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.


ik

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


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


I love you

"I love you, Mom," said Candace.

I love you, Lolly: I should have been saying it at the end of every one of those goddamn Sunday-evening calls. Should have been calling her. I love you: Why did that simple three-syllable sentence always get stuck in my throat?

2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.3, at p.73

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

دورِت بِگَرْدَم (doret begardam, literally “I'll circumambulate you”)

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

The dark days are gone and the bright days are here / My sunny one shines so sincere / Sunny, one so true / I love you

1976, Boney M., “Sunny”, in Take the Heat off Me:

An affirmation of romantic feeling to a lover or spouse.

我愛汝 /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


ttyl

(Internet slang, text messaging) Alternative letter-case form of TTYL (“talk to you later”).


RTFM

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

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


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.

illegitimi non carborundum (alternative)
nolite te bastardes carborundum (alternative)

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


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.


WYSIWYG

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

coin

Wysiwyg (alternative)
wysiwyg (alternative)

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.


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).


AC

a.c. (alternative)
A/C (alternative)
a/c (alternative)
A.C. (alternative)
a.c. (alternative)
ac (alternative)
A.C. (alternative)
A.C. (alternative)
A. C. (alternative)
a.c. (alternative)

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


NB

NB: Do not write below this line.

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


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.


who knows

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.

誰知道？ /谁知道？

rhetorical question: anything is possible


UTC

(travel, GDS) Initialism of unable to contact.


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

& cetera (alternative)
ekcetera (alternative)
ekcetra (alternative)
excetera (alternative)
exetera (alternative)
et caetera (alternative)
et cætera (alternative)
etcetera (alternative)
et ceteræ (alternative)

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


pendente lite

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


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:


bo

Alternative form: BO

Best-of-three (bo3) Group Stage Match Information

Initialism of best of Often directly precedes an odd number.


MOR

/ɛm əʊ ˈɑː(ɹ)/

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:

At a hip grocery store, Maggie meets David (Kelvin Harrison Jr., from “Waves”), a handsome singer-songwriter with a rockin’ MOR vibe, and the two have a “High Fidelity” music-geek convo that dances on the edge of cringey-ness.

2020 May 25, Owen Gleiberman, “‘The High Note’: Film Review”, in Claudia Eller, editor, Variety, Los Angeles, Calif.: Variety Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-05-25:

middle of the road
middle of the road#English

(radio) Initialism of middle of the road.


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:


etcetera

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

uder

“To create life, to use science itself, chemical galvanism, electrobiology, etcetera, etcetera. To reanimate dead tissue, now, whomever unlocks that mystery, is not a man, but a god.” “Like Frankenstein.” “Who?” “Like Dr. Victor Frankenstein.” “Never heard of him.” “Right.”

2024 October 21, Paul Simms, “The Return of Jerry” (4:09 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, episode 1, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):

(proscribed) Alternative form of et cetera.


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.


ROFL

/ɑɹˌoʊˌɛfˈɛl/

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


YMMV

your mileage may vary
your mileage may vary#English

(chiefly fandom slang) Initialism of your mileage may vary.


GB

(Internet slang) Initialism of God bless.


ROTFL

(Internet slang, text messaging, 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>:

While they worked together, [Frank] Marks quickly learned that when [Peter] Dodge offered his thoughts in an email and wrote “IMHO,” meaning “in my humble opinion,” Marks should heed them because “that meant I was screwing up,” he said.

2024 October 9, Praveena Somasundaram, “A hurricane hunter’s final, fitting resting place: Milton’s eye”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., retrieved 2024-10-10:

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.


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.


PTO

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


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


SABC

stand and be counted
stand and be counted#English


AAA

Initialism of awaiting aircraft availability.


WB

(Internet slang) Initialism of welcome back.


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.


NW

(Internet slang) Initialism of now watching.


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/arse off
laugh one's ass off#English

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


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


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”).

etc (alternative)
ec. (alternative)
&c. (alternative dated)
&c (alternative dated)
&ca. (alternative dated)
&ca (alternative dated)
et cetera (alternative)

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

I like video games of strategy (Civilization, SimCity, etc.) and speed (such as Neverball).

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.


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)

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

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

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”)


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.

(military, slang, euphemistic) Acronym of situation normal, all fucked up /situation normal, all fouled up.


