suck, squeeze, bang, blow

From the action of each stroke of the 4-stroke Otto cycle. The intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke, exhaust stroke.

suck-squeeze-bang-blow (alternative)
suck squeeze bang blow (alternative)

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine

(automotive, engineering) A reference to the Otto cycle and four-stroke internal combustion engines.


rest in piss

Modelled on rest in peace by replacing peace with near-homophone piss.

(humorous, derogatory) Said to mock a deceased person, or one who has suffered a great misfortune.


and no flies

[…] seized by Mr. Stompff, who, scarcely waiting to carry him out of earshot, began, “Well! you've done it up brown this time, my man, and no flies! Your pictures have woke 'em up. They're talking of nothing else. […]

1865, Temple Bar: A London Magazine for Town and Country Readers, page 513:

(UK, slang, archaic) Synonym of and no mistake.


far far away

Long long ago, in a land far far away there lived a beautiful princess.

(colloquial, fairy tales) Used to add emphasis to the fact that the story takes place in a far away land.


long long ago

(colloquial, fairy tales) Used to add emphasis to the fact that the story takes place in the distant past.


U&C

U&C: $80.00

(medicine, insurance) Abbreviation of usual and customary (price); the retail price if not covered by insurance.


blinded by nostalgia

For example, in everyday discussions about popular culture, it is common to find the claim that one's aesthetic appreciation is “blinded by nostalgia” (or that one is wearing “nostalgia goggles”): maybe you think movies were better[…]

2018 November 15, Florian Cova, Sébastien Réhault, Advances in Experimental Philosophy of Aesthetics, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 26:

88 Finally, Zuckerman suggested, critics of Big Media may merely be "blinded by nostalgia" for some "golden age 30 or 40 years ago" when broadcast and newspaper companies were independently owned and operated. In fact, he claims,[…]

2012 May 4, Ronald V. Bettig, Jeanne Lynn Hall, Big Media, Big Money: Cultural Texts and Political Economics, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, →ISBN, page 36:

To believe experiences and objects in popular culture (often TV shows, video games etc) from one's past outweigh modern counterparts in terms of quality.


from hereon out

from here on out
from here on out#English

Alternative spelling of from here on out.


dear diary

Dear Diary, you do know how Ijust can't stand maths, right? My brain isn't made to deal with numbers. I was destined to read story books and write awesome stories for the rest of my life. Mum had peeped in my room to see how I was doing[…]

2014 September 19, Syazwani Izzati Azhar, Dear Diary, syazwani izzati azhar, →ISBN, page 51:

The traditional first line of a diary entry, based on the first line of a formal letter.


born at night but not last night

Aware of one's situation; not as naive as a listener might expect.


come down in the last shower

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-come down in the last shower.wav

Compare French ne pas être né de la dernière pluie.

cog

be born yesterday
be born yesterday#English

(Australia, New Zealand) Synonym of be born yesterday.


FYM

(Internet slang, text messaging, vulgar) Initialism of fuck you mean?; used to indicate confusion, or a state of rage, at something.


down on one's knees

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-down on one's knees.wav

Wake up, kids, we got the dreamer’s disease / Age fourteen, they got you down on your knees / So polite, we’re busy still saying please

1997, “You Get What You Give”, in Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too, performed by the New Radicals:

Begging or pleading for something desperately.


OUI

under the influence
under the influence#English

driving under the influence
driving under the influence#English

Initialism of operating under the influence, a synonym of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.


danger is one's middle name

Extreme danger. Just not the type she thought. “Danger is my middle name.” “That is so cliché.” “Very well, my true middle name is Eugene.” Why he admitted it he couldn't have said, but he did enjoy her tinkle of laughter.

2017 May 16, Eve Langlais, Kate Douglas, A. C. Arthur, Hunger, St. Martin's Griffin, →ISBN, page 32:

(humorous) One is fearless or a daredevil


NGMI

Coordinate term: WNGMI

(medicine slang, Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of not gonna make it.


YGMI

(Internet slang, text messaging) Abbreviation of you're gonna make it.


the jokes write themselves

Did you hear about the cop who was caught stealing from a donut store? The jokes write themselves.

In 2015, I attended what was probably the first- ever conference on conspiracy theories— a gathering about which the jokes write themselves— organized by xii Preface and Acknowledgments Joseph Uscinski at the University of Preface and[…]

2021, Scott Radnitz, Revealing Schemes: The Politics of Conspiracy in Russia and the Post-Soviet Region, Oxford University Press, →ISBN:

... Panera, a King Kullen grocery store, Victoria's Secret, and yes, a Dunkin' Donuts (I know, the jokes write themselves). The black patrol vehicles park in the south corner next to a row of tall recycling bins for clothes and shoes.

2015 September 1, James Patterson, Murder House: Part One, Random House, →ISBN:

“God, the jokes write themselves with this tool.” “Well, if they did eat you, it would happen incredibly slowly,” Aston said with a grin, trying not to let Marla distract him too much. “Even so, they're among the toughest creatures[…]

2018 June 11, David Wood, Alan Baxter, Overlord, Adrenaline Press:

A situation where it is very easy to make jokes or the humor of a situation is self-evident.


don't give me that

(informal) Used to reject a statement or excuse that one does not believe.


GG no re

(gaming, slang, sometimes offensive) Abbreviation of good game, no rematch used when a multiplayer online game is over and one does not wish to play again; sometimes in contempt


may you live in interesting times

Popularly attributed to Chinese, but this is apocryphal; the true origin is unclear. See May you live in interesting times § Origins on Wikipedia.

A sardonic curse disguised as well-wishing, where interesting times refers to trouble.


nunight

'Would you like to keep this photo in your room? Then you can say nunight to Mummy and Daddy when you go to bed.'

(childish, colloquial) night night; goodnight


war is hell

The short-term and long-term effects of war are greatly devastating and immeasurable.


ATGATT

(motorcycling, philosophy) Acronym of all the gear all the time. A statement of philosophy of the motorcyclist rider, who rides fully kitted-out whenever out riding.


Google is your friend

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Google is your friend.wav

(Internet slang) A suggestion that the addressee could learn something using an Internet search engine, rather than asking others.


going once, going twice

Ellipsis of going once, going twice, sold.

ellipsis

Said before closing the bidding for a particular item in an auction, giving other bidders a final opportunity to bid for it.

Now I'm asking you once again, where's my money? Going once, going twice!” “Wait a minute, Carlos...”

1977, Lynn Pearson, Out of Work, page 330:

Picked up the last slice of pizza and asked, “Anybody want it? Going once, going twice, the last call for the last slice of pizza!”

2021, Gary T. Brideau, The Long Way Home, page 111:

By extension, indicating that the speaker will take some action if there is no immediate objection.


it's going

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-it's going.wav

A: How's it going? B: It's going.

(informal) An apathetic or negative response to the informal greeting "how's it going?".


the measles

What the measles do you think you're doing?

Why the meazills, should you stand heere, with your traine...

1614 November 10 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Beniamin Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson], Bartholmew Fayre: A Comedie, […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Robert Allot, […], published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

interrogative pronoun
interrogative pronoun#English

(euphemistic, obsolete) Used after interrogative pronouns as an intensifier to express anger, frustration, incredulity, or other strong emotion.


no justice, no peace

A political slogan which originated during protests against acts of ethnic violence against African Americans.


let me count the ways

From a poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.


let us count the ways

How does the media love Twitter? Let us count the ways: as a tech platform practically indispensable to the work of newsgathering; as a metrics system designating clear numerical value to once-squishy concepts of popularity and esteem; as a gossip-fueled lunchroom of the elites more or less available for public participation; as an arena for duking out industry controversies ranging from #MeToo to opinions about opinion pages.

