absque hoc

Learned borrowing from Latin absque hoc (literally “without this”).

learned borrowing

(law) The technical words of denial used in denying what has been alleged.


your mileage may vary

The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires all new vehicles to undergo a set of standard emissions tests which simulate city and highway driving. Part of the test measures estimated city and highway gas (petrol) mileage estimates. Since no test can exactly simulate all driving habits and conditions, the actual gas mileage of each vehicle will vary. As a result, when these estimated mileage claims from automobile manufacturers appear in advertisements, they are almost always accompanied with the standard disclaimer “your mileage may vary”.

The battery lasts a day in my phone, but your mileage may vary.

When that definition is executed, the metadata for the temporary table is put into your schema (most likely—your mileage may vary), but no space is allocated to hold data.

1993, Jim Melton, Alan R. Simon, “Basic Data Definition Language (DDL)”, in Understanding the New SQL: A Complete Guide, San Francisco, Calif.: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, →ISBN, section 4.3.4 (Temporary Tables), page 74:

In other words, your mileage may vary and my disk-size figures are just estimates provided for your convenience.

1994, Bob LeVitus, Macintosh System 7.5 for Dummies (For Dummies), San Mateo, Calif.: IDG Books, →ISBN, page 328:

We pause here to emphasize that with animals, there are no absolutes. […] We like to say that with any given wolf or dog, "your mileage may vary."

2012, Jessica Addams, Andrew Miller, “Modern Wolf Mythology: The Things that ‘Everyone Knows’”, in Between Dog and Wolf: Understanding the Connection and the Confusion, Wenatchee, Wash.: Dogwise Publishing, →ISBN:

Mallory Ortberg: […] The advice game is the ultimate your-mileage-may-vary exercise—do you have a feeling for when someone is looking for (or needs) a gentle smack to return them to their senses, a bit of empathy, a dose of humor? It’s a tricky balance, I think, between writing something entertaining for your many readers and trying to be genuinely helpful to the original writer.

2015 November 12, Daniel Mallory Ortberg, Emily Yoffe, “Dear Prudie, from Prudie: Emily Yoffe’s advice to her successor, Mallory Ortberg”, in Slate, archived from the original on 2018-02-07:

(Canada, US, idiomatic, often computing) It may work differently in your situation, or be different in your experience.

možná to máte jinak

it may work differently in your situation

ez mindenkinél másként/máshogy/máshogyan van/működik (persze)

э́то мо́жет срабо́тать у тебя́ по-друго́му

I think that red dress looks really good on you, but your mileage may vary, of course.

Your mileage may vary when it comes to the over-the-top carnage and in-your-face machismo, but it’s impressive just how bonkers Fate [The Fate of the Furious] is, like a litter of kittens hopped up on grade-A catnip.

2017 April 12, Brian Truitt, “Review: ‘Fate’ is furious enough to excite the faithful”, in USA Today, archived from the original on 2018-09-06:

The privatization of luxury space in planes, trains and automobiles have certainly enhanced our ability to keep to ourselves on the road (see the rise of personal pods at airports for a recent example of the lengths people will go to for solitude). And as those spaces get increasingly automated, human interaction is becoming increasingly limited (although your mileage may vary as to how much you really enjoy that interaction with customs or gate agents).

2018 August 31, Leslie Wu, “Mobile Hotel Rooms are the New Home away from Home”, in Forbes, archived from the original on 2018-09-01:

(Canada, US, idiomatic) Used to express a possible difference in taste: this is just my opinion, your opinion may be different.

és només la meva opinió

this is just my opinion — see also there's no accounting for taste

des goûts et des couleurs, on ne discute pas


ttyl

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of TTYL.


RTFM

(Internet slang, vulgar) Initialism of read the fucking manual.

(Internet slang, Unix, vulgar) Initialism of read the fucking man page.


RTFM

Initialism of regarde ton foutu manuel. (look at your fucking manual)


noli illegitimi carborundum

Humorous pseudo-Latinism, from noli (“do not permit”) [singular] and illegitimi (“bastards”) [in the wrong grammatical case] and from the Latinate brand name Carborundum for a silicon carbide abrasive.
The phrase is similar to the real Latin phrase nil desperandum (“do not despair”, literally “nothing to be despaired of”), which would be known to many English speakers. The -rundum ending of carborundum recalls the word desperandum, although such a gerundive suffix makes no sense for this phrase.
This form of the saying was popularized in English by the US general "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell during World War II, reputed to have been taught it by British army intelligence. It later became the motto for the 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, who displayed it as a sign in his senatorial office. The plural form nolite te bastardes carborundum was popularized by Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale and its subsequent TV adaptation.

(humorous) Don't let the bastards grind you down


AD

First part short for anno from Latin annō, ablative of annus (“year; time”), from Proto-Italic *atnos (“year”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, from *h₂et- (“to go”).
Last part short for Domini from Latin Dominī, genitive singular of Dominus (“The Lord”), of dominus (“lord, master of a house”), from Proto-Italic *domanos, from Proto-Indo-European *domh₂nos (“subduing”), from *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”).

[AD] kan også bety noe annet enn Angel Devious, det kan bety Anno Domini

[AD] can also mean something other than Angel Devious, it can mean Anno Domini

anno Domini
anno Domini#Norwegian_Bokmål

Initialism of anno Domini (“Anno Domini”).


ik

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of IK.


NATO

From no+action+talk+only, from talking without acting.

turn it off then. don't nato......pressure your government to do that.:)

1998 May 30, Kicker, “First on Everest are not Singaporeans - Sure or not?”, in soc.culture.malaysia (Usenet):

haiya...i think, hah....our GOV also nowadays becoming NATO! (NATO = No Action Talk Only...!!!)

2003 January 24, ALIEN, “Spying activities at Pedra Branca”, in soc.culture.malaysia (Usenet):

(slang, chiefly Malaysia and Singapore) Acronym of No Action Talk Only.


I love you

"I love you, Mom," said Candace.

An affirmation of affection or deep caring, especially to a family member.

አፈቅርሻለሁ

ʾäfäḳrəšalähu

አፈቅርሀለሁ

ʾäfäḳrəhälähu

我疼汝

goá thiàⁿ lí / góa thiàⁿ lír / góa thiàⁿ lú / óa thiàⁿ lí / óa thiàⁿ lír

دورت بگردم (doret begardam, literally “I'll circumambulate you”)

(pronoun for speaker) + thương + (pronoun for listener)

"I love you, Camille," said Dan.

An affirmation of romantic feeling to a lover or spouse.

我爱汝

góa ài lí / góa ài lír / góa ài lú / óa ài lí / óa ài lír

гымнан гыт ы’ԓгу тыԓгыркынигыт

ɣəmnan ɣət əʔɬɣu təɬɣərkəniɣət

гымнан гыччи ылӈу тыкулӈыги

ɣəmnan ɣəčči əlŋu təkulŋəɣi

(pronoun for speaker) + yêu + (pronoun for listener)

em yêu anh

wife to husband, girlfriend to boyfriend

anh yêu em

husband to wife, boyfriend to girlfriend

I love you, man, but you need some professional help.

A platonic expression of strong inclination or liking to a friend.

të kam xhan

platonic expression of inclination or liking


lekker belangrijk

(Netherlands) literally: nicely important (ironical), hence: not interesting or not important


WYSIWYG

Coined by computer typesetter John W. Seybold and popularized at Xerox PARC during the late 1970s.

coin

what you see is what you get
what you see is what you get#English

Acronym of what you see is what you get.


QED

[A]fter the ſame manner S and U are proved to be equal, therefore the ſquare of CB is equal to the ſquare of the 2 other ſides QED.

1684 August 30, Mr. Ash, “A New and Easy Way of Demonstrating Some Propositions in Euclid”, in Philosophical Transactions: Giving Some Accompt of the Present Undertakings, Studies and Labours of the Ingenious in Many Considerable Parts of the World, volume XIV, number 162, London: Printed by T. R. for John Martyn, printer to the Royal Society; […] , →OCLC, page 674:

quod erat demonstrandum
quod erat demonstrandum#English

Alternative form of Q.E.D.; Initialism of quod erat demonstrandum.


QED

desc

English: QED (“quod erat demonstrandum”)

quod erat demonstrandum
quod erat demonstrandum#Latin

QED (“quod erat demonstrandum”) Initialism of quod erat demonstrandum.


DNA

An initialism of the various terms listed below. The verb sense is derived from noun sense 7.

Did not arrive (used when someone fails to keep an appointment).

(US, military) Do not arm (that is, do not provide with a firearm).


uit de kluiten gewassen

Literally, “grown out of the clods”. Earliest known Dutch usage in the beginning of the 18th century in Derde Meydag of Verhuystijd (1708) by S.v. Rijndorp (En 't is een keerel uyt den kluyten, Die als een kaatsbal op kan stuyten). The phrase was originally used to describe a tree or plant that had grown exceptionally big, and was later used for people as well.

een uit de kluiten gewassen kerel: a strapping lad


head

iemand met een kluitje in het riet sturen

/ˈimɑnt mɛt eːn klœytʲə ɪn hɛt rit ˈstʏrə(n)/

send someone off empty-handed or none the wiser


SC

(chiefly money) Initialism of Senatus consulto, with the consultation of the Senate, by order of the Senate.


AC

Initialism of all clear (as in button on electronic calculator).

(medicine) Initialism of ante cibum (before meals).

(law) Initialism of as charged, as in: guilty as charged, usually a/c.


PA

an interest rate of 3% PA


SK

When either of the two people is ready to end the conversation, this is done by typing at the end of a sentence—“SK OR GA” (stop key or go ahead).

[1974 December, Leo Dicker, “Suggested Procedures for Using Telecommunication Devices”, in Jess M. Smith, editor, The Deaf American, volume 27, number 4, page 9:

GA OR SK "go ahead or stop keying"

[2002, “Calling & Answering”, in Using Your Superprint PRO80 LVD, 1st edition, Ultratec, page 20:

(TDD) Initialism of stop keying/stop key, indicating a desire to end the conversation.


MC

(text messaging) Initialism of Merry Christmas.


locus delicti

[ˈɫ̪ɔkʊs̠ d̪eːˈlʲɪkt̪iː]

The place where a crime was committed; the crime scene.


morituri te salutant

[mɔrɪˈt̪uːriː t̪eː s̠äˈɫ̪uːt̪än̪t̪]

Those who are about to die salute you! (Greeting from the gladiators to the Roman emperor).


vox faucibus haesit

[u̯oːks̠ ˈfäu̯kɪbʊs̠ ˈhäe̯s̠ɪt̪]

(idiomatic) speechless; so astonished as to be unable to speak


vox et praeterea nihil

[u̯oːks̠ ɛt̪ präe̯ˈt̪ɛreäː ˈni(ɦ)ɪɫ̪]

nonsense, claptrap; sounds without sense


vox clamantis in deserto

[u̯oːks̠ kɫ̪äːˈmän̪t̪ɪs̠ ɪn d̪eːˈs̠ɛrt̪oː]

From Mark 1:3 and Isaiah 40:3 in the Vulgate; literally, “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness”.

voice in the wilderness
voice in the wilderness

voice in the wilderness; a prophet who is not listened to


MB

mi [fartas] bone
mi fartas bone#Esperanto

(text messaging) Abbreviation of mi [fartas] bone (“I am well”).


NB

NB: Do not write below this line.

Initialism of nota bene; used in written English to introduce something to be noted.


who knows

誰知道？

rhetorical question: anything is possible

It could be one or the other, or both. Who knows?

Do you think I'll get married before I turn 30? – Who knows, you might never marry.

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

A rhetorical question asked to show that the person asking it neither knows the answer nor knows who might.

Who knows? Maybe someday he'll finish writing his book and make lots of money selling it.

Since she hasn't studied at all I don't think she'll pass the test, but who knows?

Don't touch that – who knows where it's been?