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

汝好勢無？ /汝好势无？

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

汝較好無？ /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?

சௌக்கியமா? (caukkiyamā?, literally “are you well?”)

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's your name

what is your name
what is your name#English


I'm fine, thank you

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-I'm fine, thank you.wav

The expected, polite response to how are you?

5@Sternum-FingerUp Contact

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?)


my name is

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


where is the toilet

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-where is the toilet.wav

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

屎礐佇佗落？ /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?

廁所佇佗落？ /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?

礐廁佇佗落？ /𬒈厕伫佗落？

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

染蠻佇佗落？ /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?


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)


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?

恁號做啥物？ /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)


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


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

Alternative form: stfu

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


WTF

(programming slang): Originated on The Daily WTF, a humorous blog dealing with real-world examples of bad programming.

wtf (alternative)
W.T.F. (alternative)
W. T. F. (alternative)

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, vulgar) Where the fuck, why the fuck, when the fuck, or who the fuck.


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:


ATM

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


happy Easter

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

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, a variant of North American TV standard for analog television, drawing attention to the standard’s shortcomings.


ono

Bike for sale: €300 ono


ono

(Internet slang) Abbreviation of over and out.


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.


happy New Year

Happy New Year (alternative)
happy new year (alternative)
Happy New Year's (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-happy New Year.wav

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


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.


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.


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.

别烦，我不听

used to dismiss another person's argument

talk to the hand 'cause the face ain't listening


tia

thanks in advance
thanks in advance#English


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.


too bad

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

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

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 2, 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.


let's go

less go (alternative)
lessgo (alternative)
let us go (alternative formal)

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 a 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)


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”).

seq. (alternative)
sq. (alternative)
& seq. (alternative)
& seqq. (alternative)

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


what a lovely day

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-what a lovely day.wav


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).


ion

ion know what 2 do

ion want 2

(African-American Vernacular, slang) I don't.


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 /大同小异

little difference between multiple things

どんぐりの背比べ (donguri no sei kurabe, literally “height comparison among acorns”)


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!


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

eff why eye (alternative)
eff-why-eye (alternative)

FYI, there are donuts in the break room. [sentence adverbial use]

I just wanted to give you an FYI about the donuts in the break room. [noun use]

He forwards so many FYIs that sometimes it feels a bit like the boy who cried wolf. [noun use]

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


bon appétit

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

ubor

bon appetit (alternative)
bone apple tea (alternative)

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)


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.


IIRC

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


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.


TTYL

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


SFAIAA

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


TDS

(medicine) to be taken three times daily


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.


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).


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.


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!

Transmission from Klingon ship: Federation ship Enterprise. Surrender and prepare to be boarded. / Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart): That will be the day.

1990, Trent Christopher Ganino, Eric A. Stillwell, “Yesterday's Enterprise”, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 3, episode 15, spoken by Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart):

(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”)


different strokes

Appeared in general use by 1970. Possibly originally from the 1968 song “Everyday People” by “Sly & The Family Stone”

different strokes for different folks#English

Ellipsis of different strokes for different folks.


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.


OHMS

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


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; see taboo avoidance.

ellipsis

A: You know who would appreciate this? Tom. B: Speak of the devil! Look who just walked in!

(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

pri la lupo rakonto, kaj la lupo renkonte

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


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.


requiescat in pace

Unadapted borrowing from Latin requiēscat in pāce.


requiescant in pace

Unadapted borrowing from Latin requiēscant in pāce.


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.


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 a phrase 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

Popularized by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny as part of his catchphrase “Eh... What’s up, doc?”, as early as 1940. Originally a common greeting from Bugs Bunny creator Tex Avery's neighborhood in Taylor, Texas.

wassup (alternative)
what up (alternative)
waz up (alternative)
wazzup (alternative)
whassup (alternative)
wuzzup (alternative)
wussup (alternative)
sup (alternative)
wa'up (alternative)
swa'up (alternative)
'sup (alternative)
wsp (alternative)

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], chapter XIII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: (Tom Sawyer’s Comrade) […], London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 112:

"What's up?" he asked, dropping back into a chair, and jingling the loose coins in his trouser pockets. / "I have had news of the Black Eagle," his father answered. "She is reported from Madeira."