April 14 2022, Delia Cai, “Severance, the New York Times’s Twitter Guidelines, and the Forever Illusion of Work-Life Balance”, in Vanity Fair:

let me count the ways
let me count the ways#English

Alternative form of let me count the ways.


what a small world

it's a small world
it's a small world#English


SWBAT

(education) Initialism of student(s) will be able to... (used in defining learning objectives)


nature versus nurture

The phrase was coined in the mid-1800s by the English Victorian polymath Francis Galton in discussion about the influence of heredity and environment on social advancement.

nature vs nurture (alternative)
nature vs. nurture (alternative)

Since Francis Galton coined the phrase “nature versus nurture” 150 years ago, the debate about what makes us who we are has dominated the human sciences. Do genes determine our destiny, as the hereditarians would say? Or do we enter the world as blank slates, formed only by what we encounter in our homes and beyond? What started as an intellectual debate quickly expanded to whatever anyone wanted it to mean, invoked in arguments about everything from free will to race to inequality to whether public policy can, or should, level the playing field. Today, however, a new realm of science is poised to upend the debate — not by declaring victory for one side or the other, nor even by calling a tie, but rather by revealing they were never in opposition in the first place. Through this new vantage, nature and nurture are not even entirely distinguishable, because genes and environment don’t operate in isolation; they influence each other and to a very real degree even create each other. The new field is called sociogenomics, a fusion of behavioral science and genetics that I have been closely involved with for over a decade. Though the field is still in its infancy, its philosophical implications are staggering. It has the potential to rewrite a great deal of what we think we know about who we are and how we got that way.

2025 March 13, Dalton Conley, “A New Scientific Field Is Recasting Who We Are and How We Got That Way”, in New York Times:

Comparing how a person's characteristics are formed, either by innate biological factors such as genetics (nature), or by upbringing and life experience (nurture).


AUSTEO

Abbreviation of Australian eyes-only (“a classified information status”).


AGAO

Abbreviation of Australian government access only (“a classified information status”).


who's to say?

Who's to say what clothes I can and can't wear in my free time?

According to whose authority (especially in defiance)

In the closest contest for years, who's to say who will win the title?


running and racing

I was running and racing earlier trying to get to the meeting on time.

(Ireland) To be in a rush or all over the place


to name a few

To provide just few examples, even though there are more.


the future is now

Advanced and cutting-edge technology is available nowadays.

Driscoll, Bryan (2019 January 23) “The Six-Step SEO Checklist You'll Need To Dominate 2019”, in Forbes: “You’ve heard it a million times by now: “Mobile is the future.” Well, guess what? The future is now. And if your website isn’t mobile friendly in 2019, you’re going to be at a serious disadvantage.”

An event or situation that was predicted has just occurred.


who died and gave you the reins

who died and made you boss
who died and made you boss#English

Alternative form of who died and made you boss.


once you go black

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-once you go black.wav

Clipping of once you go black, you never go back.

clipping

Is it true what they say about once you go black . . . .

2009, Carleen Brice, Children of the Waters: A Novel, page 78:

“What did I say about once you go black?” “Lila, if it was just sex I could understand...”

2014, Sam Leonard, Messenger from God: A Story of Fate and Faith, page 183:

He thought of the way she giggled when he told her, “You know what happens once you go black, don't you?”

2020, Angel Ayers, The Throwaways, page 15:

(informal) Once a person of another race has a sexual relationship with a black person, implying that they will not return to having sexual relationships with members of the former race.


come to find out

Come to find out, the company kept 2 sets of books.

1945, Walter Rogers, Elizabeth Rogers, John Donar: Common Man, page 89:

It's not listed anywhere. So, a phone call is made to Podunk – and come to find out, the airport is a grass field.

1974, Alan W. Garey, “Helicopter Operations at Civil Airports”, in Approach: The Naval Aviation Safety Review, page 25:

And come to find out, he don't think.

1989, Francis L. Gross, Searching for God, page 123:

Well, come to find out, these survival suits haven't been out of their sacks for years.

1997, Leslie Leyland Fields, The Entangling Net: Alaska's Commercial Fishing Women Tell Their Lives, page 119:

Well, come to find out they won and got married today on television, all expenses paid.

2009, Bobby Rose, Bama Sweetheart, page 293:


TSIA

(Internet slang) Initialism of title says it all.


you want a cookie

what do you want, a cookie?
what do you want, a cookie#English

Alternative form of what do you want, a cookie?.


TATA

Initialism of there are thousands of alternatives (a rebuttal to the political slogan TINA).


denial ain't a river in Egypt

denial is not a river in Egypt
denial is not a river in Egypt#English

Alternative form of denial is not a river in Egypt.


look who the cat dragged in

look what the cat's dragged in
look what the cat's dragged in#English

Alternative form of look what the cat's dragged in.


look what the cat drug in

(dialectal, chiefly Southern US) Alternative form of look what the cat's dragged in.


(fashion on the Internet) Abbreviation of where to cop.


idfk

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


IGTG

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of I've got to go.


igtg

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


don't touch that dial

From the opening line of Blondie (1939–1950), the radio version of the popular comic strip of the same name.

(figurative) Stay focused on a discussion or task; maintain the course of action.


l'état, c'est moi

Borrowed from French l'état, c'est moi (“I am the state”), which apocryphally attributed to Louis XIV per an anecdote representing the tyranny of France before the French Revolution.

bor+

l'etat, c'est moi (alternative)
l'état c'est moi (alternative)

'Marcos and the First Lady wanted more than anything else [...] to be king and queen. They wished to shape the kingdom in their own image; [...] Marcos wanted to be able to say, 'L'état c'est moi.'

1986 January 16, Ian Buruma, “Who Can Redeem Mother Filipinas?”, in The New York Review of Books:

But what’s even worse is the way Sean Spicer, Mr. Trump’s spokesman, framed the issue: Nordstrom’s business decision was a “direct attack” on the president’s policies. L’état, c’est moi.

2017 February 10, Paul Krugman, “Opinion | When the Fire Comes”, in New York Times:

Used to signify one's exercise of power in a dictatiorial, repressive and/or charismatic manner.


what the shit

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


MYOG

Coordinate term: DIY


P.P.C.

(historical) Abbreviation of French pour prendre congé (“to take leave”) or English presents parting compliments; a decorous visitor would write P.P.C. on a card (referred to as a P.P.C. card) as a farewell if leaving town afterwards.


wru

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


ESH

(Internet slang, Reddit slang) Initialism of everyone sucks here; used as a response to AITA (“am I the asshole?”) to indicate that the speaker believes that all parties involved are assholes.


three strikes and you're out

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-three strikes and you're out.wav

Figurative extension of the literal origin in baseball, where either three strikes or four balls retire the batter.

Three mistakes, rule breaches etc. will result in termination, disqualification or similar.


good thing

I was in a car crash the other day. Good thing I had insurance and nobody got hurt.

It’s a good thing you've come early: we're changing classrooms.


a deal is a deal

What has been agreed should be adhered to.


big man ting

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-big man ting.wav


that's all, folks

First appeared in Sinkin' in the Bathtub, a Looney Tunes cartoon from 1930.

that's it; that is the end; there is no more


ship, shipmate, self

(nautical) A person's duty in the navy is first to the ship, then to shipmates, and finally to himself/herself.


how the turntables

From the episode “Broke” of the American mockumentary sitcom television series The Office, which aired on 23 April 2009; see quotation.

Michael Scott Paper Company to see Mr. David Wallace. I believe we’re expected. [David and Charles walk out of conference room] Well, well, well. How the turntables…

2009 April 23, Charlie Grandy, “Broke”, in The Office, season 5, episode 25, spoken by Michael Scott (Steve Carell), via NBC:

Seoul was one of my favorite new restaurants in 2019, and it’s one of my favorite takeout places during the great pandemic in 2020. Oh how the turntables — you get it.

2020 May 13, Jean Le Beouf, “Takeout options abound from Seoul”, in Naples Daily News, page 2D:

Six months ago, Sonder had never released a barrel-aged stout. My, how the turntables. Sonder’s going to have its biggest stout release ever on Black Friday, with “five uniquely crafted” variants of Family Tradition.