A rhetorical question asked to express the idea that anything is possible or that anything could happen.


beatae memoriae

beātae memoriae (feminine genitive or dative)

[beˈäːt̪äe̯ mɛˈmɔriäe̯]


civis romanus sum

[ˈkiːu̯ɪs̠ roːˈmäːnʊs̠ s̠ʊ̃ˑ]

Said by Cicero. From cīvis (“a citizen”) + rōmānus (“Roman”) + sum (“I am”).


semel pro semper

[ˈs̠ɛmɛɫ̪ proː ˈs̠ɛmpɛr]

From semel (“once”) + prō (“for”) + semper (“always”).


pollice verso

[ˈpɔlːʲɪkɛ ˈu̯ɛrs̠oː]

with the thumb turned (how spectators indicated favor or displeasure at gladiatorial games).


mos pro lege

[moːs̠ proː ˈɫ̪eːɡɛ]

From mōs (“custom, habit”) + the preposition prō (“for”) + lēge, the ablative of lēx (“law”). Meaning "custom for law".

custom for law; meaning that the usage that is customary has the force of being a law


maximus in minimis

The greatest in the least, meaning "the very greatest in trifling things".


carpere et colligere

[ˈkärpɛrɛ ɛt̪ kɔlˈlʲɪɡɛrɛ]

to reap and collect; to pluck and gather


locos y niños dicen la verdad

out of the mouths of babes
out of the mouths of babes

(idiomatic) Crazy people and children tell the truth, meaning they have no inhibition to express how they see things. Compare both in vino veritas and out of the mouths of babes.


se habla español

"we speak Spanish". More precisely, "Spanish is spoken (here)."


carpe diem

[ˈkärpɛ ˈd̪iɛ̃ˑ]

From the end of the poem Odes I.11 by Horace, ancient Roman poet.
:Sapiās, vīna liquēs, et spatio brevī
:spem longam resecēs. Dum loquimur, fūgerit invidā
:aetās. Carpe diem quam minimum crēdula posterō.
:Be wise, make wine, and in a short time,
:lose any great hope. As we speak, time is cruelly slipping away.
:Enjoy the day, believing the least in the future.

carpe diem, enjoy the day; (common mistranslation) seize the day


dicho y hecho

no sooner said than done
no sooner said than done


mea culpa

[ˈmeäː ˈkʊɫ̪päː]

, Text of the Tridentine Mass

I confess to the Almighty God, to the blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly, in thought, word, and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.

Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatæ Mariæ semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Ioanni Baptistæ, sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo, omnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres: quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.


mea culpa

Unadapted borrowing from Latin meā culpā.


UTC

(travel, GDS) Initialism of unable to contact.


circulus in probando

[ˈkɪrkʊɫ̪ʊs̠ ɪn prɔˈbän̪d̪oː]

proving in circles, using a conclusion as the premise in an argument, thus going around the proof (See: circulus vitiosus)


buscar pelos en la sopa

Literally, “to search for hair in the soup”.

lit

¿Por qué buscabas pelos en la sopa?

Why did you always look for excuses to complain?

Siempre buscas pelos en la sopa.

You always look for excuses to complain.

(idiomatic) to look for excuses to complain


al fin y al cabo

when all is said and done
when all is said and done

at the end of the day
at the end of the day


ad hoc

to this end, for this, to this point, to this.


nose

(text messaging) Short for no sé (“IDK”).


et cetera

→ Tagalog: etsetera

/ˌɛt ˈsɛt(ə)ɹə/

/ˌɛkˈsɛt(ə)ɹə/

From Middle English et cetera, from Latin et cētera (“and the other things; and the rest of the things”).

der

(uncommon) The full form of etc.: and so forth, and the rest.


et cetera

desctree

→ Middle English: et cetera, etc., & cetera, &c
English: et cetera, etc.
→ Tagalog: etsetera

[ɛt̪ ˈkeːt̪ɛrä]

[ɛt̪ ˈt͡ʃɛːt̪erä]

et cetera, and the rest, and so on: used to note that the rest of a list or piece of information continues in a similar or already-known fashion.


et cetera

English: et cetera, etc.
→ Tagalog: etsetera


et cetera

/ˈɛt ˈsɛ.tɨ.ɾɐ/


irritabis crabrones

[ɪrːiːˈt̪äːbɪs̠ kräːˈbroːneːs̠]

You'll stir up the hornets! (a phrase by Plautus)


ite missa est

desc

Ecclesiastical Latin: missa (“mass”), missāle (“missal”)

[ˈiːt̪ɛ ˈmɪs̠ːä ɛs̠t̪]

One of the oldest formulae of the Roman Rite, recorded in Ordo I (7th or 8th century).
The form missa is an adoption of spoken Late Latin for missiō (“dismissal”).

(Ecclesiastical Latin) go, the dismissal is made


pendente lite

From Latin pendente līte (“awaiting the litigation”).


bien perdu, bien connu

That which is well lost is well known, or what once was lost is prized


latet anguis in herba

[ˈɫ̪ät̪ɛt̪ ˈäŋɡʷɪs̠ ɪn ˈhɛrbäː]

Literally "a snake hides in the grass" (Virgil, Eclogue III, v. 93).


nunca mucho cuesta poco

you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for


ipse dixit

[ˈɪps̠ɛ ˈd̪iːks̠ɪt̪]

Calque of Ancient Greek αὐτὸς ἔφα (autòs épha, “he himself said it”), originally used by Pythagoreans.

calque

(rhetoric, chiefly Medieval Latin) Used after a statement claimed to be by Aristotle, whose absolute authority made it incontestable.


CSS

“I don't know. I just don't know. What is it? I suffer from CSS—that's Can't See Shit—but I don't think I could hold a cane in my hand.”

1998, Stephen Kuusisto, Planet of the Blind, →ISBN, page 110:

Lake Michigan was out there, but invisible. We could see nothing around us but fog.
“A CSS day,” Jeff said.
“What's that?”
“Can't see shit.”

2014, Jerry Dennis, The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 56:


between

Reinterpretation of English btw as an abbreviation of between.

2013, 于日辰（小姓奴）, 壹獄壹世界 A World in an Iron Grille, page 206:

By the way, there's no need to be baffled, the handwriting [of this letter] isn't mine, I got someone to write it for me.

Between, m⁴ sai² gok³ dak¹ kei⁴ gwaai³, di¹ zi⁶ zik¹ bat¹ si⁶ ngo⁵ dik¹, ngo⁵ wan² jan⁴ doi⁶ se².

Between, 唔使覺得奇怪，D字跡不是我的，我搵人代寫。

Between, 唔使觉得奇怪，D字迹不是我的，我揾人代写。

(Hong Kong Cantonese, Internet slang, neologism, humorous) BTW; by the way


MOR

But MOR as a programming powerhouse began to lose strength as the radio industry evolved during those decades.

2003, Christopher H. Sterling, Encyclopedia of Radio, page 1575:

middle of the road
middle of the road#English

(radio) Initialism of middle of the road.


hare

From Old Swedish hari, hæri, from Old Norse *hari, heri, from Proto-Germanic *hasô.

(colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of "ha det" (in ha det or more generally).


de facto

Unadapted borrowing from Latin dē factō (literally “according to fact”), from dē (“according to”) + ablative of factum (“fact, deed, act”)


etcetera

From Latin et cetera (“etc.: and the other things”).


yon

Buttonhole row: (K1, p1) 3 times, yon, k2tog, (k1,p1) 5 times, yon, k2tog, […]

2006, Heather Dixon, Not Your Mama's Knitting, page 222:


et al.

From Latin, abbreviation of et aliī (“and others”) (English: et alii) and its forms and derivatives.

And others; to complete a list, especially of persons, as authors of a published work.

u. a.

und andere pl, und anderes n (of uncountable objects)


et al.

From Latin, abbreviation of et alibī (“and other places”) (English: et alibi).

And elsewhere; to complete a list of places.


et al.

et al.; used to complete a list of authors


ROFL

/ɑɹˌoʊˌɛfˈɛl/

(Internet slang) Initialism of rolling on the floor, laughing; used to indicate great amusement.

(rare, dated) Initialism of ran out for lunch.


光

→ Okinawan: 光 (fikari)

⟨pi₁kari⟩ → */pʲikari/ → /ɸikari/ → /hikari/
From Old Japanese.
Nominalization of the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of verb 光る (hikaru, “to shine, to glitter, to gleam”).

蛍(ほたる)の光(ひかり)窓(まど)の雪(ゆき) 蛍の光窓の雪#Japanese

蛍(ほたる)の光(ひかり)窓(まど)の雪(ゆき) (hotaru no hikari mado no yuki, “firefly's dim light, snow reflected on the window → diligent study”)


YMMV

your mileage may vary
your mileage may vary#English


機

From Middle Chinese 機／机 (kjɨj, “mechanism; opportunity, chance”). Compare modern Min Nan reading ki.

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に臨(のぞ)み変(へん)に応(おう)ずる 機に臨み変に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)に因(よ)って法(ほう)を説(と)く 機に因って法を説く#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese

Idioms
* 機(き)が熟(じゅく)する (ki ga jukusuru): the time is ripe; a golden opportunity
* 機(き)に乗(じょう)じる (ki ni jōjiru), 機(き)に投(とう)じる (ki ni tōjiru): to sieze the moment, to jump at the chance
* 機(き)に臨(のぞ)み変(へん)に応(おう)ずる (ki ni nozomi hen ni ōzuru), 機(き)に応(おう)ずる (ki ni ōzuru): to move with the times
* 機(き)に因(よ)って法(ほう)を説(と)く (ki ni yotte hō o toku): to change the message to suit one's audience: to alter the format or presentation for better acceptance, without changing the core ideas being conveyed
* 機(き)を逸(いっ)する (ki o issuru), 機(き)を失(しっ)する (ki o shissuru): to miss the boat, to miss out

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese

機(き)が熟(じゅく)する 機が熟する#Japanese

機(き)に乗(じょう)じる 機に乗じる#Japanese

機(き)に投(とう)じる 機に投じる#Japanese

機(き)に応(おう)ずる 機に応ずる#Japanese

機(き)を逸(いっ)する 機を逸する#Japanese

機(き)を失(しっ)する 機を失する#Japanese


ROTFL

(Internet slang, dated) Alternative form of ROFL (Initialism of rolling on the floor, laughing)


IMHO

IMHO she just devalues the rest of us who want to be judged by what we do and what we are, not how we look and who we discuss Uganda with.

1995 April 27, Helen Gerald, “Re: Liz Hurley”, in rec.arts.tv.uk (Usenet), message-ID <1bd766f1e95e31fd>:

in my humble opinion
in my humble opinion#English

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of in my humble opinion.

in my honest opinion
in my honest opinion#English

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of in my honest opinion.


GB

(Internet slang) Initialism of God bless.


ABC

He thought he was up-to-date on all the latest wine lingo until a longtime wine writer returned his sample request card with a bold, hand-written note on it that stated, “Send me all samples—ABC!” ¶ “ABC” threw my friend for a loop. When he called me, I translated the cryptic phrase—ABC is winespeak for “Anything But Chardonnay.”

1997 March, Ron Loutherback, “Beyond the Label: The ABCs of white wine”, in Orange Coast, volume 23, number 3, page 168:

(wine) Initialism of anything but Chardonnay: a backlash against Chardonnay wine, seen as ubiquitous.

anything but Chardonnay

A final example of the iatrogenic effects of international public interventions is the impact on condom use that resulted from the “ABC” (Abstinence, Be Faithful, Use Condoms) approach to AIDS prevention, which has dominated programmatic efforts in Nigeria since about 2000. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), created under US President George W. Bush's administration, promoted a conservative approach to AIDS prevention through its ABC messages, which were (1) abstinence is the only true prevention; (2) if one is in a sexual relationship, stay faithful to one partner; and (3) if one can't do either, use condoms.

2014, Daniel Jordan Smith, “Introduction”, in AIDS Doesn't Show Its Face: Inequality, Morality, and Social Change in Nigeria, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 15:

abstinence, be faithful, use a condom
w:abstinence, be faithful, use a condom

(medicine) Initialism of abstinence, be faithful, use a condom: a sex education policy developed in response to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

abstinence

(electronics, electric vehicles, automotive) Initialism of always be charging; a recommendation to remember to charge or be left without use by a low battery at an inopportune time.

always be charging

(Canadian politics) Initialism of anything but Conservative.


GMT

(slang) Initialism of "gera mig til" ("making myself ready"), referring to putting on clothes and makeup to make oneself presentable, usually for a night out.


tare

Tare lugnt! (Ta det lugnt!)

(colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of "ta det" (take it).