1890, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Mr. John Harston Keeps an Appointment”, in The Firm of Girdlestone: A Romance of the Unromantic, London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, page 5:

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.


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.


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.


good night

Sranan Tongo: kuneti

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

good-night (alternative archaic)
goodnight (alternative)
g'night (alternative colloquial)

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.


goodnight Vienna

From Goodnight, Vienna, a 1932 operetta.

Good Night, Vienna (alternative)
good night, Vienna (alternative)
good night Vienna (alternative)
goodnight, Vienna (alternative)

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.


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:


bbiab

The baby's crying. I'll bbiab.


RSVP

R.S.V.P. (alternative)
R. S. V. P. (alternative)
rsvp (alternative)
r.s.v.p. (alternative)
r. s. v. p. (alternative)

(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.


wtf

(military slang, Internet slang, text messaging, vulgar) Alternative letter-case form of WTF.


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？


mercy bucket

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

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.

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

(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.


SWALK

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


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!.

open, Sesame (alternative)
open, sesame (alternative)
open Sesame (alternative)


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


ETA

Initialism of estimated time approximately.


ED

Coordinate term: PD

(cartography) Initialism of existence doubtful.


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.


me too

→ Chinese: 米兔 (mǐtù)

metoo (alternative)
me-too (alternative)

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


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.


hit wicket

(cricket) Describing a method of dismissal of a batsman (out) in which the batsman hits his own wicket either with the bat or his body, usually while attempting to play the ball.


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.


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

till the cow come home (alternative)
'til the cows come home (alternative)
till the cows come home (alternative)

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.


'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.


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.


WWWWW

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


you're welcome

you’re welcome! (canonical)
you are welcome (alternative formal)
yw (alternative)

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 doesn’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.


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.


or else

Clean up your room, or else!

"You’d better not" "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) Implies an unspecified threat if a preceding command is not fulfilled.

(mert) különben

and other combinations of the two phrases


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?

啥物代誌？ /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?

什物代誌？ /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?


how much is it

how much does it cost
how much does it cost


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.

gonna (alternative informal)
gunna (alternative pronunciation-spelling)
gonno (alternative pronunciation-spelling)

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.

Mary is going to have another baby. I'll most probably have blue eyes, because both parents do.

I’ve already agreed on a price, so I’m going to buy it regardless.

I’ve been going to stop by for ages, but I’ve only just found time.

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

It's too late, I must be going to my grandma's.

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


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.


DNS

(sports) Initialism of does/did not start.


SSIA

(Internet slang) Initialism of subject says it all.


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 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?

en:you don_t know what you_re talking about

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.


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'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


asf

Alternative forms: af, AF

"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:

(Internet slang, text messaging, vulgar) Initialism of as fuck.


IMNSHO

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


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:


nota bene

/ˌnəʊtə ˈbɛneɪ/

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

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


there she blows

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-there she blows.wav

"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.


matter of fact

“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

Unadapted borrowing 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.

Plaintiffs alleged that Defendants’ actions were ultra vires and violated the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

2025 June 19, “Gavin Newsom v. Donald J. Trump”, in United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, page 2:

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


where the sun don't shine

where the sun doesn't shine (alternative)

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

(euphemistic) Up or in the anus (usually figuratively).


SHID

(Internet slang) Initialism of slapping head in disgust.


have a nice day

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-have a nice day.wav

祝你今天過得愉快 /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.


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) Synonym of all that.

之類的 /之类的

everything else related to something; other similar things


another nail in someone's coffin

nail in one's coffin (alternative)
another nail in the coffin (alternative)

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


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.


no strings attached

no string attached (alternative)
NSA (alternative)

/nəʊ ˌstɹɪŋz‿əˈtæt͡ʃt/

/noʊ ˌstɹɪŋz‿əˈtæt͡ʃt/

From strings (“(figurative) conditions, limitations, restrictions”), possibly from an old prank where a money purse with a hidden string would be placed on the ground, and pulled away when someone tried to pick it up.

For a friend I’ll help out for free, no strings attached.

In the present century marriage is preceded by a betrothment, gifts are usually interchanged (but with no strings attached), and a causeless withdrawal therefrom by either party is considered infamous.