2020 November 27, Matt Koesters, “Black Friday special beer releases in Cincinnati”, in The Cincinnati Enquirer, volume 180th, number 232, page 2D:

Many church leaders and laypeople (myself included) wrote him off for trying to re-create a church environment online … oh, how the turntables, though. COVID-19 forced all of us to shelter in place, and the majority of megachurches had to bring church online.

2021, Benjamin Kirby, “Six Flags over Jesus: Where Does Production Value Stop and Vanity Start?”, in PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities, Nashville, Tenn.: W Publishing, →ISBN, page 152:

“Wasn’t Adam a dick until, like, twelve seconds ago?” “How the turntables,” Adam murmured.

2021, Ali Hazelwood, The Love Hypothesis, Berkley, →ISBN, page 337:

It was only a few short days ago when Michigan State fans were upset with Syracuse avoiding the play-in game as an 11 seed. To paraphrase Michael Scott from “The Office” … how the turntables.

2021 March 21, Phil Friend, “NCAA tournament bets, predictions in Sunday’s second-round games”, in Lansing State Journal, volume 166, number 321, page 5B:

how the tables have turned
how the tables have turned#English

(humorous) Synonym of how the tables have turned.


sucks to suck

(slang, sometimes considered vulgar) Used as a taunt to someone who has failed or who is in a bad situation.


what has someone done

What have you done to the bathroom? It’s spotless. Thanks!

What has he done to his hair? I’ve seen bomb sites tidier than that.

A method of drawing attention to some changed aspect of a person or thing.

What have you done? You’ve spilt it all over my new shirt!

An expression of frustration, irritation or displeasure in the face of careless, negligent or reckless behaviour.

What has she done this time, officer?

“Please, sir—” / “What have you done now, Perkins?”

An expression of cynicism or scepticism; frequently when faced with a recurring pattern of mistakes by another.

Oh god! What have I done? I’ve doomed us all!

An expression of fear that a person has made a terrible mistake, the true extent of which is beyond comprehension.


fancy seeing you here

(UK, Canada) An informal greeting expressing that one did not expect to see that person at this location.

qué sorpresa verte / encontrarte aquí / acá


cba

Alternative letter-case form of CBA (“can't be arsed”).


head

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-the call is coming from inside the house.wav

A classic horror-movie cliché. The line was first used in the 1974 horror film Black Christmas.

The government has blamed the recent unrest on foreign agitation, but they'll soon realize that the call is coming from inside the house.

The groundwork of Trumpism was laid not by foreign tinkering or stratospheric inequality but in the barbed souls of young white men coming of age in the 1990s. The call is coming from inside the house.

2020, David Bond, “A House Divided: Ben Lerner’s America”, in Anthropology Now:

As the New Yorker recently put it, the impactful IRA narrative may be an “overly convenient” explanation for our home-grown problems and: What if, to borrow an old horror-movie trope, the call is coming from inside the house?

2020, Douglas Almond, Xinming Du, and Alana Vogel, “Russian Holidays Predict Troll Activity 2015-2017”, in National Bureau of Economic Research:

But this is no takeover: the call is coming from inside the house. What folks call “alt-Right” simply names a spirit lurking in American conservatism.

2021 December 14, Paul Elliott Johnson, I the People: The Rhetoric of Conservative Populism in the United States, University of Alabama Press, →ISBN, page 228:

In contrast to accounts that see the changes of the 1970s as something “done to” the state by outside actors, whether intellectual movements or political interest groups, in this story the call is coming from inside the house.

2022, Elizabeth Popp Berman, Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 223:

But what stands out most right now is that it is a region marked by growing dissatisfaction with their provincial governments as well. With western alienation, the call is coming from inside the house.

2022 May 13, Andrew Parkin, “Forget Ottawa — Albertans growing alienated from their own leaders, too”, in CBC News, archived from the original on 2023-09-29:

(idiomatic) A problem is the result of internal factors or agents, and is not the result of outside influence or interference.

You're always complaining that she's too self-centred. Dude, the call is coming from inside the house!

Greene accuses the very people who strive to follow the teachings of Jesus as being directed by forces of evil. Perhaps it is too much to expect anything better from someone who, because of her recent court testimony, some have started calling "Perjury Taylor Greene," but I would argue, as they say in horror movies, that the call is coming from inside the house. Evil — or "Satan," if you prefer — is present in such words of hatred, fear and deception.

2022 May 11, David B. Gowler, “Marjorie Taylor Greene's version of Christianity is a massive betrayal of the teachings of Jesus”, in Salon.com, archived from the original on 2024-01-12:

Transgender TikToker Dylan Mulvaney wants Caitlyn Jenner to know the call is coming from inside the house. On Sunday night, Mulvaney dedicated Day 233 of her "Days of Girlhood" Tiktok series directly to Jenner after the Olympian recently echoed several transphobic and harmful remarks about Mulvaney and her appearance on social media. In the video, Mulvaney called herself and Jenner "two of the most privileged trans women in America at the moment" and asked Jenner to stop using her Republican-given platform to "publicly degrade" the trans community.

2022 October 31, CT Jones, “'I'm Not Going Anywhere': Dylan Mulvaney Gives a Masterclass in Grace After Caitlyn Jenner's Transphobic Comments”, in Rolling Stone, New York, N.Y.: Penske Media Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-11-23:

look who's talking
look who's talking#Phrase

(idiomatic, informal) Used to accuse someone of being hypocritical; look who's talking!


lessgo

“No, suh, that four-moon business settles me! It’s just one thing more’n I can stand! Come, M’lishy, less go!”

1891 December 3, ““Come, M’lishy, Come!””, in Humboldt County Republican, volume III, number 33, Humboldt, Iowa:

“Aincha hungry?” “Yeh.” “So my. Less go neet.” “Where?”

1903 September 14, “Gum Chewers Bruising English”, in The Sun, volume VII, number 259, Chanute, Kan., page 4:

“Lessgo over by the fakry an see if they’re playngame.”

1913, Frederick Houk Law, Mastery of Speech, a Course in Eight Parts on General Speech, Business Talking and Public Speaking, What to Say and How to Say It under All Conditions, page 50:

“Y’all through?” “Yeah.” “So’m I.” “Lessgo.”

1915 January 20, The Daily Times, volume XXIX, number 30, Davenport, Iowa, page 3:

So now I think I will hie me to some little nickle lunch and get something to eat. Whaddya say? Awright, lessgo.

1917 August 7, “Mr. S. Treet Walker Has a Grouch”, in The Daily Hammer, volume 85, number 1:

“This boy Victor’s going to show us where.” “Well lessgo, lessgo!”

1957, New Directions in Prose and Poetry, page 93:

“Who us? We got all day tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. We got all the time in the world to go to bed. But you, you’re a doctor, and doctors have bedtimes. Come on, ya’ll, lessgo.”

“Lessgo.” “Don’t you want to say good night?” I pointed at the tent. “Nah.” He reeked of tequila. Like he’d taken a shower in it. “Lessgo.”

2016, Janey Mack, Shoot ’em Up (A Maisie McGrane Mystery), Kensington Books, →ISBN:

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling


that's your sort

He is a punster, give him a good licking. Talking of licking, he had better lick his own coat. That's your sort, cut away!

1825, The Universal Songster, volume 1, page 260:

But I slung a large stone after it, which, being fortunately well aimed, hit it behind the ear and felled it to the earth. “Capital, Ralph! that’s your sort!” cried Peterkin, who, to my surprise and great relief, had risen to his feet apparently unhurt, though much dishevelled.

(slang, obsolete) That's it; that's the spirit; expressing approval or encouragement.

“Did any of you gentlemen want to have it out with me?” roared Silver, bending far forward from his position on the keg, with his pipe still glowing in his right hand. […]
Not a man stirred; not a man answered.
“That’s your sort, is it?” he added, returning his pipe to his mouth.

1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

(slang, obsolete) That's what kind of person or people you are.


everything one touches turns to gold

everything one touches becomes gold (alternative)

Albert is so talented and creative, that everything he touches turns to gold. The major studios want to hire him!