PTO

Initialism of please turn over (written at the end of the text on a page to say that it continues overleaf)


草

From the resemblance of multiple repetitions of w (w, “LOL”) to grass: wwwwwwwww.
Possibly influenced by the term くすくす (kusukusu), an adverb indicating stifled laughter.

鯖落ちてて草

下手すぎて草

4日しかないのは草

tube-de-shokai-saretete-kusa

It was interesting that was introduced in YouTube.

Ellipsis of 草生える (kusa haeru, literally “grass grows”): (Internet slang) … it's hilarious


華

Kyūjitai
Old Japanese language
Proto-Japonic language
Shinjitai
Tōkyō
Ōsaka

/pana/ → /fana/ → /hana/
From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pana.

火事(かじ)と喧嘩(けんか)は江戸(えど)の華(はな) 火事と喧嘩は江戸の華#Japanese

火事(かじ)と喧嘩(けんか)は江戸(えど)の華(はな) (kaji to kenka wa Edo no hana)


HBO

/ˌeɪtʃ ˌbiː ˈoʊ/

(aviation, travel) Initialism of hand baggage only. (fare type)


res ipsa loquitur

Unadapted borrowing from Latin rēs ipsa loquitur (“the thing speaks for itself”, literally “the thing itself speaks”).

ubor

The import of a thing or situation is obvious.

Coordinate term: prima facie

The court in that case established three criteria that must be shown for res ipsa loquitur to apply: The injury must be the kind that ordinarily doesn't occur in the absence of some type of negligence.

2004, Nurse's Legal Handbook, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, →ISBN, page 160:

Res ipsa loquitur was frequently applied in cases involving foreign bodies in foodstuffs.

2005, Vivienne Harpwood, Modern Tort Law, 6th edition, Psychology Press, →ISBN, page 153:

(tort law) A maxim where the very improbable facts of an accident imply the negligence of the defendant. It effectively shifts the burden of proof to the defendant.

la cosa habla por sí misma

maxim where improbable facts imply negligence


res ipsa loquitur

From rēs (“thing”) + ipsa (“herself”), the feminine of ipse (“himself”) because rēs is a feminine word + loquitur (“she speaks”) the third-person form of loquor (“I speak”). Literally meaning "the thing itself speaks" or "the matter itself speaks".


SABC

stand and be counted
stand and be counted#English


SWAK

Even after Bernard returned to school, Jessica's letters kept coming. The perfume and the "SWAK" inscription attracted a lot of attention, and a lot of teasing.

2008, George Graham, Girlie, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 28:

(written on an envelope containing a love-letter) Sealed with a kiss.


STID

(UK, slang, used in graffiti) Initialism of still true if destroyed.


kg

(text messaging) Initialism of kolay gelsin.


TM

/tʰä⁵⁵ mä⁵⁵/

/tʰä⁵⁵ mä⁵⁵/

去TM的！

(vulgar, slang) Initialism of 他媽／他妈 (tāmā).


AAA

Initialism of awaiting aircraft availability.


WB

(Internet slang) Initialism of welcome back.


LMAO

/ɛlˌɛmˌeɪˈoʊ/

“LMAO. Cook him,” one said. “Grass needs to be touched,” another added.

2024 April 9, Connor Bennett, “Rockstar dev claps back at GTA 6 fans finding “mistakes” in trailer”, in Dexerto:

laughing my ass off
laugh one's ass off#English

(Internet slang, vulgar) Initialism of laughing my ass off; used to indicate great amusement, usually exaggerated.


NW

(Internet slang) Initialism of now watching.


cf

(text messaging) Abbreviation of ce faci/faceți (“what are you doing”).


tant pis

Then deep melancholia struck her, the lace was left out of whatever fine lace should be kept in for moth protection, and the moths ate it up. Oh, well. Tant pis.

1975, Tennessee Williams, Memoirs, New Directions Publishing, published 2006, →ISBN, page 105:

(italicized, foreign phrase) so much the worse

italicized; foreign phrase; italicized; foreign phrase


merry Christmas

→ Hawaiian: mele Kalikimaka

→ Japanese: メリークリスマス (merī Kurisumasu)

→ Korean: 메리 크리스마스 (meri Keuriseumaseu)

desc

မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Mon: မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

→ Mon: မာရေဝ်ခရေတ်သမာတ်

เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส

→ Thai: เมอร์รี่คริสต์มาส (məə-rîi krís-mâas)

Merry Christmas, Jack. / Same to you. And a happy New Year.

Have a merry Christmas, Jack. / Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I am aſhamed to talk of theſe Trifles, but to make you ſenſible by the Way, that the Spaniards are not ſo ungrateful as you repreſent them, I ſhall tell you, that the Money ariſing out of the Sale that was made of the Wine and Chocolate belonging to the Cardinal at his Departure, was more than ſufficient to defray the Expences of his Journey, and had he continued fifteen Days longer at Madrid, he would have received by the Poſt a Bill of 1000 Piſtoles, with which a Friend wiſhed him a merry Chriſtmas, which Sum was paid by the King’s Orders to the Government of Madrid to be employed for the Benefit of the Publick.

1722, The Hiſtorical Regiſter, volume VII, № XXVIII, “An Anſwer from the Marqueſs of ———— to the Letter of a Prelate, concerning Cardinal Alberoni”, pages 291–292

(Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Canada, US) Used to express good wishes on or before Christmas Day.

შობას გილოცავთ

addressing 2nd-person pl. or 2nd-person sg. politely

ბედნიერ შობას გისურვებ (bednier šobas gisurveb, literally “wish you a happy Christmas”)


doom

Alternative form: DOOM

I tried to organize my stuff but just ended up making a big doom pile.

One day in April of 2021, Lindsey Bee decided it was time to deal with the laundry "doom piles" that had formed around her house. So she did what many people do when faced with a boring task. She turned to TikTok.

2022 June 1, “’Body doubling,’ an ADHD productivity tool, is flourishing online”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-06-02:

While digital clutter may not be physical, like the "doom piles" and junk drawers in your home, the anxiety and distress it induces is real, said Kerry Lakey, a lecturer in psychology at Northumbria University in England, who studies behavior around digital data.

2023 February 24, Jancee Dunn, quoting Kerry Lakey, “How to Clear Out Digital Clutter”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-05-10:

The doom in 'doom pile' is actually an acronym. It stands for "Didn't Organize, Only Moved" – an experience many people with ADHD can apparently relate to when they try to organize their spaces, whether physical or virtual. Instead of sorting things in their rightful places, they end up stacking them along with other random, unsorted things to be organized later – or never. That's how people end up with doom piles, doom boxes, doom bags, doom folders and drives, doom rooms and closets, and other kinds of doom arrangements.

2023 April 28, Alexandrea Cantwell, “"My Doom Piles Screamed 'Undiagnosed ADHD'"”, in ADDitude, archived from the original on 2023-06-09:

DOOM piles are a cleaning tactic and a way of reducing visual clutter. Essentially, it's stashing random items that need to be organized in one place, to be dealt with later. We all have DOOM piles — a junk drawer or a place where we put piles of clutter before guests visit. There can be DOOM piles, DOOM bags, DOOM boxes, or one of my son's favorites, a DOOM desk.

2023 June 20, Kristin Wilcox, “Is Your ADHD Making You a DOOM Piler?”, in Psychology Today, New York, N.Y.: Sussex Publishers, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-30:

The term "doom pile" or "doom box" stands for "Didn't Organize, Only Moved" and is usually a failed attempt by adults with ADHD to organize paperwork.

[2023 February 9, Allie Cantwell, CBC News, archived from the original on 2023-08-28:

(Internet slang) Initialism of didn't organize, only moved; used in compounds designating a miscellaneous collection of items which one has failed to properly organize.


etc.

/ˌɛt ˈsɛt(ə)ɹə/

/ˌɛkˈsɛt(ə)ɹə/

From Middle English et cetera, etc., from Latin etc., an abbreviation of et cetera (“and the rest [of the things]; and the other things”).

The grocery shop sells cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, etc.

The plagiarism was painfully obvious: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," etc.

And so on: used to note that the rest of a list or piece of information has been left out on the assumption that it is similar or already known.


primus inter pares

German: primus inter pares, Primus inter pares


SNAFU

The term was born during the Second World War as an acronym of the initials of the words situation normal, all fucked up, which summed up the chaos and confusion of the war from an individual soldier’s point of view.

status nominal all fucked up
status nominal all fucked up#English

situation normal all fucked up
situation normal all fucked up#English

(military, slang, euphemistic) Acronym of status nominal all fucked up or situation normal all fucked up (fouled up)


what's your name

what is your name
what is your name#English


I'm fine, thank you

The expected, polite response to how are you?

5@Sternum-FingerUp Contact

expected, polite response to How are you?

بِخَيْر الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰه (bi-ḵayr al-ḥamdu li-llāh, literally “good, praise God”)

kiitos, hyvää (in response to mitä kuuluu?)

お蔭様で、元気です

おかげさまで、げんきです, o-kage-sama de, genki desu

eu vou bem, obrigado (in response to como vai você?)


where is the toilet

(British, literal) Direct me to the restroom (US) or WC (British).

屎𬒈伫佗落？

sái-ha̍k tī tó-lo̍h? / sái-ha̍k tǐr tó-loh? / sái-ha̍k tǐ tó-loh? / sái-ha̍k tī tah-lo? / sái-ha̍k tī tá-lo?

便所佇佗位？

piān-só͘ tī tó-uī? / piān-só͘ tū tó-uī? / piān-só͘ tī toh-ūi? / piān-só͘ tū toh-ūi?

厕所伫佗落？

chheh-só͘ tī tó-lo̍h? / chhè-só͘ tǐr tó-loh? / chhè-só͘ tǐ tó-loh? / chhek-só͘ tī tah-lo? / chhek-só͘ tī tá-lo?

𬒈厕伫佗落？

ha̍k-chhè tī tó-lo̍h? / ha̍k-chhè tǐ tó-loh?

染蛮伫佗落？

jiám-bân tī tá-lo̍h? / jiám-bân tī tó-lo̍h / liám-bân tī tó-lo̍h / liám-boân tī tó-lo̍h?


my name is

tên tôi là ... (tôi varies according to audience)


what time is it

What is the time of day? (used to request for the current hour and approximate number of minutes after the hour)


such is life

Of course I’m not happy about it, but such is life.

Used to express the acceptance of misfortune in one's life.

kështu e ka jeta

used to express the acceptance of misfortune


how are you

/hæɔ ˈaː jʉː/

/hæɔ ˈaː jə/

I'm very well, thank you. How are you? (formal)
I'm fine, thank you. /
Fine, thanks. (informal) /
Fine, and you? (informal)

(idiomatic) An informal greeting, not requiring a literal response. In form a question, and thus followed by a question mark. Typical responses include:

እንደምን አለህ

ʾəndämn ʾäläh

እንደምን አለሽ

ʾəndämn ʾäläš

你好冇

ngì-hó-mò / nì-hó-mò / ǹ-hó-mò / ǹg-hó-mò

汝好势无？

lí hó-sè--bô? / lír hó-sè--bô? / lú hó-sè--bô?

汝较好无？

lí khà hó--bô? / lír khà hó--bô? / lú khà hó--bô?

汝食未？

lí chia̍h bē? / lír chia̍h bēr? / lí chia̍h bōe? / lú chia̍h bōe? / lír chia̍h běr?

1967 July 20: Questions. Oral Answers. — Free Travel for Old Age Pensioners. Dáil Éireann debates
Mr. Dunne: "A small point", says the Minister for Justice.
Mr. Ryan: Justice, how are you! He would not recognise it in this world or the next.

'Christmas how are you!' exclaimed Jim O'Hanlon ruefully. 'We will remember this one for quite a while anyway.' He was grateful that at least no one was injured in the incident.

2013 December 31, “'Christmas how are you! We'll remember this one for a while'"”, in Gorey Guardian:

(idiomatic, Ireland) (Following a noun phrase; stress on are) An expression of derision, that the preceding referent is unworthy of the name. In form of an exclamation, and thus often followed by an exclamation mark.


what is your name

What is your name? — My name is Mary. — A pretty name. — It is my mother's name. — Indeed!

1854, Gustave Chouquet, Easy Conversations in French, page 9:

ano tabi an pangaran mo ano an pangaran mo

汝叫啥物名？

Lí kiò siáⁿ-mi̍h miâ? / Lí kiò siáⁿ-mih miâ? / Lí kiò sáⁿ-mi̍h miâ?

