strap hanging.” Lining the sides of the road are the remains of scorched trucks belonging to drivers too impatient to wait for an informal escort.. Full bibliographic information... English, Automobiles & Transportation, Military, Slang strap hanging  n.— «Usually the truck drivers wait at the opening of the valley for a U.S. Army patrol to pass and then they follow it, a practice soldiers have dubbed “strap hanging.” Lining the sides of the road are the remains of scorched trucks belonging to drivers too impatient to wait for an informal escort.» —“‘They Feel Like Outsiders and They Don’t Want to Be’” by Greg Jaffe Washington Post Oct. 6, 2009. Categories: , , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-08T20:06:23+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/strap_hanging_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/parclo_1/ parclo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/ziKQXAYjn8E/ The Ontario Ministry of Transportation designed a modification to the original cloverleaf to address its shortcomings for the 400-series highways. The redesign creates more room for acceleration and deceleration and avoids the notoriously dangerous weaving lane. The Parclo has been embraced throughout the world as one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs.. Full bibliographic information... English, Automobiles & Transportation parclo  n.—Gloss: Partial cloverleaf exchange. «The Ontario Ministry of Transportation designed a modification to the original cloverleaf to address its shortcomings for the 400-series highways. The redesign creates more room for acceleration and deceleration and avoids the notoriously dangerous weaving lane. The Parclo has been embraced throughout the world as one of the most popular freeway-to-arterial interchange designs.» —“ Partial Cloverleaf Interchange (Parclo)” The Canadian Design Resource Sept. 24, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-08T16:03:07+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/parclo_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/dipper_11/ Dipper http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/NmkUM1mBsYA/ My exquisite pleasure as a Liberal party man who barely knew a Tory or “Dipper” (as we called NDPers) was to work with people from organized labour, Liberals, Conservatives, ad people and NDPers all in a glorious coalition united in our desire to sweep city hall clean of the remnants of the Mel Lastman regime and restore pride to our city.. Full bibliographic information... English, Canada, Politics, Slang Dipper  n.— «My exquisite pleasure as a Liberal party man who barely knew a Tory or “Dipper” (as we called NDPers) was to work with people from organized labour, Liberals, Conservatives, ad people and NDPers all in a glorious coalition united in our desire to sweep city hall clean of the remnants of the Mel Lastman regime and restore pride to our city.» —“An honourable politician” by Patrick Gossage The Star (Toronto, Canada) Sept. 29, 2009. Categories: , , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-08T15:54:21+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/dipper_11/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/jeggings_11/ jeggings http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/_Uxd8jvdHPk/ “What’s so great this year,” she says, “is that they’re making jeans that are great for boots.” They’re slim, soft, light and tight, fitting almost like leggings. In fact, At the store they like to call them “jeggings.”. Full bibliographic information... English, Apparel, Appearance, & Fashion jeggings  n.— «“What’s so great this year,” she says, “is that they’re making jeans that are great for boots.” They’re slim, soft, light and tight, fitting almost like leggings. In fact, At the store they like to call them “jeggings.”» —“Just a bit of edge” by Jill Rosen Baltimore Sun (Maryland) Sept. 4, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-06T02:14:45+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/jeggings_11/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/dittoism_1/ dittoism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/ZGD6vHFBnQE/ There is a tendency in favour of what is called “dittoism,” i.e., everyone thinking the same thought without a healthy tendency to break the uniformity of thought.. Full bibliographic information... English dittoism  n.— «There is a tendency in favour of what is called “dittoism,” i.e., everyone thinking the same thought without a healthy tendency to break the uniformity of thought.» —“EDITORIAL: NWFP’s security is Pakistan’s security” Daily Times (Lahore, Pakistan) Sept. 6, 2009. Categories: — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-06T02:13:29+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/dittoism_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/crop_13/ crop http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/n8kgzue2sMA/ On Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, the business is hosting a “crop,” or scrapbooking event, at Calvary Baptist.. Full bibliographic information... English, Pastimes & Hobbies, Slang crop  n.— «On Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, the business is hosting a “crop,” or scrapbooking event, at Calvary Baptist.» —“Scrapbooking helps make wishes come true” by Ashley Cook Lufkin Daily News (Texas) Sept. 25, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:21:07+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/crop_13/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/sliming_11/ sliming http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/P6xIwJx6UDQ/ Under Field’s supervision, FGS agents allegedly used a deceptive practice known as “sliming” to sell Coastal auto policies. They would alter the accident records of questionable drivers and falsify information about car values and commute mileage so applicants could qualify for insurance.. Full bibliographic information... English sliming  n.— «Under Field’s supervision, FGS agents allegedly used a deceptive practice known as “sliming” to sell Coastal auto policies. They would alter the accident records of questionable drivers and falsify information about car values and commute mileage so applicants could qualify for insurance.» —“Former insurance industry ‘bad actor’ again accused of fraud” by Ronald Campbell Orange County Register (California) Aug. 23, 2009. Categories: — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:19:41+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/sliming_11/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/protestival_1/ protestival http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/CrWQs9rbeo4/ Somewhere around 300,000 people converged on the Seattle waterfront Saturday and Sunday to attend the 19th annual Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest marijuana “protestival,” as organizers like to call it. While organizers and drug reform advocates were out in force to encourage attendees to get involved in changing the marijuana laws, for most of the crowd, Hempfest was one big pot party.. Full bibliographic information... English protestival  n.