(idiomatic) Everything someone uses or does succeeds or becomes better.


everything one touches turns to shit

everything one touches becomes shit (alternative)

This irresponsible artist turned everything he touched into shit, wrecking whatever projects he was assigned into with such a shoddy performance.

(idiomatic, vulgar, derogatory) Everything someone uses or does fails or becomes worse.


lmfao

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


have you met me

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-have you met me.wav

From meet (“to get acquainted with someone”). This phrase sarcastically implies that the interlocutor does not know the speaker as well as they should.

(colloquial, sarcastic, rhetorical question) Said when the interlocutor has shown surprise at the speaker's typical attitudes or behavior.


TTYTMR

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


DAP

Delivered At Place
Delivered At Place#English

(Incoterm) Initialism of Delivered At Place.


Y/N

y/n (alternative)
YN (alternative uncommon)

PROCEED? [Y/N]


so help me tater

(archaic) Euphemistic form of so help me God.


so help me cat

"So help me cat," Snowy chuckled, "he shut up like an oyster, and in his confusion he said, 'Good afternoon, Mr. Snowy,' and he never came again."

1920, George Sargant, The Winding Track, page 45:

"ANY BASTARD IN LINE BEFORE ME WILL BE BEATEN TO DEATH AND THROWN OVERBOARD, SO HELP ME CAT!"

2010, Brian David Bruns, Cruise Confidential: A Hit Below the Waterline, page 466:


it's been a slice

Well, Dad, it's been a slice. Write when you find work.

1990, Charles McKelvy, Odin the Homeless and Other Stories, page 171:

It's been a slice. Here are Jim's keys. Give my regards to Grant.

2018, Ardelle Holden, A Person of Interest, page 146:


Barkis is willin'

A reference to Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield, in which the phrase is used by Mr Barkis to hint that he wishes to marry Clara Peggotty.

If Barkis is willing, then a certain gentleman as we know in the meat trade may suit himself elsewhere. Come; answer that. Is Barkis willing?

1862, Anthony Trollope, The Struggles of Brown, Jones, and Robinson:

And another asked me if I had come to get a Canadian sweetheart; and a third, one of the impudentest, most conceitedest fellows I ever did set eyes upon, nudged me, so that I spilled my coffee all over my second-best damask-silk apron—the one with bugle fringe, you know, Miss Capel—and says he, ‘Is it a case of Barkis is willin’?’

1877, Emma Jane Worboise, “The New Evangeline”, in The Grey House at Endlestone, London: James Clarke and Co., […]; Hodder and Stoughton, […], →OCLC, page 480:

Somebody has a sweetheart they wish to marry.

So far as the B.B.C. is concerned it may be stated at once that the matter has not at the moment of writing even been discussed by the directors, so that it is impossible to state what is the policy of the company on the subject. But one would not be far out by saying "Barkis is willin'," if there is a widespread demand for it.

1923 November 23, The Pressman, “Should Parliament be Broadcast?”, in Radio Times:

(by extension) Someone is amenable to a suggestion.


Barkis is willing

Barkis is willin'
Barkis is willin'#English


YLSNED

you learn something new every day#English

(Internet slang) Initialism of you learn something new every day.


YTA

(Internet slang, Reddit slang) Initialism of you're the asshole; used as a response to AITA (“am I the asshole?”).


NAH

(Internet slang, Reddit slang) Initialism of no assholes here; used as a response to AITA (“am I the asshole?”) to indicate that the speaker believes that no parties involved are assholes.


someone's driveway doesn't go all the way to the road

Speak very slowly to Chuck, because his driveway doesn't go all the way to the road

few sandwiches short of a picnic#English

Alternative form of few sandwiches short of a picnic.


a few clowns short of a circus

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-a few clowns short of a circus.wav


a few spanners short of a tool box

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-a few spanners short of a tool box.wav


hold come what may

Popularized by the logician W.V.O. Quine.

(logic) Any belief that one is unwilling to relinquish, regardless of the evidence with which one might be presented.


TWAW

The woke left is aware of how mainstream media rigs news in favour of the ruling class but doesn't wonder why mainstream media agree that TWAW.

2020 July 2, Adeline Virginia Stephen (@A_V_Stephen), Twitter:

i used to be a sex worker and a staunch liberal feminist that firmly believed twaw.

2022 June 26, jah (@planetofplanet), Twitter:

The use of pronoun badges is intended to enforce TWAW.

2022 June 29, Helen Saxby (@helensaxby11), Twitter:

(Internet slang) Initialism of trans women are women.


NLU

Every family and every set always had its private vocabulary and syntax and still has. I know people whose terms of condemnation are quite simply NLU and NLO (‘not like us’ and ‘not like one’).

1983 [1955], Evelyn Waugh, “An Open Letter to the Honble Mrs Peter Rodd (Nancy Mitford) … on a Very Serious Subject”, in The Essays, Articles, and Reviews of Evelyn Waugh, Boston: Little, Brown, →ISBN, page 499:


lookatcha

I wanna lookatcha fingernails.

1962 May 4, Floyd Carl Jr., “Carousel”, in Northwest Arkansas Times, 102nd year, number 275, Fayetteville, Ark., page 11:

Lookatcha nightie! Ya got it on inside out!

1971, Patrick Dennis, “The Other Side of Paradise”, in Paradise, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., →ISBN, page 290:

Lookatcha face. It’s all scratched up now.

2006, Dana Rondel, A Flower: It Has Its Own Song, Bloomington, Ind., Milton Keynes: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 129:


not look a day over

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-not look a day over.wav

(idiomatic) To appear to be no older chronologically than a certain age.


Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt

Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your aunt (alternative)

Bob's your uncle
Bob's your uncle#English


security by obscurity

security through obscurity
security through obscurity#English

Alternative form of security through obscurity.


FASTER

cerebrovascular accident
cerebrovascular accident#English

(medicine, pathology) Acronym of face, arms, stability, talking, eyes, react, a mnemonic for diagnosing a cerebrovascular accident (“CVA”) or stroke; coined in recognition of the word faster, as a need for speedy diagnosis and treatment.


another nail in the coffin

another nail in someone's coffin#English

Alternative form of another nail in someone's coffin.


if it bleeds, it leads

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if it bleeds, it leads.wav

(journalism, colloquial) Sensational, violent stories are to be prioritized.


backatcha

Well, that’s a fair question and here’s the answer right backatcha.

1934 November 30, Miles Sheridan, “Free Winter Fashion Booklet Out Today”, in Illustrated Daily News, volume 12, number 77, Los Angeles, Calif., page eleven:

THIS ACTIVITY GAINS MOMENTUM I RELISH IT, NO END – AN' SALUTE YOU — RIGHT BACKATCHA!

1938 February 6, “Harold Teen”, in Oakland Tribune:

Backatcha, Schnoz!

1967 December 5, Herb Lyon, “Tower Ticker”, in Chicago Tribune, 121st year, number 339, page 26:

“Well, good morning, sunshine.” Charlie kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “Backatcha.”

2016, Eva Marie Everson, God Bless Us Every One: A Contemporary Christmas Carol, Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, →ISBN, page 36:


I would rather die

I would rather die than hear that awful song again.

Used to show that the speaker hates or strongly dreads the task in question.


life happens

An expression of acceptance of misfortune and unforeseen bad circumstances or luck.


oh me of little faith

O me of little faith
O me of little faith#English

Alternative spelling of O me of little faith.


O me of little faith

oh, I of little faith (alternative)
oh me of little faith (alternative)

From O ye of little faith, substituting me.

(chiefly humorous) Drawing attention to one's own doubt or skepticism.


don't call me sir, I work for a living

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-don't call me sir, I work for a living.wav

(US, military, idiomatic, sometimes humorous) Used by senior enlisted military personnel to indicate that they are not commissioned officers.


who would have known

rhetorical question
rhetorical question#English

A rhetorical question used to express incredulity or surprise: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?


when you're hot, you're hot

(informal) When a person or a team is experiencing good luck, they are bound to continue succeeding or winning.


all rumors are true

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-all rumors are true.wav

First use appears c. 1862. See cite below.