恁名是啥物？

Lín miâ sī siáⁿ-mi̍h? / Lín miâ sǐ siáⁿ-mih? / Lín miâ sī sáⁿ-mi̍h?

恁叫做啥物？

Lín kiò-chòe siáⁿ-mih? / Lín kiò-chò sáⁿ-mi̍h?

恁号做啥物？

Lín hō-chòe siáⁿ-mih? / Lín hō-chò sáⁿ-mi̍h?

ཁྱེད་རང་གི་མཚན་ལ་ག་རེ་ཞུ་གི་ཡོད།

khyed rang gi mtshan la ga re zhu gi yod

ཁྱོད་ཀྱི་མིང་ལ་ག་རེ་ཟེར་གྱི་ཡོད།

non-honorific, used for children, animals, etc

tên bạn là gì?

but not casual; a general-purpose version; use with caution

tên anh là gì?

to a male who is the same age as the speaker

tên bà là gì?

formal; to a female who is older than the speaker

tên chị là gì?

informal; to a female who is the same age as or younger than the speaker

tên em là gì?

to a female who is the same age as the speaker, or to a person who is younger than the speaker (such as a child)

tên mày là gì?

even rude or insulting; to a person younger than the speaker, or to a person held in low esteem; use with caution

tên ông là gì?

formal; to a male who is older than the speaker

kí ni orúkọ rẹ? (casual, used with younger people only)


AS

From Arabic عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ (ʕalayhi s-salāmu, “peace be upon him”), placed after the name of holy persons in Islamic texts.

der

عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ

alayhi as-salaam
alayhi as-salaam#English


BBS

(Internet slang) Initialism of be back soon.


STFU

(Internet slang, vulgar) Initialism of shut the fuck up.


WTF

I've READ them; I know what all the words are. I still say, "WTF, over?" Someone's playing with our heads on this one, but what's all the word stew?

1985, Dick Dunn, “China Cat lyrics - explanations?”, in net.music.gdead (Usenet):

Now, please, explain WTF did you mean by this text?

1994, Marat Fayzullin, “Re: MMM”, in relcom.talk (Usenet):

WTF are you on about? We played some very good football for most of the match, […]

2005, “defect violation”, “Re: WTF!!”, in uk.sport.football.clubs.liverpool (Usenet):

WTF was that about?

2019, 20 November, Carol Midgley, "Prince Andrew is ‘not very quick on his feet’, says the Duchess of York. What of her?" (in The Times newspaper)

There’s a similar “sure but what else?” vibe to Made for Love, HBO Max’s new high-concept half-hour comedy, gently coasting on its WTF setup for longer than it should, to the detriment of the main star Cristin Milioti, trying her very best to secure our attention as it slowly drifts elsewhere.

2021 March 31, Benjamin Lee, “Made for Love review – Black Mirror-esque comedy needs an upgrade”, in The Guardian:

(military slang, Internet slang, text messaging, vulgar) Initialism of what the fuck.

(rare) Where the fuck, why the fuck, when the fuck, or who the fuck.


er was eens

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time there was


IP

Prison nursing staff will carefully evaluate whether an individual should have 'IP' (in possession) medication.

2014, Linda Gask, Carolyn Chew-Graham, ABC of Anxiety and Depression, page 37:


Madya na, mapuon na kita.


ATM

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of at the moment.


happy Easter

An expression used during Easter to wish someone a happy time.

áldott húsvétot …kívánok!

it can be added to any preceding version to make it sound less casual and more polite


PCB

(business) Initialism of please call back.


NTSC

(television, slang, humorous) Initialism of never twice the same color. (Variant of North American TV standard for analog television, drawing attention to the standard’s shortcomings)


vene

ja vene asså

(colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of "vet inte" (don't know); dunno


te amo

[t̪ɛː ˈäːmo]

I love you (affirmation of romantic feeling)

I love you (affection and caring of family members or friends)


te amo

(Brazil) I love you (affirmation of romantic feeling)

(Brazil) I love you (affection and caring of family members or friends)


caveat emptor

Latin for “buyer beware”; from Latin caveat (“may he / she / subject-noun beware”), the third-person subjunctive of caveō (“I beware”) + ēmptor (“buyer”).

uder

In an email she wrote that the lack of regulation “leads to difficulty extrapolating available evidence to various products on the consumer market given the differences in chemical composition and purity.” She cautioned the public to weigh “both potential benefits and risks,” to which I would add caveat emptor — buyer beware.

2021 March 8, Jane E. Brody, “Medical Marijuana Is Not Regulated as Most Medicines Are”, in The New York Times:

Used as a warning to anyone purchasing something that there may be unforeseen problems or faults with the item that is purchased.

(historical, commercial law) A provision of Roman law which gave the seller of a house the legal right to keep quiet about any defects of the house.


e pur si muove

(obsolete) Alternative spelling of eppur si muove


happy New Year

A wish said around the start of a new year to wish someone well for the New Year (holiday) or for the (entire) new year.

ܪܹܝܫ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܒܪܝܼܟ݂ܵܐ

rēš šattā brīḵā

良いお年をお迎え下さい

よいおとしをおむかえください


no smoking

A phrase used in notices indicating that the smoking of cigarettes, etc., is not permitted in the surrounding area.

verbode te rook

phrase used in notices indicating that the smoking of cigarettes is not permitted

official wording (literally, it is against the law to smoke on these premises)

mae ysmygu yn y fangre hon yn erbyn y gyfraith


ono

Bike for sale: €300 ono


ono

(Internet slang) Abbreviation of over and out.


anno Domini

Literally, “in the year of the Lord” (ablative of annus (“year”), genitive of Dominus (“Lord”)). The numbering system and the appellation are ascribed to Dionysius Exiguus (c. 6th century), though he most likely drew on earlier sources. Dionysius gives the full name annī ab incarnātiōne Dominī (“years from the incarnation of the Lord”) to the series of years since AD 1, with annus Dominī and (annus) ab incarnātiōne serving as short forms in early uses. Annō Dominī is a fixed phrase by the 11th century.

anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo quinquagesimo nono

1282–1285 — Simon de Keza, Gesta Hungarorum; section 7

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

Igitur in aetate sexta saeculi multiplicati Huni in Scitia habitando ut arena, anno Domini septingentesimo in unum congregati, capitaneos inter se...

Datum Bude in Dominica reminiscere anno Domini millesimo quadringentesimo septuagesimo sexto regnorum nostrorum anno Hungarie etc.

1476, “Commissio propria domini regis”, in Decreta Regni Hungariae 1458-1490, Budapest, published 1989:

in the year of our Lord
in the year of our Lord


anno Domini

First part anno from Latin annō, ablative of annus (“year; time”), from Proto-Italic *atnos (“year”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂et-no-, from *h₂et- (“to go”).
Last part Domini from Latin Dominī, genitive singular of Dominus (“The Lord”), of dominus (“lord, master of a house”), from Proto-Italic *domanos, from Proto-Indo-European *domh₂nos (“subduing”), from *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”).

[AD] kan også bety noe annet enn Angel Devious, det kan bety Anno Domini

[AD] can also mean something other than Angel Devious, it can mean Anno Domini

anno Domini (the current date era beginning approximately 2000 years ago in the Gregorian calendar, based on the assumed birth of Jesus Christ.)


sa

(Internet) Initialism of selamünaleyküm.


good day

Good day, gentlemen.

Good day, and happineſſe, deere Roſalind.

c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 200:

(dated, formal) A somewhat formal greeting generally used between sunrise and sunset.

Perhaps another time. Good day.

This is an invitation-only party! Now, good day!

2012, Mike Cerrone, Bobby & Peter Farrelly, The Three Stooges (motion picture), spoken by Carbunkle (Ray Collins):

(dated, formal) A dismissal; sometimes used to express annoyance.


prière de

Prière de frapper avant d’entrer.

(formal) please; used to make formal requests, especially in impersonal contexts such as signage


chacun à son goût

Mutation of the French à chacun son goût (“to each his own taste”), typically heard amongst Laurentian, Quebecois and Louisiana Francophones. The well-known aria by this name in the Strauss opera Die Fledermaus may have helped establish the mutation.

Used to acknowledge that different people have different tastes or preferences.


s'il vous plaît

→ Dutch: alstublieft (calque)

→ Dutch: s'il vous plaît

Literally, “if it pleases you”. From Middle French s'il vous plaist. Compare Catalan si us plau.

Pourriez-vous me donner du pain, s’il vous plaît ?


s'il vous plaît

Unadapted borrowing from French s’il vous plaît (“please, if you please”, literally “if it pleases you”).


è

From a, a distinctly Quebec contracted form of elle, + est.

(Quebec) she's, it's: contraction of elle est.


NP

(Internet slang) Initialism of no problem.


XNAY

Initialism of X-No-Archive: yes., a Usenet message header that indicates the message should not be retained on the server after delivery. Probably also influenced by ixnay.

(Internet slang) Indicates the poster’s request for a message not to be stored in Usenet archives.


Ave Maria

→ English: Ave Maria

Italian: Ave Maria

[ˈäu̯eː mäˈriːä]

[ˈäu̯ɛ mäˈriːä]

[ˈäːve mäˈriːä]

From (h)avē̆ (“hail!”) + Marīa (“Mary”).

Hail Mary (a salutation and prayer to the Virgin Mary, as mother of God; used in the Roman Catholic church)


talk to the hand

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-talk to the hand.wav

Oh honey, talk to the hand, the ears ain't listening!

1997, Todd Graff, The Beautician and the Beast, spoken by Joy Miller:

Tommy showed Tony the palm of his hand. ‘Tell it to the ’and ’cos the face ain't listening.’

2002, Ben Elton, High Society, Random House, published 2012, →ISBN, page 172:

(colloquial, US, African-American Vernacular, chiefly sarcastic) Used to dismiss another person's argument by indicating that one is not prepared to hear or read anything further from that person. It is often used while simultaneously holding up the hand with the palm facing the speaker.


koľko je hodín

/ˈkɔʎkɔ je ɦɔɟiːn/


BRB

@Socrates
Got off lightly, all things considered. They just want me to drink this hemlock stuff. BRB.
8.11am, March 22, 399BC

2012, Kelvin MacKenzie, Chas Newkey-Burden, The Twitter History of the World, London: John Blake, →ISBN, page 12:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of be right back.


tia

thanks in advance
thanks in advance#English


too bad

Shortening of "That is too bad" or "It is too bad that..."

You can't come to the party? Too bad.

We had to kill 110,000 Japanese before we took Okinawa, and when the officers of the Japanese are killed- or defeated- they commit suicide. They cost us 12,000 men and they had to kill 110,000 Japs. And it's a terrible thing- don't know what you're gonna do with any crazy outfit like that except all you can do is to destroy them, and that's too bad.

1964, Harry S. Truman, 1:38 from the start, in MP2002-288 Former President Truman Discusses the Battle of Okinawa, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 595162, archived from the original on 2022-03-13:

Foxtrot B I L LA MENDE ଜ IT'S TOO BAD " PAIGE " DOESN'T RHYME WITH " GODZILLA . ' There once was a girl named Paige ... who was frequently filled with räge .... 3 13 8 One day she decided to be more peaceful and quiet ...Now no one ever says, Paige, act your age...

1997 August 5, Bill Amend, Come Closer, Roger, There's a Mosquito on Your Nose (Foxtrot Collection), Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 28:

Too bad you can't come to the party.

(idiomatic, sarcasm) A mockingly sarcastic expression of uncaring or schadenfreude as an answer to someone when upset.


(Thelema) A numerological abbreviation of the phrase "do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"; used as a greeting.


et seq.

Borrowing of Latin et seq., an abbreviation variously of et (“and”) sequens (“the following item”), sequente (“in what follows”), sequentes and sequentia (“the following items”), or sequentibus (“in the following items”).

See p. 87 et seq.

Covered in Code Section 123 et seq.

(law, used in page references) And what follows, and following, and in the following [pages, sections, &c.].

with a following blank space representing the indeterminate end


et seq.

Abbreviation of et sequens or et sequentia

and the following (pages or items in a list)


let's go

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-let's go.wav

Let's go to the beach next Saturday.

Let's go, team! C'mon!

Hortative of go, particularly as an cheer expressing encouragement.

Let us begin or get started. (a call to put a plan into action)

Let's go, practice starts in five minutes.