1883 March 24, “Current Topics. Marriage.”, in W. T. Baggett, editor, Pacific Coast Law Journal, […], volume XI, number 5, San Francisco, Calif.: Pacific Coast Law Printing and Publishing Co., […], →OCLC, pages 90–91:

Mr. [James Gillespie] Blaine's declination—it is always understood that we assume there is no string attached to his letter—is undoubtedly a wise move on his part.

1892 February 17, “Cartoons and Comments”, in H[enry] C[uyler] Bunner, editor, Puck, volume XXX, number 780, New York, N.Y.: Keppler & Schwarzmann, →OCLC, page 430, column 2:

Listen. We've kept it quiet, but she's in with the elect on French Hill. Her claim's prospected the richest of the outfit. Present indication half a million at least. In her own name, no strings attached. Couldn't she take that and go anywhere in the world and reinstate herself?

1902 October, Jack London, chapter XXI, in A Daughter of the Snows, Philadelphia, Pa.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC, page 224:

"No," I assured him, after receiving his cordial welcome, "my offer had no string attached. I'm more than ready to help in any way I can, to find a niche for you in this old town and fit you into it. It doesn't matter where you hail from, or how you got here; New York is an all-comers' race, and the devil take the hindmost."

1919, Carolyn Wells, “Case Rivers”, in The Man Who Fell through the Earth, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, →OCLC, page 170:

Would he ask her out (if he ever did) just for herself, no strings attached?

1953 (date written), Sylvia Plath, “Initiation”, in Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: And Other Prose Writings, London: Faber and Faber, published 1977, →ISBN, page 151:

As to the $12 billion State share, there is not even the pretense of an attempt at congressional oversight, Federal control, or standards of performance. The State share is totally no-string attached.

1972 July 27, Andrew J[ohn] Biemiller, witness, “Statement of Andrew J. Biemiller, Director, Department of Legislation, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, Accompanied by Nathaniel Goldfinger, Director, Research Department, and Arnold Cantor, Economist, Research Department”, in Revenue Sharing: Hearings before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate, Ninety-second Congress, Second Session on H.R. 14370 to Provide Payments to Localities for High-priority Expenditures, to Encourage the States to Supplement Their Revenue Sources, and to Authorize Federal Collection of State Individual Income Taxes […], Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 452:

Who wanna have sex with no strings attached

1999, “Be Faithful”, Isaac Freeman, Edmund Bini, Joseph Rizzo, Sean Combs, Schon Crawford, Clarence Emery, Bernard Edwards, Faith Evans, Ronald Lawrence, Nile Rodgers, James Alexander, Ben Cauley, Johnny Hammond, Allen Jones, William McLean, Andres Titus (music) (Compact Disc), performed by Fatman Scoop, United States: AV8:

'I asked him to think again. I asked him to put Drago's interests first. I repeated that there were no strings attached to my offer.' / 'No visible strings, you mean.'

2005, J[ohn] M[axwell] Coetzee, chapter 20, in Slow Man, London: Vintage, →ISBN, page 151:

You say that you want / All of my love / But let's be honest, we don't need all that / I like it better with no strings attached

2013, Tim Myers, Melissa Sheppard, “Bad Things”, in Dear You, performed by Meiko, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Calif.: Fantasy Records, published 2014, →OCLC:

He also criticised what he called the Government's "bailout" of the privatised rail companies with no strings attached, stating: "There is simply no reason why the same easy solution could not have been applied to London,[…]."

2020 November 18, Richard Clinnick, “Network News: Emergency Funding Package of up to £1.8bn Agreed for TfL”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 15:

When government delivers handouts with no string attached, more people naturally want to use and abuse them, which eventually ruins economy and drains a country's wealth. Essentially the welfare state destroys the ethic which sustains this very state.

2021, Andrei Znamenski, “Regime of Goodness: Social Democracy and the Swedish Model, 1920s–1990s”, in Socialism as a Secular Creed: A Modern Global History, Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 205:

(idiomatic, originally US, informal) Without conditions or obligations; without a catch.

без за́дней мы́сли (bez zádnej mýsli, literally “without an ulterior motive”)


I'm afraid so

I am afraid so (alternative)
'fraid so (alternative informal)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I'm afraid so.wav

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

I am afraid not (alternative)
'fraid not (alternative)

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

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


'fraid not

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


TMTOWTDI

So, pollute your namespace with almost two dozen subroutines that you may not even use that often, or risk a silly bug by mistyping an attribute. Your choice, TMTOWTDI after all.