...a precedent which, if all rumors are true, ought to be followed out in the case of the late fight or panic.

1862, Frank Moore (editor), The Rebellion Record - A Diary of American Events, with Documents, Narratives, Illustrative Incidents, Poetry, Etc., Volume 2, page 381:

If all rumors are true, the spirit of alcohol has also had much to do with the witchcraft believed to have been practised in some portions of the town, and especially on one occasion in the near vicinity of Clark's Corner!

1882, Moses Thurston Runnels, Annals, page 288:

"In Washington and Hollywood all rumors are true," Blair responded.

2000, Reed E. Hundt, You Say You Want a Revolution - A Story of Information Age Politics, page 220:

(humorous) A rumor is usually not unfounded.


where's the lie

where is the lie (alternative)
where's the lie tho (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-where's the lie.wav

(US, idiomatic, derogatory) Said in response to an undeniable or axiomatic truth.


ARO

(broadcasting) Initialism of audio receive only.


I got mine

Although the Wofford quote ["We don't need affirmative action — we're already here"] may have been a well-intended attempt to demonstrate that gay people can make it, it tends to reflect an "I got mine, too bad about you" sentiment reminiscent of Clarence Thomas.

1991 December 15, Kathyrin E. Diaz, “Telling Fortune”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 22, page 7:

Strutting with pride over his nouveau-riche status, George [Jefferson of The Jeffersons] embodied and employed the trickle-down economic values of Reagan-era America, as well as an "I got mine," up-by-your-bootstraps ideology that was simultaneously mocked and celebrated in this version of a social sitcom.

2008, Bambi Higgins, “The Black Situation Comedy”, in Todd Boyd, editor, African Americans and Popular Culture, page 227:

BMWs have excellent road manners, depreciate slowly, and have an “I got mine!” cachet that buyers find hard to resist.

2010, Phil Edmonston, Lemon-Aid New Cars and Trucks 2010, page 341:

Rand liked to call her view “objectivism” though some liken it to libertarianism. It reminds me more of an “I got mine” philosophy than of anything else. Most of us live in a world somewhere between the extremes of absolute selfishness and absolute self-abnegation.

2014, Roger Lee Ray, Progressive Faith and Practice: Thou Shalt Not Stand Idly By, unnumbered page:

(often used attributively) Used to convey that one has achieved success and that others should be able to as well regardless of ability, background, or circumstances.


ten for the big guy

(business, informal, uncommon) Used to denote when the head or leader of a group or organization receives a cut of ten percent of the gross from a deal.


WEFT

(aviation) Acronym of wing(s), engine(s), fuselage(s), tail(s), a mnemonic for airplane identification, of most the most identifiable parts of the aeroplane, that can be used to distinguish one aircraft from another.


say less

(slang, humorous) Indicating enthusiastic agreement to a request.


hang onto your hat

hold onto your hat
hold onto your hat#English


make it make sense

Y'all I can't with these discriminatory hiring practices. I was just rejected from a role for not being technical enough when I asked for more feedback was told it was a lack of familiarity with the technology they were using. I wrote the package they're using. Make it make sense

2022 April 2, Stephon Does Tech 👨🏾💻⚡🇺🇦 (@stephondoestech), Twitter:

“Another day to be reminded that women can also be the patriarchy,” Waterhouse tweeted, tagging Gossip Girl writer Lila Feinberg. “Seeing critiques of the patriarchy and sexism, then I get name-checked as somebody’s nobody girlfriend,” she continued in a second tweet. “Make it make sense.”

2022 December 30, Carrie Wittmer, “Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse: A Complete Relationship Timeline”, in Glamour:

(informal) Used to express the absurdity of a situation.


more cushion for the pushin'

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-more cushion for the pushin'.wav

cushion for the pushin'
cushion for the pushin'#English

Alternative form of cushion for the pushin'.


if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it.wav

(colloquial, sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to discourage the interlocutor from blind obedience.


if someone told you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?

if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it#English

(rhetorical question) Alternative form of if someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it.


don't you know

(chiefly Upper Midwestern US, informal) Used as a rhetorical question to confirm agreement, knowing or understanding at the end of a statement.


would you be so kind as to

I'm in dire need of someone who will be so kind as to let me have a few moments of their leisure time in congenial correspondence as a much-needed friend.

1987 February 1, Donnie Whitlock, “Personal advertisement”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 28, page 14:

(colloquial) Would you please (do something); used to ask someone to do something politely.


a little of something goes a long way

(idiomatic) Only a small amount of something is usually required to produce a great effect.


take a picture, it'll last longer

take a picture, it will last longer#English

Alternative spelling of take a picture, it will last longer.


MACH

(programming) Acronym of microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless.


TL;DL

TL (canonical)
DL (canonical)
tl;dl (alternative)

(online communication) Initialism of too long; didn’t listen, signaling that an audio message (such as a podcast or voicemail) lacked communicative efficacy because of its length.


TLDW

(Internet slang) Alternative form of TL;DW.


TLDL

(Internet slang) Alternative form of tl;dl.


do you know what I'm saying

you know what I'm saying (alternative)
nomsayin' (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-do you know what I'm saying.wav

(informal) Used as a rhetorical question to confirm attention, understanding, or agreement at the end of an utterance or each segment thereof.


you know what I'm saying

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-you know what I'm saying.wav

do you know what I'm saying
do you know what I'm saying#English

Alternative form of do you know what I'm saying.


time over

TIME OVER

1994, Sonic 3, Sega, Mega Drive, scene: When time runs out:

(rare) Synonym of game over in the case where the player has exceeded a time limit.


Orange Man bad

Intentionally used without a verb, playing into the trope that barbaric or primitive people omit copulas such as is.

CNN BREAKING NOW: ORANGE MAN BAD Is this supposed to be a news site? This looks more like parody news that is not to be taken seriously. Obviously this is the first place you go to when you install the Dissenter app lol CNN IS FAKE NEWS[…]

2019 May 4, Scott Barry, 609 Pages of Horse Shit, Lulu.com, →ISBN:

Orange Man bad. Orange Man wanted to drain the swamp and create some balance again. Orange Man was also a complete stand for the sovereignty and independence of America. He was an advocate for all peoples living great lives.

2021 July 20, Mike Shereck, Manhood Manifesto: How Men Must Lead at Home, at Work, and in the Public Sphere, Bombardier Books, →ISBN:

Because, because, because Orange Man Bad: ThinkProgress continues, “...even worse, the climate policy agenda President Donald Trump is pushing — actions that include rolling back U.S. laws that reduce carbon pollution and abandoning the[…]

2022 June 8, Matt Teahan, We Are America, We Are Americans (HB), Dorrance Publishing, →ISBN, page 438:

(Internet slang, US politics, sarcastic) A statement used to mock opposers of the American politician Donald Trump, implying that they only oppose him because it is either popular to do so, or have no idea what their own political stances really are.


thanks for coming to my TED Talk

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-thanks for coming to my TED Talk.wav

Since 2015. The expression draws a parallel between the speaker's speech and the typical format of a TED Talk – an opinionated monologue on a particular topic.

thank you for coming to my TED Talk (alternative)

You might be best friends with your designer/developer after this process is over, but you still want to be able to pay the bill and walk away with your property if anything goes wrong. Your designer should want that for you! OK, rant over. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

2021 May 21, Lori Culwell, Funny You Should Ask: How to Make a Website: The 100% Not Boring Guide to Setting Up Your Website With Wordpress^([sic]) (Funny You Should Ask), Get Creative, Inc.:

(slang, humorous) Sarcastically or self-deprecatingly said at the end of a wordy and often preachy monologue.


short for

Don is short for Donald.

An abbreviation or nickname for; a shortening of.


no johns

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-no johns.wav

Coined by Super Smash Bros. player Jesse "Zulu" Fuentes in the late 1990s, referring to his friend John, who would often make unconvincing excuses after losing a game.