— «Somewhere around 300,000 people converged on the Seattle waterfront Saturday and Sunday to attend the 19th annual Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest marijuana “protestival,” as organizers like to call it. While organizers and drug reform advocates were out in force to encourage attendees to get involved in changing the marijuana laws, for most of the crowd, Hempfest was one big pot party.» —“Seattle Hempfest Bigger Than Ever in 2009, But Gaining Critics” Drug War Chronicle Aug. 21, 2009. Categories: — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:17:03+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/protestival_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/excessing_1/ excessing http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/uV74-PkUhMo/ At the end of the school year, a committee led by one of Warley’s alleged protégés met to discuss moving some of its employees to other schools—a process called “excessing’ —because J.O. Wilson was over its budget.. Full bibliographic information... English, Education, Jargon excessing  n.— «At the end of the school year, a committee led by one of Warley’s alleged protégés met to discuss moving some of its employees to other schools—a process called “excessing’ —because J.O. Wilson was over its budget.» —“High Court Ruling on Age Discrimination Decides Juror Rights Case” Blog of Legal Times Aug. 21, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:14:23+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/excessing_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/pencil_top_1/ pencil top http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/QlZFuqRt3Jo/ Most commercial companies over-prune palms leaving fronds with a V-shape referred to as a “hurricane cut.” Constant removal of these leaves will result in a condition referred to as “pencil top” (trunk narrows just below fronds) which makes the trunk area very weak during storms. In addition, the leaves around the center help protect the bud during high winds.. Full bibliographic information... English, Plant-life pencil top  n.— «Most commercial companies over-prune palms leaving fronds with a V-shape referred to as a “hurricane cut.” Constant removal of these leaves will result in a condition referred to as “pencil top” (trunk narrows just below fronds) which makes the trunk area very weak during storms. In addition, the leaves around the center help protect the bud during high winds.» —“Garden Help: Tips for storm-proofing your yard” by Terry Brite Delvalle Jacksonville.com (Florida) Aug. 21, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:12:51+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/pencil_top_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/trophy_jacket_1/ trophy jacket http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/klpcHtHV14U/ Embellished, beaded, military or brocade—trophy jackets are spring/summer 2009’s mush have fashion piece.. Full bibliographic information... English, Apparel, Appearance, & Fashion trophy jacket  n.— «Embellished, beaded, military or brocade—trophy jackets are spring/summer 2009’s mush have fashion piece.» —“Trophy Jackets” Vogue.com Spring/Summer, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:08:40+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/trophy_jacket_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/ball_golf_1/ ball golf http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/o5c9ILBZDM0/ Wheeler, who also plays traditional golf or “ball golf” as he calls it, said disc golf is just as challenging as regular golf but takes less time.. Full bibliographic information... English, Sports & Recreation ball golf  n.—Gloss: A retronym for traditional golf. «Wheeler, who also plays traditional golf or “ball golf” as he calls it, said disc golf is just as challenging as regular golf but takes less time.» —“Romans preparing for state disc golf competition” by Kaitlin Beard Rome News-Tribune (Georgia) Aug. 21, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:04:42+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/ball_golf_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/scottish_cringe_1/ Scottish cringe http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/zG2t1bEwF7k/ Over the past week, as it became clear a decision on Megrahi’s future was imminent, many Scottish pundits and opposition politicians were consumed by what is called the Scottish cringe—the idea that some decisions are just too big for bonny wee Scotland and that Scots will inevitably make a mess of them. The handling of the affair has variously been described as a shambles, a mess and an embarrassment with accusations of spin and even deception, courtesy of the Liberal Democrats, chucked in for good measure.. Full bibliographic information... English, Scotland Scottish cringe  n.— «Over the past week, as it became clear a decision on Megrahi’s future was imminent, many Scottish pundits and opposition politicians were consumed by what is called the Scottish cringe—the idea that some decisions are just too big for bonny wee Scotland and that Scots will inevitably make a mess of them. The handling of the affair has variously been described as a shambles, a mess and an embarrassment with accusations of spin and even deception, courtesy of the Liberal Democrats, chucked in for good measure.» —“ The Scottish cringe factor” by Ewan Crawford Guardian (United Kingdom) Aug. 20, 2009. Categories: , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-10-03T23:03:10+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/scottish_cringe_1/ http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/bagel_11/ bagel http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DoubleTonguedWordWresterDictionary/~3/BVeLzQPn4sk/ As usual after a defeat, Venus was tight-lipped, offering platitudes but no explanation as to what happened, especially in the first set when, as they say in tennis, she got bageled.. Full bibliographic information... English, Sports & Recreation, Slang bagel  v.—Gloss: To score no points. Note: The noun "bagel" has long been used in tennis and other sports to mean "zero." «As usual after a defeat, Venus was tight-lipped, offering platitudes but no explanation as to what happened, especially in the first set when, as they say in tennis, she got bageled.» —“Clijsters looks refreshed while hobbled Venus might be nearing end” by Art Spander in New York City CBSSports.com Sept. 6, 2009. Categories: , , — New! 1.7 million words and counting: Wordnik, the new dictionary that has more words and more about them!


]]> 2009-09-30T18:43:23+00:00 http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/citations/bagel_11/