You think you're so tough, huh? Let's go then!

(colloquial) Bring it on. (an incitement to fight)

Our team is up two points already, let's go!

(colloquial) Yay. (an expression of pleasure, joy, relief, or satisfaction)


I think so

I believe that is the case, but am not certain.


I don't think so

/aɪ dəʊnt θɪŋk səʊ/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-I don't think so.wav

Bob: Is this the right place to catch the bus?
Suzy: I don't think so.

ek dink nie so nie

I think that what has been said is untrue

我想毋是

góa siūⁿ m̄-sī / góa siǔⁿ m̄-sǐ / góa siōⁿ m̄-sī / óa siāuⁿ m̄-sī / óa siōⁿ m̄-sī

好像不是

as is often said in informal conversation, with subject omitted

Go out with you? Huh, I don't think so, sweetheart!

(sarcastic) No, absolutely not (used to refuse or decline something proposed).


what's in it for me

(idiomatic) What are the advantages of (something) to me, personally?


much of a muchness

As to any existing dearth of materials for comedy, I hold it to be merely imaginary; for I believe that on a fair comparison, the manners and morals of the present age and those of the past, would prove much of a muchness.

1819, The London Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, Etc, page 683:

“He was not,” answered a juror. “Old Peter Goodwin could not have been more than five feet five, and Dorothy was all of that, I should think. When they came to meeting together, they looked much of a muchness.”

1850, James Fenimore Cooper, “The Ways of the Hour”, in Precaution / The Ways of the Hour, facsimile edition, published 2010, page 30:

In fact, he said, in spite of all efforts to lift the popular taste, things were much of a muchness with the old days when in popular novels the villain, had to be foiled, the hero had to triumph and the lovers had to be united.

1926 October 2, “Chats with Office Callers”, in Henry Ford, W. J. Cameron, editors, Dearborn Independent Magazine October 1925-December 1926, page 28:

Private houses in London are apt to be much of a muchness. The door opens on a dark hall; from the dark hall rises a narrow staircase; off the landing opens a double drawing-room, and in this double drawing-room are two sofas on each side of a blazing fire, six armchairs, and three long windows giving upon the street.

c. 1931, Virginia Woolf, “Portrait of a Londoner”, in The London Scene, published 2004, page 75:

The songs are much of a muchness (or littleness), all sounding forgettably alike.

1987 March 30, John Simon, “Theater: Railway Disaster”, in New York, page 97:

There are small trees and large shrubs which are much of a muchness, and it may not be possible to say whether an individual plant is a tall member of the shrub layer or a short tree.

2000, Patrick Whitefield, How To Make A Forest Garden, Permanent Publications, UK, page 13

There were many legislative and political battles to be fought before the fundamental idea that all people were much of a muchness was translated into a culture of equal rights for all, but gradually rights were extended from landowners, to rich men, to not so rich men, to all men, and then to women.

2000, Steve Bruce, Sociology: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, page 80:

The majority are much of a muchness so, unless you are desperately trying to find a way to waste money, I’d rarely venture into high double digits.

2019 October 6, Funmi Fetto, “Smoky eyes get a contemporary colour revamp”, in The Guardian:

(idiomatic) Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.

大同小異

little difference between multiple things


ion

ion know what 2 do
I don't know what to do

ion want 2
I don't want to


en route

Internationalism, borrowed from French en route.


TTFN

In 1939, initialisms, previously rarely used except by the military, were heard more frequently by the British public. ITMA satirised them by coining TTFN, a "pointless" initialism (no easier to say than the phrase on which it was based) to use as a catchphrase, which became widely repeated in the UK. Thirty years later, American ventriloquist Paul Winchell, following the suggestion of his third wife, Jean Freeman, who was British, improvised it as a signature phrase for the (originally British) character Tigger in the Disney films based on A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. This, in a world now accustomed to them, popularised worldwide a word originally coined to make fun of initialisms.

1941-1945: (A catchphrase of Mrs Mopp (Dorothy Summers) in several series of the weekly topical comedy British radio programme It's That Man Again (ITMA))

1966: Catwoman (played by Julie Newmar) in the Batman episode "Better Luck Next Time" – Catwoman: "TTFN", Batman: "What does that mean?", Catwoman: "Ta-ta for now."

1974: Tigger (voiced by Paul Winchell) in Unbouncing Tigger – Well, I gotta go, now! I got a lot of bouncing to do! Hoo-hoo-hoo! TTFN! Ta ta for now!


RP

Initialism of ripozu pace (“rest in peace/RIP”).


of an

head

of an (or of a before consonant sounds. See an for further information.)

The two main players were roughly of an age.

He and F were of an age and standing, the giants of the house, but F was the braver, and did us the good office of keeping him in order.

1825 March 16, Robert Southey, “Letter XVII”, in Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, page 56:

Allen said, "If we were of an age, and on an equal footing, you would not give me the lie so often."

1854, Elias Darnell, Journal of the Campaign, page 74:

When she turned to kiss Alcuin, they were of a height.

2001, Jacqueline Carey, Kushiel's Dart, →ISBN, page 73:

Of an evening, I like to play chess. i.e., On some evenings, I like to play chess.

Of a morning, they would work in their garden. i.e., They generally worked in their garden in the morning.

(idiomatic, now dated) Indicates a more or less habitual activity during the given part of the day.


FYI

At the close of a recent cable describing the recovery of his censor-held photographs of the fighting in the Holy Land, Life photographer John Phillips added the casual postscript: "FYI, Burke narrowly escaped death outside Jerusalem a few days ago."

1948 June 14, “Don Burke, chief of Time Inc.'s Cairo bureau”, in Time:

for your information
for your information#English


terima kasih

terima (“receive”) + kasih (“care”), from Malay terima kasih.


terima kasih

terima kasih (Jawi spelling تريما کاسيه)

تريما کاسيه (Jawi)

Indonesian: terima kasih

→ Afrikaans: tramma kassie

→ Buginese: terima kasih

Compound of terima (“receive”) + kasih (“care”).


CAVU

(aviation) Acronym of ceiling and visibility unrestricted, indicating a ceiling of at least 10,000 feet and visibility of at least 10 miles: ideal flying conditions.


bon appétit

Unadapted borrowing from French bon appétit (literally “good appetite”).

ubor

Used to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat.

lekker eet

used to wish someone enjoyment of the meal they are about to eat

(used in the same context) 慢慢食 (maan⁶ maan⁶⁻² sik⁶, literally “eat slowly”)

(used in the same context) 慢慢吃 (mànmàn chī, literally “eat slowly”)

(used in the same context) どうぞ召し上がれ (どうぞめしあがれ, dōzo meshiagare, literally “please eat”)

どうぞごゆっくり (dōzo go-yukkuri, literally “please do it slowly”)

頂きます (いただきます, itadakimasu, literally “I/we will eat”) (a stock phrase before starting a meal)

잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida, literally “I/we will eat”) (a stock phrase before starting a meal)


bon appétit

Coordinate term: bonne dégustation


IIRC

(Internet slang) Initialism of if I recall/remember correctly.


alp

(Internet slang, text messaging) à la prochaine


tat

(colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of "ta det" (take it).


limp

To intimidate the people, you drew up Resolves, and an Address to his Majesty, founded on evidence from Governor Barnard, the Commissioners of Revenue, Custom-house Officers, and a few poor, expectant and dependent creatures, whom your Limp corresponds with in Boston; and thereby, having imposed upon, and deceived the legislature, sanctified your despotism, at the expence of their last Liberties;

1770, A Lee, The Political Detection: Or, the Treachery and Tyranny of Administration, Both at Home and Abroad;, page 4:

Even if he were set at liberty, what could he do but haunt Jacobite coffeehouses, squeeze oranges, and drink the health of Limp?

1915, Thomas Babington Macaulay Baron Macaulay, Charles Harding Firth, The History of England: From the Accession of James the Second:

Queen Mary of Modena
w:Queen Mary of Modena

(historical) Acronym of Louis XIV, James II, Queen Mary of Modena and the Prince of Wales. (a code-word among Jacobites)


ISTR

(chiefly Internet slang) Initialism of I seem to recall/remember.


愛してる

愛してる (canonical)
ai shiteru (romanization)

zh-l

阿姨洗鐵路／阿姨洗铁路 (āyí xǐ tiělù)

Chinese: 阿姨洗鐵路／阿姨洗铁路 (āyí xǐ tiělù)

A phrase forming a complete sentence, consisting of 愛 (ai, “love”) + して (shite, conjunctive form of verb する suru, “to do”) + いる (iru, “to be, to be doing something”). The shite iru contracts in informal speech into shiteru.

I'm in love with you
I'm in love with you

(informal) I'm in love with you, I love you


TTYL

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of talk to you later.


SFAIAA

(Internet slang) Initialism of so far as I am aware.


había una vez

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

My humble Service to you, Sir Roger — Mr. Worthy, your good Health. And a merry Chriſtmas and a happy New Year to us all.

1740, Joseph Dorman, “Scene 1”, in Sir Roger de Coverly; or, The Merry Christmas, act 1, page 17:

A traditional greeting for Christmas and the new year.

traditional greeting for the Christmas and the new year

Geseënde Kersfees en 'n voorspoedige Nuwejaar!

maugmang pasko asin magayagayang bagong taon

Maayong Pasko og Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig!

ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎱᎾᏕᏘᏱᎲᏍᎬᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎠᏤ ᎭᏕᏘᏱᎲ

ulihelisdi hunadetiyihvsgvi ale ulihelisdi atse hadetiyihv

Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!

frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches neues Jahr!

mele Kalikimaka me ka hauʻoli makahiki hou!

kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket és boldog új évet!

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit!

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh!

Ngwi pyaw ai X'mas hte shaning ningnan rai u ga!

Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus un laimīgu Jauno gadu!

Linksmų Šv. Kalėdų ir Laimingų Naujųjų Metų!

Schei Chreschtdeeg an e gudde Rutsch an d'neit Joer!

Selamat Hari Natal dan Selamat Tahun Baru!

Selamat Hari Krismas dan Selamat Tahun Baru!

တ္ၚဲခရေတ်သမာတ်ကဵုတ္ၚဲသၞာံတၟိကဵုဂွံမိပ်ဇြိပ်အာညိအဴ။

Yáʼátʼééh Késhmish dóó Baa Hózhǫ́ǫgo Nee Nínáadoohah!

laanaa yáʼátʼéehgo Késhmish, nił hózhǫ́ǫgo chʼídoohah!

Maabig ya Pasko tan Maaliguas ya Balon Taon!

wesołych Świąt i szczęśliwego Nowego Roku!

С Рождество́м Христо́вым и с Но́вым го́дом!

Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr!

maligayang Pasko at manigong Bagong Taon

kiṟistumas maṟṟum iṉiya puttāṇṭu vāḻttukkaḷ

கிறிஸ்துமஸ் மற்றும் இனிய புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்

Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!


to whom it may concern

Used as a formal salutation in a letter when the writer does not know who will read the letter.

إِلَى مَنْ يَهُمُّهُ الْأَمْرُ

phrase used to begin a formal letter to an unknown recipient

ចំពោះអ្នកណាដែលវាអាចព្រួយបារម្ភ

cɑmpŭəh nĕək naa dael viə ʼaac pruəy baarɑm

для предъявле́ния по ме́сту тре́бования

dlja predʺjavlénija po méstu trébovanija


YHBT

(Internet slang) Initialism of you have been trolled: a response to someone who is "feeding a troll" (by entertaining the troll's absurd premise).


TDS

(medicine) to be taken three times daily


新年おめでとうございます

ja-pos

しんねん おめでとう ございます

新(しん)年(ねん)おめでとうございます • (shinnen omedetō gozaimasu)

新年おめでとうございます (canonical)
shinnen omedetō gozaimasu (romanization)


明けましておめでとうございます

ja-phrase

明けましておめでとうございます

あけまして おめでとう ございます

明(あ)けましておめでとうございます • (akemashite omedetō gozaimasu)

明けましておめでとうございます (canonical)
akemashite omedetō gozaimasu (romanization)

明けましておめでとうございます。今年もどうぞよろしく。

Akemashite omedetō gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo dōzo yoroshiku.

Happy New Year. We’ll be counting on you this year as well.