1997, Larry Wall, Perl Resource Kit, O'Reilly, →ISBN, page 586:

Acronym of there's more than one way to do it, a motto associated with the Perl programming language.


a little bird told me

The etymology is unknown; in English sources, references to birds passing along information to people date back to at least the 16th century (see the 1546 quotation), and in other languages even earlier. For example, Ecclesiastes 10:20 in the Bible, the original Hebrew version of which is dated to 450–180 B.C.E., states according to the King James Version (spelling modernized): “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.”

Let’s just say I know because a little bird told me.

[…] I did lately heere, / How fleck and his make use their secret haunting, / By one byrd, that in myne eare was late chaunting.

[1546, John Heywood, chapter V, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part II, page 121:

I vvil lay ods, that ere this yeere expire, / VVe beare our ciuil ſvvords and natiue fier, / As farre as France, I heard a bird ſo ſing,[…]

[c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v], signature L, recto:

VVell, vvell; I had a little bird told me all this—

1780, [Sophia] Lee, The Chapter of Accidents: A Comedy, […], London: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene [ii], page 45:

'Yes,' replies she, 'and what do you care about them?' / 'It's very much I care,' replied I, 'for a little bird has whispered a secret to me.'

[1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter I, in Peter Simple. […], volume III, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 6:

‘Is Harry Fortescue in love with Florry Carlton?’ asked Lady Charity. ‘A little bird told me he was as good as engaged to her.’

1872 July, [George Webbe Dasent], “Three to One: Or Some Passages out of the Life of Amicia Lady Sweetapple. Chapter XLVIII. Lady Sweetapple Sees Lady Charity, and Hears Something of Edith Price.”, in M[ary] E[lizabeth] Braddon, editor, Belgravia: A London Magazine, volume VIII (Second Series; volume XVIII overall), London: Robson and Sons, […], →OCLC, page 104:

"Sorry to disturb you," said the Major, "but you're to be transferred to another prison—why, you aren't undressed!" / "No," said Manfred, lazily kicking off the cover, "but I thought the transfer would be earlier." / "How did you know?" / "About the transfer—oh, a little bird told me," said the prisoner, stretching himself.

1908, Edgar Wallace, “Chelmsford”, in The Four Just Men, Boston, Mass.: Small, Maynard & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, part II (The Council of Justice), page 287:

A little bird told me you were likely to be soon engaged—and to an earl's nephew […]

2012, Anna Elliott, “Saturday 21 May 1814”, in Georgiana Darcy’s Diary: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Continued, [U.S.A.]: Wilton Press, →ISBN, page 136:

(idiomatic, chiefly humorous) I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.

عُصْفُور صَغِير أَخْبَرَنِي

ჩიტმა ამბავი მომიტანა (čiṭma ambavi momiṭana, literally “a little bird brought me the story”)

слу́хом земля́ по́лнится (slúxom zemljá pólnitsja, literally “the rumour fills the earth”)

соро́ка на хвосте́ принесла́ (soróka na xvosté prineslá, literally “a magpie brought it on its tail”)


all the way to Egery and back

(British, idiomatic) The long way; a roundabout route; a long distance to travel.


beats me

Do you have any idea what "tergiversate" means? Beats me!

Beats me how he finds out when we're goofing off.

"Flowering shrubs don't thrive in the subterranean caverns from which geysers spring," suggested Bradley. Olson shook his head. "It beats me," he said.

1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter IV, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:

(idiomatic, as response or with indirect question) I don't know; I have no idea.


any way one slices it

Perhaps a reference to a food item such as a cake or a sausage looking the same on the inside no matter how it is sliced.

Any way you slice it, we have to get out of here and we have to take him with us.

Back inside I thought it all over carefully, weighing my options. Not good, any way you sliced it.

1998, Bill Pronzini, Boobytrap, Speaking Volumes, →ISBN:

Any way one slices it, his dissection of human disease is not a pretty sight.