“No Johns” is such a ubiquitous phrase in the Smash scene that it’s even inspired regional variations around the world. No Stacos. No Tiesos. No Joshis. Igna Yunas, in Swedish. It even made it into Smash itself: One of the “random” names that players can assign themselves in the Wii U and Switch versions of the fighting game is NOJOHNS.

2019 September 16, Cecilia D'Anastasio, “How A High School Smash Bros. Joke Became A World-Famous Saying”, in Kotaku:

(slang, video games, Super Smash Bros.) No excuses (after losing a game).


PWOMS

(text messaging, Internet) Initialism of parents watching over my shoulder.


all over bar the shouting

Literally, “it's finished, except for the shouting.”

all over but the shouting (alternative)
all over but the crying (alternative)

(UK, idiomatic) Of an activity where the result is known, but may be subject to change, due to it not being officially finished or announced.


no body, no crime

If the murdered corpse cannot be found, a person cannot be charged with murder.

Este's been losing sleep / Her husband's acting different and it smells like infidelity / She says, That ain't my merlot on his mouth / That ain't my jewelry on our joint account / No, there ain't no doubt / I think I'm gonna call him out / She says, I think he did it but I just can't prove it / […] / No, no body, no crime […]

2021, Taylor Swift, “No Body, No Crime”:

(by extension) An accusation cannot be made without evidence.


when all is said

When all is said, however, it is easy to overblame the cinema, to exaggerate the actual harm and ignore the possible good.

1832, Records and Briefs of the United States Supreme Court, page 25:

when all is said and done
when all is said and done#English

Alternative form of when all is said and done.


pictures or it didn't happen

pics or it didn't happen
pics or it didn't happen#English

Alternative form of pics or it didn't happen.


that dog don't run

that dog doesn't run (alternative)
that dog don't hunt (alternative)

He will work hard for you and be on time. You can depend on him. Please hire him.
I've known that boy all his life. Dependable? On time? Nah, that dog don't run.

(US, Southern, idiomatic) An expression of disapproval or disbelief.


BYOC

Across the partition is the pitch-black BYOC area. That's BYOC as in “bring your own computer.” A major gaming event like CPL Winter always consists of two separate attractions.

2008, Michael Kane, Game Boys […] , Penguin, →ISBN:

That said, it's important to discuss the ways in which attendees—particularly those simply playing together on the demo stations and bring-your-own-console (BYOC) floor compared to the tournament matches—played socially.

2013, Todd Harper, The Culture of Digital Fighting Games: Performance and Practice, Routledge, →ISBN, page 81:

(video games) Initialism of bring your own computer (or console).

BYOC is easy to perform and, unfortunately, is convenient for employees. An employee just needs to enroll in a free Software as a Service (SaaS) offer to use it immediately.

2016, Eric Diehl, Ten Laws for Security, Springer, →ISBN, page 177:

(cloud computing) Initialism of bring your own cloud.

We can use bring your own container (BYOC) if the package or software we need is not included in a supported framework.

2021, Chris Fregly, Antje Barth, Data Science on AWS, O'Reilly Media, →ISBN:

(computing) Initialism of bring your own container.

Explain that the BYOC strategy is very simple. If they function as their own coach, and use the strategy, they will tell themselves what to do—before they do it, and talk to themselves in positive ways.

2010, Janet Niemeier, Robert Karol, Therapists' Guide to Overcoming Grief and Loss After Brain Injury, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 33:

(sports) Initialism of be your own coach.


this you

'This you' reminds them that a little infographic or a hashtag doesn’t absolve them of past transgressions, and we see through the empty platitudes and insincere expressions of solidarity.

2020 June 3, Jumi Akinfenwa, “'This You?' – How Black Twitter Turned Accountability Into an Art Form”, in VICE:

Barbie, of all things, also got called out a few times for a message of solidarity with the Black community, proving that no brand is immune from the "this you?" meme. Despite its apparent oath to "champion diversity," users brought up receipts that Barbie is, quite literally, a cop.

2020 June 5, Stacey Ritzen, “The 'this you?' meme calls out the hypocrisy of brands and public figures”, in The Daily Dot:

A detailed tweet revealing how a star who just announced #blacklivesmatter also has a history of mistreating her black colleagues is juicy to read. But a "This you?" retweet from a random user is like a simple alley-oop; it just hits differently.

2020 June 9, Aisha Harris, “'This You?' (It Definitely Is)”, in New York Times:

(Internet, Twitter) Used to call out a user's hypocrisy.


way out of a wet paper bag

After four weeks, I gave up [Econ] in disgust, muttering that the clown teaching it couldn't teach his way out of a wet paper bag.

2003, James J. Cramer, Confessions of a Street Addict, page 16:

way out of a paper bag
way out of a paper bag#English

Alternative form of way out of a paper bag.


couldn't organise a two-ticket raffle

couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery#English

Synonym of couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery.


you alright

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see are, you, alright.

The greeting "you alright?" took a long time to get used to. In the US asking someone if they're alright implies that they look like they're not ok.

2022 February 1, Lizzie May, “Immigrants living in the UK reveal the biggest culture shocks they experienced”, in The Daily Mail:


ggs

(online gaming slang) Initialism of good games.


the shape of things to come

From the novel The Shape of Things to Come by H. G. Wells (1933).

The Rohingya crisis is not an isolated tragedy – it’s the shape of things to come [title]

2015 May 19, Tahmima Anam, “The Rohingya crisis is not an isolated tragedy – it’s the shape of things to come”, in The Guardian:

Few appreciated it at the time but with 40 years’ hindsight, Steven Lisberger’s sci-fi adventure Tron was the shape of things to come: in cinema, in real life, and in virtual life.

2022 July 5, Steve Rose, “‘Frankly it blew my mind’: how Tron changed cinema – and predicted the future of tech”, in The Guardian:

That is trendsetting and foreshadowing; pointing the way ahead.


two plus two equals five

Popularized by George Orwell's 1949 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, referencing a scene in which the protagonist Winston Smith wonders if the authoritarian Inner Party would declare that "two plus two equals five". However, figurative use dates back to the 18th century.

Consequently, if it be claimed that, under the French constitution, 200,000 individuals, out of 26 million citizens, constitute two-thirds of the common will, only one comment is possible: It is a claim that two and two make five.

1789, Abbé Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès (tr.), What Is the Third Estate?:

In the end, the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. […] For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable—what then?

1949, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four:

I recognize that a lot of things are gray. They are nuanced, and there are tradeoffs. But there are also things which are black and white. Two plus two does equal four. But if you can convince people that two plus two equals five, you can make them believe absurdities.

2022 August 12, Jan Jekielek, Jeff Minick, “The Erosion of Truth”, in The Epoch Times:

(figurative, hyperbolic) A transparently absurd claim, often accepted as a result of a tyrannical government or mass delusion.

George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four
two plus two equals five


there is something rotten in the state of Denmark

When he compared the French army and its total expenditure with ours he was perfectly frightened. But when he came upon items such as that to which he had referred he could well understand that there was something rotten in the state of Denmark.

1861 May 10, Sir Morton Peto, “Supply—Army Estimates”, in parliamentary debates (Commons Chamber), volume 162, column 1899:

something is rotten in the state of Denmark#English

Alternative form of something is rotten in the state of Denmark.


speak now or forever hold your peace

Originates from the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. The original wording is: "Therefore if any man can ſhewe any iuste cauſe why they maie not lawfully be ioyned ſo together: Leat him now ſpeake, or els hereafter for euer hold his peace."

Traditionally spoken during a wedding ceremony to allow guests an opportunity to voice any objections to the union.

(by extension, humorous) Spoken to give one's listeners a last chance for comments or feedback.


GRWM

Coordinate term: GRWUS

Another look reminiscent of Kylie Jenner was created by Carli Bybel. Sticking to products with a mauve, brownish-pink tone, the beauty look is both subdued and glamorous — pretty without being too much of a statement. Bybel looks so gorgeous at the end of this GRWM video that it's impossible not to want to at least try the look for your next night out.