良いお年をお迎え下さい

よい おとし を おむかえ ください

良(よ)いお年(とし)をお迎(むか)え下(くだ)さい • (yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai)

良いお年をお迎え下さい (canonical)
yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai (romanization)

(formal) [I, we] wish you a happy new year (literally meet a good year)


新年明けましておめでとうございます

ja-pos

しんねん あけまして おめでとう ございます

新(しん)年(ねん)明(あ)けましておめでとうございます • (shinnen akemashite omedetō gozaimasu)

新年明けましておめでとうございます (canonical)
shinnen akemashite omedetō gozaimasu (romanization)

Can be analyzed as 新年 + 明けまして + おめでとう + ございます

com

新年 + 明けまして + おめでとう + ございます


謹賀新年

ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄏㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄋㄧㄢˊ

цзиньхэсиньнянь

/t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵/


謹賀新年

謹賀新年 (canonical)
kinga shinnen (romanization)

[kʲĩŋɡa̠ ɕĩnːẽ̞ɴ]


謹賀新年

geunha-sinnyeon (romanization)
근하신년 (hangeul)

근하신년 근하신년#Korean


IOU

From the pronunciation of "I owe you". Attested since at least 1618.

Customarily, if you borrow $10 for lunch from a coworker, writing IOU $10 on a yellow sticky note acts as a legal promissory note that you will repay said amount on payday.


that'll be the day

/ˌðætl̩ biː ðə ˈdeɪ/

/ˌðætl̩ bi ðə ˈdeɪ/

Originally referring to a significant day in the future regarded as worth waiting for.

I’m going to get into work on time today. — That’ll be the day!

(originally Australia, New Zealand, idiomatic, informal) Said in reply to something that one believes will never happen.

sen päivän kun näkisi

said in reply to something that one believes will never happen

ζήσε Μάη μου να φας τριφύλλι (zíse Mái mou na fas trifýlli, literally “(of a donkey in winter) live till May and eat clover”)

когда́ рак на горе свистнет (kogdá rak na gore svistnet, literally “when the crayfish will whistle on the mountaintop”)


SOS

(colloquial) Initialism of slip on show: a warning to a woman that the underwear she has on can be seen.


SOS

struck off strength
strike off strength#English

stricken off strength
strike off strength#English

(Commonwealth, military, historical) Initialism of struck off strength or stricken off strength.


different strokes

Appeared in general use by 1970. Possibly originally from the song “Everyday People” by “Sly & The Family Stone”

different strokes for different folks
different strokes for different folks

A shortened version of different strokes for different folks


ad astra

[äˈd̪äs̠t̪rä]

[äˈd̪äst̪rä]

From ad (“to”) + astra (“stars, heaven”, acc. pl.) as a metaphor for immortality and eternal glory.

per aspera ad astra

macte novā virtūte, puer, sīc ītur ad astra

2007 translation by Ahl, Frederick
Blessings on your new manhood, my boy. That’s the pathway to heaven.

reach for the stars
reach for the stars#English

(idiomatic) to the stars, to heaven (cf. reach for the stars)


OHMS

Initialism of On Her Majesty's/His Majesty's Service.


A.D.

Alternative form of A. D.: in the year of the Lord, used in providing years according to the Dionysian Era.

A. D.

Alternative form of a. d.: day before, used in providing dates according to the Roman calendar.


sto

(colloquial) Ellipsis of sto bene (“I'm fine”).


NEC

Initialism of not elsewhere classified, used in classification codes such as Standard Industrial Classification, International Standard Classification of Occupations, DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5, ICD-9, and ICD-10.


こちらこそ

こちら (kochira, “this person, I”) + こそ (koso, “it is… that”)

com-ja

literally: this way, for sure; as in the thanks/apology should really be going this way (your way)

A: 「どうもありがとう。」 B: 「こちらこそ。」

A: "Thank you very much." B: "No, thank you."

A: 「ごめんなさい。」 B: 「いいえ、こちらこそ。ごめんなさい。」

A: "Forgive me." B: "No, I'm the one that should be sorry. Forgive me."

A: "Gomen nasai." B: "Īe, kochira koso. Gomen nasai."

(used as a response) I'm the one that should really be saying that.


SHTF

Some people, however, combine TEOTWAWKI with the immediacy of SHTF—“shit hits the fan,” the ideas of which were initially a response to the civil rights activities in the 1960s.

2019, Thomas Milan Konda, Conspiracies of Conspiracies: How Delusions Have Overrun America, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 323:

shit hits the fan
shit hits the fan#English

Initialism of (when the) shit hits the fan: used among survivalists to refer to an apocalyptic event.


nimby

Acronym of not in my back yard. More at NIMBY.

(chiefly US, UK) Not in my backyard (in objection to an undesirable structure built locally).


speak of the devil

Ellipsis of speak of the devil and he shall appear, which can be traced back to “talk of the Devil, and he’s presently at your elbow”, attested in 1666. The idea behind this (namely, that mentioning a dangerous creature may cause it to appear) is found in many cultures around the world. Compare taboo avoidance (a related linguistic phenomenon).

ellipsis

(idiomatic, humorous) An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.

expression used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive

اُذْكُرْ غَائِبًا تَرَهُ (uḏkur ḡāʔiban tarahu, literally “mention an absent person, and you shall see him”)

ابن الحلال عند ذكره ببان (ʔibn il-ḥalāl ʕind zikro bibān, literally “the decent man appears with the mention (of his name)”)

ذكرنا القط، أجا ينط (zakarna l-qoṭṭ, ʔaja ynoṭṭ, literally “we mentioned the cat and he came jumping”)

говорим за вълка, а той в кошарата (govorim za vǎlka, a toj v košarata, literally “speaking about the wolf , and he is in the sheep pen”)

parlant del rei de Roma, entra per la porta

no es pot dir mal que no aparegui el animal

曹操到 (shuō Cáo Cāo, Cáo Cāo dào, literally “speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives”)

als je het over de duivel hebt, dan zie je zijn staart

quand on parle du loup, on en voit la queue

tu fevelis dal diàul e vegnin fûr i cuars!

wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann kommt er

wenn man vom Teufel spricht, dann ist er nicht weit

κατά φωνή κι ο γάιδαρος (katá foní ki o gáidaros, literally “by voice, here is the donkey”)

מדברים על החמור, והחמור בא (medabrím al ha xamór, ve ha xamór ba, literally “speak of the donkey and the donkey comes”)

ne fesd az ördögöt a falra, mert megjelenik

oft kemur góður þá getið er og illur þá um er rætt

tagann gach aon rud lena iomrá ach madadh rua agus marbhán

噂をすれば影がさす

うわさをすればかげがさす

про вовка промовка (pro vovka promovka, literally “speaking of the wolf”)

sonier am ddiawl, fe ymddengys y cythraul


requiescant in pace

Unadapted borrowing from Latin requiēscant in pāce.


requiescant in pace

requiescant in pace
requiescant in pace#English


requiescat in pace

Unadapted borrowing from Latin requiēscat in pāce.


requiescat in pace

[rɛkʷiˈeːs̠kät̪ ɪn ˈpäːkɛ]


お預かりします

お預かりします (canonical)
o-azukari shimasu (romanization)

一万円お預かり致します。

"I'll take care of it." Set phrase said by cashier while receiving payment from a customer.


Sretan Božić

sh-phrase

Sretan Božić (Cyrillic spelling Сретан Божић)

Сретан Божић (Cyrillic)


one's days are numbered

If his performance does not improve very soon, his days at this company are numbered.

(idiomatic) Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.


הללויה

head

הַלְּלוּיָהּ

הַלְּלוּיָהּ • (hal'luyáh)

הַלְּלוּיָהּ (canonical)
hal'luyáh (romanization)

desctree

→ Ancient Greek: ἀλληλούϊα (allēloúïa), ἁλληλουϊά (hallēlouïá)
Greek: αλληλούια (alliloúia)
→ Latin: allēlūia
French: alléluia
Italian: alleluia
Spanish: aleluya
→ Cebuano: aleluya
→ Tagalog: aleluya
→ English: alleluia
→ Irish: aililiú
→ Polish: alleluja

→ Dutch: halleluja

→ English: hallelujah

→ German: Halleluja, halleluja

→ Indonesian: haleluya (via Dutch)

→ Finnish: halleluja

→ Norwegian Bokmål: halleluja

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: halleluja

→ Swedish: halleluja

Root
 ה־ל־ל (h-l-l)
From הַלְּלוּ (hal'lú, “praise”) + יָהּ (yah, “God”).


気を付けて

気を付けて (canonical)
ki o tsukete (romanization)

Watch yourself, be careful, literally, "keep your health"


RIP

Initialism of requiescat in pace (“may he/she rest in peace; RIP”).

Initialism of requiescant in pace (“may they rest in peace; RIP”).


pretty Polly

Polly is a name traditionally given to a pet parrot.

Pretty Polly! Pretty Polly! Squawk! 'Allo! Who's a pretty boy! Squawk! 'Allo! 'Allo!

A phrase traditionally said to parrots, and that parrots are traditionally taught to speak.


how's tricks

He was smoking a cigar (a most unusual occurrence), and a smile of satisfaction lit up his serene countenance. "How's tricks, Harry my boy?" I asked of that gentleman.

(idiomatic, colloquial) Informal greeting roughly equivalent to How are you? or How's it going?


what's up with

What’s up with you?

What the hell's up with this stupid computer now?!

(colloquial, in rhetorical questions or salutations) What's wrong with; what's the problem or matter with. Said to express that the behaviour of someone, or operation of something, is out of the ordinary or problematic.

cos'ha che non va?

said to express a person's behavior is out of the ordinary

They raised my electricity rates again. What’s up with that?

What’s up with all this new music they’re playing?

(colloquial, in rhetorical questions) Used to express disbelief or curiosity.

I'll tell you what's up with the Government!

(colloquial, in statements) (The thing that is) the problem or issue with.


IANA

Initialism of I am not a(n), a caveat used by lay people to distinguish themselves from professionals on a subject.


than a bygod

It's colder than a bygod out there!

It was a typical Texas summer: hotter than a bygod and not a cloud in sight.

(colloquial, idiomatic) Used with a comparative to express extreme heat or cold.


what's up

Made popular by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny as part of his catch phrase “What’s up Doc?”, as early as 1940. Originally a common greeting from Bugs Bunny creator Tex Avery's neighborhood in Taylor, Texas.

You're looking a bit miserable. What's up?

I got a call saying to come straight away. What's up?

Hello, what's up? Don't cry bub. What's the trouble?

1884 December 10, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC:

"What's up!" he asked, dropping back into a chair, and jingling the loose coins in his trouser pockets.

1890, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, wikipedia:The Firm of Girdlestone, Chapter 1:

Lady Frederick: Oh lord, I wish I were eighteen. [She sinks into a chair, and an expression of utter weariness comes over her face.]
Gerald: I say, what's up?
Lady Frederick: [Starting.] I thought you'd gone. Nothing.

1912, W. Somerset Maugham, Lady Frederick: A Comedy in Three Acts, act 1:

(idiomatic, colloquial, with up in the sense of "of concern") What’s the matter? What is the problem? What is wrong?

wat is er aan de hand

Hey, what's up? – Not much, just working.

(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly US, with up in the sense of "happening") What's happening? What are you doing?

Hey, what's up? – Hey! Good to see you.

(rhetorical question, colloquial) A casual greeting with a meaning similar to hi or nice to meet you.


sok szerencsét

sok (“much”) + szerencse (“luck”) + -t (accusative suffix)


goodnight Vienna

From Goodnight, Vienna, a 1932 operetta.

If the ship takes on any more water, it’ll be goodnight Vienna for us all.

So I met the girl, we had a few drinks. Back to her place, and Good Night, Vienna.

(British slang) Events have reached a state of completion; nothing more can be done.


MIT

(finance) Initialism of market if touched.


good afternoon

Probably a shortening of "I wish you a good afternoon."

Good afternoon everyone and thank you for coming to our special meeting today.

Jeeves: Good afternoon, madam.
Landlady: Don't you good afternoon me. I'm a respectable woman.
Jeeves: I have no reason to doubt it, madam.

1992 April 5, “The Full House”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 3, Episode 2:

(rather formal in US, Canada) A greeting or farewell said in the afternoon.


goodnight

I pray you ſpeake not: he growes worſe & worſe / Queſtion enrages him: at once, goodnight.