2013, William F. Zak, A Mirror for Lovers: Shake-speare's Sonnets as Curious Perspective, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 74:

Any way I slice it, that's going to take some time. Just flying there and back is going to eat up days.

2018, Derek Haas, The Way I Die: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

(chiefly US, informal) From any perspective; in every case.

как ни крути́ (kak ni krutí, literally “however you turn it”)

no matter how thin you slice it, it's still baloney


all foam, no beer

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-all foam, no beer.wav

It looks good and sounds good, but it's not a true quality control program. It is all foam, no beer.

2004, Marc A. Bringman, Swapping Lies!: Deception in the Workplace, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN:

But rhetoric was all we got-turn on Clinton's spigot, and he's all foam, no beer. His boldest “action” was to appoint a study commission.

2010 November 2, Jim Hightower, If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates: More Political Subversion from Jim Hightower (Revised Edition), Harper Collins, →ISBN:

Wilfred shrugged. “I think we came to an understanding.” “I doubt it,” she shook her head. “He'll be calling the mayor next.” “I wouldn't worry about Barrand. He's all foam, no beer. He'll call, make a fuss, then fix the window and forget about it.

2016 October 4, Steve Vernon, Resurrection: Book Two of the Tatterdemon Trilogy, Stark Raven Press, page 73:

all hat and no cattle
all hat and no cattle#English

Remember, I'm a mentally challenged college drop-out, a few beers short of a six-pack. All foam - no beer. I dropped out of GA Tech in my sophomore year.

2007, William S. Gilmer, Investing in Stocks, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 336:

not the sharpest tool in the shed#English

Synonym of not the sharpest tool in the shed.


yours truly

Recorded in the late 1700s as a closing in a letter. Since the mid-1800s for "I", "me", or "myself".

Please write back soon! Yours truly, Alice.

(idiomatic) Used to close a note or letter.


hold one's fire

Do not discharge a weapon. Used originally for weapons needing a spark or lighting of a fuse to ignite gunpowder; now sometimes used to mean any weapon launching a projectile.

Hold your fire and let me explain.

(colloquial, idiomatic) Wait, don't retaliate, calm down, be quiet.


it's all Greek to me

/ɪts ˌɔːl ˈɡɹiːk tə ˌmiː/

First quoted as “it was Greek to me” in Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, maybe translated from a Medieval Latin sentence.

it's Greek to me (alternative)
that's Greek to me (alternative)
that's all Greek to me (alternative)

I tried reading the instructions, but it’s all Greek to me.

But thoſe that vnderſtood him, ſmil'd at one another, and ſhooke their heads: but for mine owne part, it was Greeke to me.

1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 112, column 1:

During the processions they trilled and quavered most melodiously betwixt their teeth I do not know what antiphones, or chantings, by turns. For my part, ’twas all Hebrew-Greek to me, the devil a word I could pick out on’t;

[1653, Francis Rabelais [i.e., François Rabelais], translated by [Thomas Urquhart, Peter Anthony Motteux], The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. […], London: […] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, […], →OCLC; republished in volume II, London: […] Navarre Society […], [1948], →OCLC, 5th book:

"Well," said Alfred, "it may be a letter, but I confess it is all Greek to me. I certainly do not see why you wish to keep it a secret. Tell me."

1844, [Frederick] Marryat, chapter XI, in The Settlers in Canada. […], volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], →OCLC, pages 181–182:

I ran after him, and received an order to go aloft and “slush down the main-top mast.” This was all Greek to me, and after receiving the order, I stood staring about me, wondering what it was that was to be done.

1849, Herman Melville, “He is Initiated in the Business of Cleaning Out the Pig-pen, and Slushing Down the Top-mast”, in Redburn: His First Voyage. […], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 45:

“Look here, Mr. Count,” he said; “I am only a rough Englishman, and a lot of what you have been saying about mission and that sort of thing is just so much Greek to me.”

1904, George M. Fenn, The Ocean Cat's Paw:

“It's more like some firm's paper. All this printed stuff at the top. Drachenflieger. Drachenballons. Ballonstoffe. Kugelballons. Greek to me.”

1907, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, The War in the Air: […], London: George Bell and Sons, published 1908, →OCLC:

A Parsi lawyer was examining a witness and asking him question regarding credit and debit entries in account books. It was all Greek to me.