2015 October 1, Melodi Erdogan, “13 Lovely "Get Ready With Me" Videos From YouTube”, in Bustle:

In the same GRWM video, she demonstrated how she uses this powder, emphasizing applying it before bronzer, and making sure to carry the powder all the way down your neck.

2022 September 8, Madison Yauger, “Madison LeCroy Shares the Beauty Staples She 'Never Leaves Town Without'”, in People:

(Internet) Initialism of get ready with me.


FJB

[…] an impromptu remark by a NASCAR trackside reporter at the Talladega Super Speedway […] attempted to awkwardly substitute the rambunctious “FJB” acronym with something entirely more benign: “Let’s Go Brandon!” in recognition of the winning driver, Brandon Brown.

2021 October 18, Mike Bibb, “Editorial: Is it ‘FJB’ or ‘let’s go, Brandon?’”, in The Gila Herald:

President Biden received an ugly welcome in the Land of 10,000 Lakes on Tuesday when his motorcade passed dozens of protesters who held vulgar signs dissing the commander-in-chief. […] One sign said “FJB” in an apparent abbreviation of “F–k Joe Biden.”

2021 November 30, Steven Nelson, “Biden haters greet president in Minnesota with ‘FJB’ and ‘You Suck’ signs”, in New York Post:

Kirk's controversial tag has the acronyms "LGB" for 'Let's Go Brandon' and "FJB," an explicit statement geared toward President Joe Biden […]

2022 March 16, “Alabama man allowed to keep controversial license plate”, in WVTM 13:

The antipathy toward Biden - I won't say it's the same as it was toward Clinton, but it's definitely present. The chants of 'FJB' are louder than they've ever been.

2024 April 20, Toluse Olorunnipa, quoting David Urban, “In Pa., Biden’s challenge is highlighted by protests from both sides”, in Washington Post, archived from the original on 2024-04-20:

(US politics, derogatory, slang, vulgar) Initialism of fuck Joe Biden.


I will yeah

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-I will yeah.wav

Judge Olann Kelleher asked the accused if he would be willing to do community service in order to avoid a jail term. Arundel replied: "I will yeah."

2022 June 15, Liam Heylin, “Drunk Cork man stood outside family home shouting 'f***ing scumbags'”, in Irish Examiner:

So, what’s the appeal you ask? Is it the privacy? The people? The pints? Honestly, I think it’s a combination of all three… and myriad others. Buttery spuds, Tayto sambos, saying "I will yeah" when you really mean no; those are a few of my favourite things.

2022 August 23, Sarah Finnan, “A love letter to Ireland (from your favourite Hollywood celebs)”, in IMAGE Magazine:


one's teeth water

Now his teeth watered as he saw the mad-looking woman apparently gulp down that which, from the fragrance it emitted, could be nothing less than the most potent kind of the beverage he loved.

1828, Michael Banim, The Croppy, volume 2, page 216:

(dated) One salivates or is visibly hungry or (figurative) eager for something.


that ain't it

"Yeah, no. That ain't it," Jessica argued. "These people do not get paid nearly enough to deal with all that nonsense or for you to use them for money and clout. Because at the end of the day, even if you’re not getting a dollar amount from making these videos, you're still getting attention and clout on a public platform. That’s still exploitative."

2022 August 31, Jess Colopy, “Viral TikToker Dances With Disney Characters, Infuriates Former Cast Member”, in Inside the Magic:

(slang) Used to express disapproval of an action.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see that, ain't, it.


good-night

Good-night! my Friends, Heaven guard ye all! good-night!

1696 [1680], Tho[mas] Otway, The Orphan or, The Unhappy-Marriage. A Tragedy. As It Is Acted at His Royal Highness the Duke’s Theatre., London: […] R. Bentley, […], act III, page 24:

“Good-night, cousin,” said Phœbe, strangely affected by Hepzibah’s manner. “If you begin to love me, I am glad!”

1851 April 9, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Maule’s Well”, in The House of the Seven Gables, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, page 107:

They wished her good-night in their several fashions. “Good-night, mother. Well, some people are born with silver spoons!” “Good-night, mother dear. Don’t you think Fordham looks dreadful?” “Oh, no, Armie; much better than when I came up to town.” “Good-night, Mother Carey. If those young folks make all their parties so jolly, it will be the pleasantest house in London! Good-night!”

1879, Charlotte M[ary] Yonge, “The Traveller’s Joy”, in Magnum Bonum or Mother Carey’s Brood, volume III, London: Macmillan and Co., page 820:


AYO

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of are you OK?.


may the odds be ever in your favor

From the novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, in which it is the catchphrase of the character Effie Trinket, used to wish prospective competitors in the titular battle royale good luck.

may the odds be ever in your favour (alternative)

Scheduling a meeting with ten people is a form of calendar Tetris. May the odds be ever in your favor.

2018, Neil Soni, The Startup Gold Mine: How to Tap the Hidden Innovation Agendas of Large Companies to Fund and Grow Your Business, page 39:

With Geminis you just never know! All in all, I love being a Gemini, as we are a fun bunch. As for the ability for our moods to change in the snap of a finger, may the odds be ever in your favor!

2019, Mary, quoted in Kristy Robinett, Born Under a Good Sign: Make the Most of Your Astrological Sign, unnumbered page

My first baby loved baths from the start, and my youngest sounded like he was being waterboarded the entire time. May the odds be ever in your favor, and if your child is not the next Michael Phelps, try taking a bath with them.

2020, Melissa Guida-Richards, Bedtime, the Ultimate Battle: A Parent's Sleep Guide for Infants and Toddlers, unnumbered page:

(humorous) Used to wish someone luck in an adverse or uncertain situation.

Effie Trinket
Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games


one can dish it out, but one can't take it

One is able to express thoughts, criticism, or insults towards others, but cannot accept being on the receiving end of the same treatment.


it is and it isn't

Mr. JENNINGS. But if it is on the basis of handling it under a "with recourse" situation, that isn't affected by this bill.
Mr. MIKVA. It is and it isn't.
Mr. JENNINGS. It is from the standpoint of collection, you are right.

1972, United States House Committee on the District of Columbia Hearings on Interest, Usury, and Consumer Credit, page 111:

If you want to know how many people are taller than six feet tall, then you just pick people out at random, and you see that maybe forty of them are more than six feet so you guess that maybe everybody is. Sounds stupid. Well, it is and it isn't. If you pick the hundred out by seeing which ones come through a low door, you're going to get it wrong.

2009, Richard P. Feynman, The Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist, page 84:

An answer in reply to a yes-no question, indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer


whatever will be, will be

whatever happens, happens
whatever happens, happens#English


how's it

"How's it?" Stan asked. He looked like he was having real trouble focusing his eyes, and he smelt very strange. 'It's all right, Stan,' Granddad replied. 'What's up?' 'Had any more news there, boss?' Granddad didn't look up.

2015 September 1, James Roy, Billy Mack's War, Univ. of Queensland Press, →ISBN:


istg

Alternative form: ISTG

The singer-rapper wrote “people r so fuckin dumb istg it’s terrifying” yesterday (August 3), the context of which is unknown. Doja’s post prompted some fans and Twitter users to call her out for they perceived was her being unnecessarily negative and immature.

2022 August 4, Charlotte Krol, “Doja Cat claims Twitter isn’t letting her send replies as she calls fans “nerds” and tells some to “shut the fuck up””, in NME:

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of I swear to God.


life goes on

From the idea that the world continues despite all the setbacks, the world doesn't stop for one person.

It might've been one hell of a week, but hey, life goes on. You gotta get back up each time it throws you down.

Oh yeah, life goes on / Long after the thrill of livin' it's gone

1982, John Melloncamp, “Jack & Diane”, in American Fool:

Saying used to encourage someone to keep moving despite hardship


as demure as an old whore at a christening

as demure as a whore at a christening#English

Alternative form of as demure as a whore at a christening.


Cali or bust

Many more are coming to the same realisation as Fox: "Cali or bust". But this is at the expense of other tech hubs. Boston, for example, was once tipped to be the hub Silicon Valley has become. While it is still a major player, particularly in med tech, for various reasons, California came out on top.