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 142, column 2:

So goodnight to you—and goodnight, Councilor.

1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, “Lodge 341, Vermissa”, in The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC, part II (The Scowrers), page 213:


che sarà, sarà

Not a grammatically correct Italian phrase, but rather borrowed from English che sara sara, in turn a popular phrase constructed from Italian words. See more at the English entry.

whatever happens, happens
whatever happens, happens

che sara sara; whatever happens, happens


bbiab

The baby's crying. I'll bbiab.


good night

Sranan Tongo: kuneti

Probably a shortening of "May you have a good night."

A farewell said in the evening or before going to sleep.

[…] peculiarities of your law always interest me. What is 'legitim'?"
"Oh! Good-night!" I said derisively.
"But I am in dead earnest, and really want to know," he added with a perfectly serious face; "I have a small bet on."

1920, William Darling Lyell, The House in Queen Anne Square: A Tale, page 34:

Together they pried into the sodden mass, yanking out what was left of the record books.
"Oh, good night!" Joe moaned in dismay. "The fire extinguisher liquid has messed up what the fire didn't."

1954, Franklin W. Dixon, The Yellow Feather Mystery:

(colloquial, dated) Expressing incredulity.


reilu meininki

Jussin juhlissa on aina reilu meininki: siellä ei nipoteta, vaan pidetään hauskaa.

Jussi always throws great parties: no nitpicking, just having a good time and enjoying oneself.

great atmosphere (said e.g. of a party or festival)


RSVP

(restaurants, events) Initialism of reserve seating via phone.

restaurants; events; restaurants; events


did not bat

Coordinate term: not out

(cricket) Denotes a player who did not bat in an innings played by their side.


DNB

(sports betting) Initialism of draw, no bet, which means that if there’s a tie you get your money back

Diplomate of National Board
w:Diplomate of National Board

(India, medicine, post-nominal title) Initialism of Diplomate of National Board.


dulce bellum inexpertis

[ˈd̪ʊɫ̪kɛ ˈbɛlːʲʊ̃ˑ ɪnɛkˈs̠pɛrt̪iːs̠]

Calque of Ancient Greek γλυκὺς ἀπείρῳ πόλεμος (glukùs apeírōi pólemos), a quote from Pindar (Fragments 110,109) made famous by Erasmus as the title for his meditation on the subject of war.

clq

γλυκὺς ἀπείρῳ πόλεμος

war is sweet to those who have never experienced it


mercy bucket

From the similarity of this (otherwise nonsensical) phrase to the French merci beaucoup.

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

(humorous) Pronunciation spelling of merci beaucoup.


silver plate

From "silver plate", from the similarity of this phrase to the French s'il vous plaît.

(humorous) Pronunciation spelling of s'il vous plaît.


BOHICA

Suggesting anal rape. Compare screwed, fucked.

Acronym of bend over, here it comes again. Used colloquially to indicate that an adverse situation is about to repeat itself, and that acquiescence is the wisest or only course of action.


what the fuck

What the fuck were you thinking? What the fuck was I thinking? What the fuck are you doing?

What the fuck is going on? What the fuck just happened? What the fuck is wrong with you?

(interrogative, vulgar, slang) An intensive form of what.

What the fuck are you doing? — Τι στο διάολο κάνεις

一体全体なんだ？

いったいぜんたいなんだ？


surt sa räven

From Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes.
Literally, "'Sour', said the fox (about the rowan berries)".


SWALK

Acronym of sealed with a loving kiss: term of endearment written across the seal of a love letter.


aye aye, sir

(idiomatic, nautical) The correct and seamanlike reply, onboard a Royal Navy (or US Navy) ship, on receipt of an order from someone of senior rank or authority. It means "I understand the command and hasten to comply with the order."

bien

nautical - I hear, understand and will comply


céad míle fáilte

[ceːd̪ˠ ˈmʲiːlʲə ˈfˠaːlʲtʲə]

Literally, “one hundred thousand welcomes”. Compare Scottish Gaelic ceud mìle fàilte.


GFE

(Google): Introduced by sex columnist Dan Savage.

GFE, idiot: look it up yourself and stop bothering me.

(Internet slang, vulgar) Initialism of Google fucking exists


ETA

Initialism of estimated time approximately.


open sesame

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Antoine Galland
One Thousand and One Nights

From its use in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, translating French Sésame, ouvre-toi in Antoine Galland's version of the Ali Baba story in the One Thousand and One Nights, possibly based on an oral Arabic source.
Not, as some have purported, a corruption of Open, says me!.


ED

Coordinate term: PD

(cartography) Initialism of existence doubtful.


handled the ball

(cricket) Describing a way of getting out in which the batsman deliberately touches the ball with the hand not holding the bat.


MPMD

(computing) Initialism of multiple program, multiple data


LKG

(computing) Initialism of last known good.


is the Pope Catholic

Would you like to go to the beach? ― Is the Pope Catholic?

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

(colloquial, rhetorical question) A rhetorical question in response to a question to which the answer is an emphatic yes.


someone's goose is cooked

Unclear. Unconvincing claims have been made of the term's origin in Aesop's Fables (The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs) and in Swedish history.
Attested as cook someone's goose from 1845.

If he doesn't win the next round, then his goose is cooked.

On our wedding day, a friend said to me sadly:
'Poor old Bernard, now your goose is cooked. Women are like cats, they like walls...'

1969, Bernard Moitessier, “Cape Horn: The Logical Route”, in Inge Moore, transl., [1967, Cap Horn à la Voile], page 49:

"I think that she was so concerned that she was afraid to even mention it in her own journals," Jennifer told him. “In fact, she doesn't bring it up again until it's pretty clear that the South's goose is cooked.”

I thought that Texaco made a pretty good reply, but one of the federal lawyers gave me her take: “When you have to withdraw the evidence on which your expert based his opinion, your goose is cooked.”

2001, Kenneth S. Deffeyes, Hubbert's Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage, page 48:

(idiomatic) All hope is gone; there is no possibility of success; the period of good fortune is over.

Aesop's Fables
The Goose That Laid the Golden Eggs

попал, как кур во щи /caught like a rooster into shchi/


SLR

(text messaging) Initialism of sorry, late reply.


'til the cows come home

until the cows come home
until the cows come home#English

Alternative form of until the cows come home.


NOIBN

(shipping) Initialism of not otherwise indexed by name.


me too

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-me too.wav

我也是

góa ā-sī / góa ǎ-sǐ / góa iā-sī / góa iǎ-sǐ

engem is

see also its declension;as the object of a verb

ja też

ja will often be in the correct case for a situation


until the cows come home

Possibly from the fact that cattle let out to pasture may be only expected to return for milking the next morning; thus, for example, a party that goes on “until the cows come home” is a very long one.
The phrase was first coined by John Dunton in 1691 in his account of Ireland: in Teague Land: or A Merry Ramble to the Wild Irish (1698) he says “on Sundays and Holydays, all the people resorted with the piper and fiddler to the village green. Where the young folk dance till the cows come home", probably because the Irish would often bring their cows into their homes at night as mentioned by Dunton

You can crank the engine until the cows come home, but it won’t start without fuel.

Good Morrow, / Drinke tell the Cow come home, 'tis all pay'd boyes.

[1609–1612, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Captaine”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene ii, page 63, column 1:

If there be any lazy Fellow, any that cannot away with Work, any that would wallow in Pleaſures, he is haſty to be prieſted. And, when he is made one, and hath gotten a Benefice, he conſorts with his Neighbour Prieſts, who are altogether given to Pleaſures; and then both he, and they, live, not like Chriſtians, but like Epicures; drinking, eating, feaſting, and revelling, till the Cow come Home, as the saying is; [...]

[1610, Alexander Cooke, “Pope Joane”, in William Oldys, editor, The Harleian Miscellany: […], volume IV, London: T[homas] Osborne, […], published 1745, →OCLC, page 125:

Come my brave Man of War, trace out thy darling, / As you my learned Council, ſit and turn boyes, / Kiſs till the Cow come home, kiſs cloſe, kiſs cloſe knaves. / My Modern Poet, thou ſhalt kiſs in couplets.

[c. 1613–1616, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Scornful Lady, a Comedy”, in Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. […], [part 1], London: […] J[ohn] Macock [and H. Hills], for John Martyn, Henry Herringman, and Richard Marriot, published 1679, →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 68, column 1:

Miſs, if I had ſaid ſo, I ſhould have told a Fib; I warrant you lay a Bed till the Cows came home: But, Miſs, ſhall I cut you a little Cruſt now my Hand is in?

1738, Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, According to the Most Polite Mode and Method Now Used at Court, and in the Best Companies of England. In Three Dialogues, London: Printed for B[enjamin] Motte, and C. Bathurst […], →OCLC, page 158:

If the Duke [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington] will but do what he unquestionably can do, and propose a Catholic Bill with securities, he may be Minister [in Robert Peel's cabinet], as they say in Scotland "until the cows come home."

Now I can't stop lawyers from calling me names and saying I am guilty of judicial misconduct and that I am prejudiced, and this, that and the other thing, and you can keep that up until the cows come home; that is all right, and I take no umbrage at it.

1952 March 10, Justice Felix Frankfurter (dissenting), Sacher v. United States 343 U.S. 1, Supreme Court of the United States, pages 69–70

Middleton, up to that time, July 1952, had been prepared to give the lovable old gentleman the benefit of every possible doubt and talk to him until the cows had come home and gone to bed.

1996, Sam Falle, My Lucky Life: In War, Revolution, Peace and Diplomacy, Lewes, East Sussex: Book Guild, →ISBN, page 80:

But I could quote from Animal Warmth and Up On All Fours until the cows come home. I could quote until the cows came home about the cows not coming home.

2003, Clive James, “The Meaning of Recognition”, in Australian Book Review, numbers 248–257, page 27:

She could list Buck's good qualities from now until the cows came home. If the cows came home. If she waited for him to return until the cows came home, she'd never see any of them again.

2012, Darlene Franklin, A Ranger's Trail (Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series), Chicago, Ill.: Moody Publishers, →ISBN:

John [Carradine] and I became quite close, we worked in several movies together. He could recite Shakespeare ’til the cows came home [laughs], and he had a heart as big as outdoors.

2014, Tom Weaver, “Robert Dix”, in Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers: 20 Interviews, Jefferson, N.C., London: McFarland & Company, →ISBN, page 77:

Anders and his wife had bought a house in an exclusive Cincinnati community where they'd partied with the wealthy elite, "hobnobbing" until the cows had come home.

2015, Karen Rose, Alone in the Dark (The Cincinnati Series; book 2), London: Headline, →ISBN:

(idiomatic) For a very long period of time.


WWWWW

(humorous, mathematics) Abbreviation of which was what we wanted.

W⁵

punningly interpreting WWWWW as mathematical notation for the product of five Ws


CAVOK

minimum sector altitude
minimum sector altitude

(aviation) Acronym of ceiling (or clouds) and visibility [are] OK., a weather term, specific to an airport, used when conditions at the airport include visibility of at least 6 statute miles, no clouds below 5000 feet or minimum sector altitude (whichever is higher), and no hazardous weather conditions (cumulonimbus clouds, thunderstorms, precipitation, shallow fog, or low drifting snow) near the airport .


once or twice

Have you changed a tyre before? — Yes, once or twice.

(idiomatic) A small, indefinite number of times.


etux

Alternative spelling of et ux. ("and wife")


(military, slang) gear-to, gear up; to gear up and get ready for battle, movement, or any type of action.


nomen nescio

From nōmen (“name”) + nesciō (“I do not know”).

A filler in a text that indicates an anonymous or non-specific person.


god jul och gott nytt år

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


tusen tack

From tusen (“a thousand”) + tack (“thanks”). Compare Norwegian tusen takk, German tausend Dank.

Tusen tack för hjälpen!

many thanks, thanks a million, thank you very much


how much is it

how much does it cost
how much does it cost


god jul

[ɡuʷː jʉʷːl]


god jul

God jul, min vän


what's the matter

Why are you crying? What's the matter?

What's the matter with you? Why would you do a thing like that?

(idiomatic) What is wrong? What's the problem?

啥物代志？

siáⁿ-mi̍h tāi-chì? / siáⁿ-mih tāi-chì? / siám-mih tāi-chì? / sáⁿ-mi̍h tāi-chì? / siám-mi̍h tāi-chì? / siáⁿ-mí tāi-chì? / siáⁿ-meh tāi-chì? / sahⁿ-mi̍h tāi-chì?