1929, M[ohandas] K[aramchand] Gandhi, chapter VIII, in Mahadev Haribhai Desai and Pyarelal Nair, transl., The Story of My Experiments with Truth: Translated from the Original in Gujarati, volume II, Ahmedabad, Gujarat: Navajivan Press, →OCLC:

Cavanaugh explained the network-affiliate relationship, which of course was all Greek to me and remained so even after his explanation.

1965, Harry Ray Bannister, The Education of a Broadcaster, page 16:

[…]it was expected of me, or it was considered an honor, to lecture on seventeenth-century philosophy: Descartes (which was all Greek to me), Descartes to Spinoza.

2004, Jacob Taubes, The Political Theology of Paul, page 99:

(idiomatic) I don't understand any of it; it makes no sense.

Julius Caesar (play)
Shakespeare
it's all Greek to me

يَتَحَدَّثْ بِٱللُّغَة ٱلصِّينِيَّة (yataḥaddaṯ bi-l-luḡa(t) ṣ-ṣīniyya, literally “speaking in Chinese”)

դա ինձ համար չինարեն է (da inj hamar čʻinaren ē, literally “it's Chinese to me”)

դրանից բան չեմ հասկանում (dranicʻ ban čʻem haskanum, literally “I don't understand any of this”)

完全不懂 (wánquán bùdǒng, literally “not understand at all”)

火星文 (Huǒxīng wén, literally “Martian language”)

ჩინურია ჩემთვის (činuria čemtvis, literally “Chinese to me”)

είναι κινέζικα για μένα (eínai kinézika gia ména, literally “it's Chinese to me”)

δεν καταλαβαίνω γρι (den katalavaíno gri, literally “I don't even understand a bit”)

αυτά μου φαίνονται κινέζικα (aftá mou faínontai kinézika, literally “it seems Chinese to me”)

શું હું ફારસી બોલું છું (śũ hũ phārsī bolũ chũ, literally “am I speaking Persian?”)

זֶה סִינִית בִּשְׁבִילִי (ze sínit bishvilí, literally “it's Chinese to me”)

क्या मैं फ़ारसी बोल रहा हूँ (kyā ma͠i fārsī bol rahā hū̃, literally “am I speaking Persian?”)

陳奮翰だ (ちんぷんかんだ, chinpunkan da, literally “it's gibberish”)

珍紛漢紛だ (ちんぷんかんぷんだ, chinpunkanpun da, literally “it's gibberish”)

ខ្ញុំមិនយល់សោះ (khnhommĭnyôlsaŏh, literally “I don't understand”)

횡설수설이다 (hoengseolsuseorida, literally “it's gibberish”)

шпанско село (špansko selo, literally “Spanish village”)

ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਫਾਰਸੀ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਪਿਆਂ (kī maĩ phārsī boldā piā̃, literally “am I speaking Persian?”)

китайская грамота (kitajskaja gramota, literally “Chinese writing”)

по-евре́йски (po-jevréjski, literally “in Jewish, in a Jewish way”)

เป็นสิ่งที่ฉันไม่เข้าใจ (bpen sìng têe chăn mâi kâo jai, literally “it's something I don't understand”)

ฉันไม่เข้าใจอะไรเลย (chǎn mâi kâo jai à rai ləəi, literally “I don't understand anything”)

Це для мене китайська грамота (Ce dlja mene kytajsʹka hramota, literally “That's Chinese writing to me”)


AYBABTU

all your base are belong to us
all your base are belong to us#English

(Internet slang) Initialism of all your base are belong to us.


GIGO

garbage in, garbage out
garbage in, garbage out#English

(computing) Acronym of garbage in, garbage out (“the integrity of the output is dependent on the integrity of the input”).


out on a limb

In reference to the risks of climbing out on the branch or limb of a tree.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:out on a limb.

Sitting on the dockside at Oban, watching the to-ing and fro-ing in the harbour on a perfect summer's eve, I reflect on a trip which has taken me through our busiest cities to traverse the country's main lines, as well as explore some of the furthest extremities that were literally out on a limb.

2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 79:

(figurative, idiomatic, often with the verb go) In a risky, precarious, daring, or uncompromising position, especially one outside of the mainstream; vulnerable.

use ottaa riski (literally “take a risk”)