什物代志？

sím-mi̍h tāi-chì? / sím-mi tāi-chì? / sím-mih tāi-chì? / sīm-mi̍h tāi-chì? / sám-mi̍h tāi-chì?

(dated) What's happening? What's the news?


you're welcome

Used to acknowledge thanks; ritual reply to “thank you”.

OpenB@DistalSideChesthigh-PalmAcross RoundVert OpenB@DistalInsideTrunkhigh-PalmUp RoundHoriz OpenB@NearCenterTrunkhigh-PalmUp

لَا شُكْرَ عَلَى وَاجِب (lā šukra ʕalā wājib, literally “no [need to] thank for [doing] a duty”)

ܠܹܐ ܕܵܩܪܵܐ (lē dāqrā, literally “it dosen’t cost”)

ܠܹܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܚܲܕ݇ ܡܸܢܕܝܼ (lē ìlēh ḵa mindī, literally “it’s nothing”)

בְּבַקָּשָׁה (b'vakashá, literally “please”)

עַל לֹא דָבָר (al lo davár, literally “it’s nothing”)

nu aveți pentru ce

used when addressing one person formally

ไม่เป็นไร (mâi-bpen-rai, literally “it’s nothing”)

No, I didn’t cook, but you’re welcome to try out the new kitchen.

2016, Lynette Eason, Without Warning (Elite Guardians; 2), Revell, →ISBN:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see you're, welcome.


or else

Clean up your room, or else!

Elon Musk to Workers: Spend 40 Hours in the Office, or Else [title]

2022 June 1, Ryan Mac, “Elon Musk to Workers: Spend 40 Hours in the Office, or Else”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

Joy Behar, who has called the MAGA movement a cult, poked her head into the room and demonstrated how invested she was in Ms. Farah Griffin’s success by offering some advice aimed squarely at me: “Be nice — or else.”

2024 March 9, Jacob Bernstein, “A Former Trump Aide Becomes a Liberal Favorite”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(idiomatic) No matter what (implies an unspecified threat).

(mert) különben

and other combinations of the two phrases


she'll be apples

From rhyming slang - apples and spice = nice; compare she's apples.

“She′ll be right,” Bob exuded a confidence much out of touch with the reality of the situation, “She′ll be apples.”

1983, Neil Appleford, The Dish Licker, page 62:

The thought made him smile and he patted Cec on the shoulder.
‘She′ll be apples,’ he encouraged, and Cec took up his cup.

1989, Kerry Greenwood, “Cocaine Blues”, in Introducing the Honourable Phryne Fisher, Omnibus, page 31:

‘Will it hurt?’ Duke was a small republic of concern to Dot.
‘No way. Piece of cake. She′ll be apples.’

1997, David Ireland, The Chosen, page 318:

(Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) Everything will be all right.


she's apples

From rhyming slang - apples and spice = nice.

The other saw Mama-san; ‘She’s apples, Frank! We don't have to go any further. Here's Mama-sa’ waiting to turn it on for us! Konichiwa, Mama-san,’ he said enticingly.

1989, Bill Pearson, Six Stories, page 28:

I'm no good now, I'm burnt out. I was real good but only got one good and one bad one. My leg, look! That's it! But the other leg, she's apples. And that's how it is.

1997, Lee Chittick, Terry Fox, Travelling with Percy: A South Coast Journey, page 94:

2003, Colleen McCullough, The Touch, 2004, Large Print Press, page 541,
Sam checked what Theodora had assembled, nodded and unearthed a blowtorch from his tool bag. “Thanks, Miss Jay, she's apples,” he said, beginning to fill the blowtorch's reservoir with spirits.

(Australia, colloquial) Everything is all right, or in good working order.


going to

From Middle English goyng to, first attested in 1483—some earlier attestations have been claimed, though these are disputed—and grammaticalized over the course of the Early Modern period. Possibly influenced by the comparable use of Middle French aller (“go”), which arose somewhat earlier and is preserved in modern French.

I'm going to throw out the milk if nobody’s going to drink it.

I was going to cut the grass, but it started raining.

I sav’d my Son Æneas from his hand, / My dearest Son, whom he was going to slay.

1676, Thomas Hobbes, transl., Homer’s Iliads in English […], book 5, page 69:

“Sh—! Don’t speak—he’s going to commence.”

1870–1871 (date written), Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “”, in Roughing It, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company [et al.], published 1872, →OCLC, page 383:

Expresses the prospective aspect relative to a given time frame: something that will happen, or is intended, at the time, to happen.

use the future perfective or use the future of być + imperfective infinitive

Use the future perfective or use the future of быть (bytʹ) + imperfective infinitive

typically formed using the past tense of chcieć

I'll be going to dinner at 5 for the senior specials.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see be, going, to.


in fieri

in + fierī, present active infinitive of fiō (“I become; I happen”).


SSIA

(Internet slang) Initialism of subject says it all.


DNS

(sports) Initialism of does/did not start.


我愛你

Vietnamese: ngộ ái nị (from Cantonese)

/wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ ni²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ŋɔː¹³ ɔːi̯³³ nei̯¹³/

/ɡua⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ai²¹⁻⁴¹ li⁴¹/

/wɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀaɪ̯⁵¹ ni²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ŋɔː¹³ ɔːi̯³³ nei̯¹³/

/ɡua⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ai²¹⁻⁴¹ li⁴¹/


couldn't happen to a nicer

couldn't happen to a nicer ... (canonical)

So the CEO of ScamCo is going to prison? Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

(idiomatic) Sarcastically asserts that those in question thoroughly deserve their fate.


what's the good of

You can't do anything about it, so what's the good of crying?

(idiomatic) What is the purpose or advantage of


what gives

First attested in 1940, in John O'Hara's novel Pal Joey. The term is considered by the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, Second Edition (2013) and several other references to be a calque of German “was gibt's?” and/or a Yiddish equivalent. Brian Joseph considers this unlikely, however, and speculates that despite its extremely late attestation, it and the German was gibt's may "allow[] for a reconstruction of a Proto-West-Germanic existential use of 'give', which survives marginally into present usage."

Not even thirty minutes after leaving the shower, my head starts itching. What gives?

(colloquial) What is wrong? Why is this happening?

What gives with you and Martha?

(colloquial) What is happening? What is going on?


what do you know

Near-synonym: who would have thunk it

Well, what do you know, it's raining again.

(colloquial, set phrase, rhetorical question, often sarcastic) What a surprise; guess what.

You think so, eh? Well what do you know?

you don't know what you're talking about#English

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see what, do, you, know; especially, synonym of you don't know what you're talking about.


IMNSHO

(informal, Internet slang, text messaging, humorous) Initialism of In my not-so-humble opinion.


asf

"My dad trying to take panoramics of me. I'm mad asf," Simran tweeted alongside two photos of herself looking like an optical illusion.

2018 September 17, Nicole Gallucci, “Dad attempts a nice – but absurdly unsuccessful – panoramic photo of his daughter”, in Mashable:


or so

How many people came to the party? – Thirty or so.

It was about half full or so.

A VVeek or ſo vvill probably reconcile us.

1728, [John] Gay, The Beggar’s Opera. […], London: […] John Watts, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene ii, page 21:

When everyone had finished off with a drink from the well and an apple or so, the Dwarf produced a pipe about the size of his own arm, filled it, lit it, blew a great cloud of fragrant smoke and said, "Now."

1951, C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia:


there she blows

"There she blows! there! there! there! she blows! she blows!"
"Where-away?"
"On the lee-beam, about two miles off! a school of them!"

1851, Herman Melville, chapter 47, in Moby Dick:

(nautical) The traditional hail of the lookout in a whaler (whaling ship) when sighting the spouting water thrown up by a whale surfacing.


nota bene

/ˌnəʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/

Unadapted borrowing from Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”).

ubor

(imperative) Take special note; used to add an aside or warning to a text.


nota bene

From Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See the Latin section's etymology for further information.

nota bene (used to add an aside or warning to a text)


nota bene

Unadapted borrowing from Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See the Latin section’s etymology for further information..


nota bene

notā bene (canonical)
notāte bene (plural)

[ˈnɔt̪äː ˈbɛnɛ]

[ˈnɔːt̪ä ˈbɛːne]

notā, singular present active imperative form of notō (“I mark”, “I note”, “I observe”) + bene (“well”), adverbial form of bonus (“good”)


nota bene

From Classical Latin notā bene (“note well”). See that entry for more information.


semper fidelis

→⇒ English: semper fi

[ˈs̠ɛmpɛr fɪˈd̪eːlʲɪs̠]


je m'appelle

From je + a conjugated form of s’appeler. Literally, “I call myself”.

Je m’appelle Claude. Et vous ?

Comment t’appelles-tu

What's your name?; How do you call yourself?

Comment vous appelez-vous

What is your name?; How do you call yourself?


matter of fact

See matter, fact. First attested in the 16th century.

“Are you familiar with the Trade Mart building?” ¶ “Yes,” I replied. “Matter of fact, I had drinks up at the top of the Mart only a few nights ago.”

1970, James Kirkwood, American Grotesque: An Account of the Clay Shaw–Jim Garrison Affair in the City of New Orleans, page 570:

Matter of fact, I vaguely recall interviewing him at a public appearance at The New York Times Building on Wednesday evening.

2009 November 14, George Vecsey, “In Assessing Agassi, the Title Tells It All”, in The New York Times:

as a matter of fact
as a matter of fact#English

(colloquial, adverbial) Ellipsis of as a matter of fact.


nightie

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nightie.wav

Alternative form of nighty (“good night”)


ultra vires

From Latin ultra vires (“beyond the power”).

Acts of the Scottish Parliament, unlike Westminster, can be challenged in court on the basis that they relate to reserved matters and are, therefore, ultra vires.

(law) beyond the legal power or authority of a person or body


quod vide

English: quod google

Literally, “which see”; from Latin quod (“which”) + vidē (“see!”), imperative of videō (“I see”).

used after a term to indicate that more information on the term is available elsewhere.


where the sun don't shine

You can take your unsolicited advice and stick it where the sun don't shine.


SHID

(Internet slang) Initialism of slapping head in disgust.


all that jazz

He went to school to study math and science and all that jazz.

My kind of town, Chicago is / My kind of razzmatazz / And it has all that jazz

1964, “My Kind of Town”, Sammy Cahn (lyrics), Jimmy Van Heusen (music), performed by Frank Sinatra:

(informal, idiomatic) Everything else related to something; other similar things.

之類的

everything else related to something; other similar things


another nail in someone's coffin

Following the divorce and the lawsuit, bankruptcy is just another nail in his coffin.

(idiomatic) An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.

újabb szög valakinek a koporsójába (n)

one in a series of factors which lead, or purport to lead, to downfall


have a nice day

祝你今天过得愉快 (zhù nǐ jīntiān guò de yúkuài) (no exact equivalent exists; literal translation provided)

Thank you. Have a nice day.

You can reach my parents at their places of business. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your concern for my well-being. Have a nice day!

1986, John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, spoken by Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick):

(US, Canada, rather formal). A polite parting during daytime.

"Oh great, dear; have a nice day at the playground."

2011, Josh Linkner, Disciplined Dreaming, page 99:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see have, a, nice, day.


IHS

The reference to Jesus is from the first three letters of Jesus' name in Koine Greek, ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (IĒSOuS), arising perhaps circa 14th century. The interpretation as an abbreviation Iesus Hominum Salvator (“Jesus, saviour of men”) is apparently a later back-formation when the Greek was no longer remembered. (See wikipedia Christogram.)

In hoc signo (In this sign). Commonly seen on Christian churches.


a into g

/ˈeɪ ɪntə ˈd͡ʒiː/

C'mon Geoffrey, we're already five minutes late, so get your a into g!

ass into gear
get one's ass into gear#English

(slang, euphemistic) Abbreviation of ass into gear


'fraid not

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-'fraid not.wav


I'm afraid so

Do we really have to do every one by hand? Yes, I'm afraid so.

Unfortunately, yes; I regret that that is so.

pelkäänpä pahoin (often with "että"; "pelkäänpä pahoin, että ...")


I'm afraid not

Do you have any beer? No, I'm afraid not.

Unfortunately, no; I regret that that is not so.