2015 October 12, John Holden, “The networking in Silicon Valley is unparalleled”, in The Irish Times:

University of Waterloo graduates stressed there is a lot of peer pressure to land jobs in Silicon Valley. The saying on campus is: "Cali or bust."

2018 May 3, Terry Pender, “'Cali or bust': Tech sector losing grads to Silicon Valley”, in Waterloo Chronicle:

CALI OR BUST (overline)

2018 May 11, Lila MacLellan, “Alarm bells should be going off in Canada's STEM industry”, in Quartz:

The main reasons for why a student would 'Cali or bust' are: higher internship pay in the US, experience new locations & cultures, work at reputable companies, and the fact that the many of their classmates are also heading to the US.

2018 May 15, Bo Peng, “The Cali or Bust Conundrum”, in bopeng.io:

(university slang, computer science) Expressing a desire to work for a company in Silicon Valley, California (especially a FAANG company).


et sim.

pleonasm (mare pelago premit arua et sim.)

1936, A. S. F. Gow, A. E. Housman: A Sketch, Together with a List of His Writings and Indexes to His Classical Papers, The Macmillan Company, page 136:

ἄλλος αὖ an intensifying pleonasm, not unlike αὖθις αὖ et sim. or ordinals with αὖ (e.g., Su. 881, fr. 382.8);[…]

1994, Donald J. Mastronarde, Euripides: Phoenissae, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 266:

Not many examples are cited by TLL X.1.284.38ff, and these are mainly in learned authors; one must distinguish pariter + misceo et sim. where pariter has the sense under discussion here, and those cases where it means ‘in equal amounts’: TLL X.1.281.41ff.

1995, James Noel Adams, Pelagonius and Latin Veterinary Terminology in the Roman Empire, E.J. Brill, →ISBN, page 622:

One may recall here similar expressions from modern Greece, where, for example, many unsophisticated families used to place the kings’ or leading (and favored) politicians’ portraits right under an icon of Christ et sim., or where wishes for the wellbeing of such persons were incorporated into the evening prayers of small children or, as for kings, officially included, as the so-called polychronion, into the liturgy.

2000, Kostas Buraselis, Kos Between Hellenism and Rome: Studies on the Political, Institutional and Social History of Kos from ca. the Middle Second Century B.C. Until Late Antiquity, American Philosophical Society, →ISBN, page 62:

Perhaps without special reference, as in 2.217f. pater . . . Inachus et sim.

2003, D. R. Shackleton Bailey, Thebaid, Books 1–7, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 431:

Once identified as a member of a coordinating paradigm, a zero connector serves as a heuristic means of establishing the syntactic status of other particles: iam in an apodosis clause is not its connector, but the temporal adverb or asseverative particle in a clause which may be introduced either by et et sim. or by zero (see Section 1.3.6.1).

2009, Hannah Rosén, “Coherence, sentence modification, and sentence-part modification – the contribution of particles”, in Philip Baldi, Pierluigi Cuzzolin, editors, New Perspectives on Historical Latin Syntax, volume 1 (Syntax of the Sentence), Mouton de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 412:

Di Salvo 1990, 121 is of the view that the preposition cum in cum certantibus ursis (v. 65) is equivalent to et, et sim., as occasionally in enumerations (cf. also ThLL IV, 1377, 42, Vinchesi 2014, 504–5).

2016, Evangelos Karakasis, T. Calpurnius Siculus: A Pastoral Poet in Neronian Rome, De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 100:

Each of the lists has a unique outline-numbered reference, such as App. 4.4.1.3 (the double dreams with mixed message and symbolic/hybrid forms, et sim.).

2017, John R. L. Moxon, Peter’s Halakhic Nightmare, Mohr Siebeck, →ISBN, page 457:

And other similar items; and the like; and so on.


inter al.

From Latin inter aliōs m pl / aliās f pl / alia n pl.

On the back cover of the book, it is stated that the books in the series are designed for school students inter al., and in that case I wish a little more help were given on unfamiliar authors or works, such as Pollux, pseudo-Demosthenes, ‘the late lexicographer Harpocration’ or the pseudo-Aristotelian Oikonomika.

1994, JACT Review, Joint Association of Classical Teachers, page 27:

Since coming to England she has worked as a free-lance journalist (for the TLS, Cumberland Poetry Review, Irish Slavonic Review, Wiadomości and the Paris Kultura inter al.), and as a radio broadcaster and translator.

1995, Muza Donowa: A Celebration of Donald Pirie’s Contribution to Polish Studies, Astra Press, →ISBN, page 142:

Elsewhere he lists curses (Ballade 802, IV:315), insults (Ballade 1068, V:362; Ballade 804, IV:318; Ballade 849, V:22, inter al.), and the different ways in which people laugh and eat and drink (Ballade 843, V:14 and 844, V:15).

1998, Deborah M. Sinnreich-Levi, editor, Eustache Deschamps, French Courtier-Poet: His Work and His World, AMS Press, →ISBN, page 171:

The brain might have grown bigger due to a tendency towards ever younger features called neotony (cf. Gould 1977; Gould 1980; Lewin 1989; inter al.).

2001, Gábor Győri, editor, Language Evolution: Biological, Linguistic, and Philosophical Perspectives, Peter Lang, →ISBN, page 157:

It is almost impossible to farm these soils because the high water table would cause the roots to rot; but agricultural use is primarily excluded because even the low-salt soils still contain 3-6% salt (sodium chloride, as well as calcium carbonate inter al.), and thus they cannot even be used to cultivate date palms, which are highly resistant to salt water.

2001, A. K. Barua, editor, Water Technology Management, volume II, Dominant Publishers and Distributors, →ISBN, page 162:

They differ from the species of the H. mirus group, H. sarawakensis group, and H. martini group, in the structures of the sternal carinae, inter al.; and from the species of the H. bouvieri group, H. balnearius group, and H. philippinus group, in the structures of the aedeagus, inter al.

2002, Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, page 75:

For an exhaustive treatment of general graph measures, please refer to [167, inter al.], and for a survey on measures used for complex networks, see [70].

2012, Chris Biemann, Structure Discovery in Natural Language, Springer, →ISBN, page 23:


it is to laugh

Then, “It is to laugh,” said Karen with characteristic Courtney light-heartedness.

1934, Woman's World, volume 50, number 7, page 6:

DUCKMAN: In fact, I just spent two minutes writing a play which you can help me perform for King Chicken. Any questions?
CHARLES: Yes, when's the English translation come out?

1997, Duckman (season 4 episode 25: "Hamlet 2: This Time It's Personal")


hell if I care

(idiomatic, vulgar, emphatic) Synonym of I don't care.


WYO

WYO tonight?

(UK, US, text messaging) Initialism of what you on (“what are your plans? what are you up to?”).


WUO

(UK, text messaging) Alternative form of WYO (“what you on”).


let's know

2008, Amar Tyagi, Let's Know Handicrafts of India (Star Publications) →ISBN

On Zoo Lovers’ Day, let’s know more about India’s first zoo — the ArignarAnna Zoological Park in Chennai.

2021 April 23, Nimi Kurian, “Zootopia”, in The Hindu:

(South Asia) let's learn, find out, or see [about]

Let's know when Eckleton's playing Haileybury, and I'll come and look you up. I want to see that match.

1908, P. G. Wodehouse, “The Guardian”, in The Politeness of Princes and Other School Stories:

Let's know if you come back. Might see the sugar harvest. Have some fun. Give you a ride on the sugar train.

1955 October 20, H. E. Bates, “The Sugar Train”, in Evening Standard, page 19:

(colloquial, rare) let us know, get back to us, keep us posted (often us in sense me)

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see let's, know.


bell, book and candle

I am afraid Jim Crow was a hardened sinner, and, alas! we had no one on board duly qualified to do for him with "bell, book and candle" what had been done ages before to his ancestor at Rheims.

1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 36:

An expression denoting excommunication by anathema according to a rite of the Latin Church.


one to begin, two to show, three to make ready, and four to go

His playmate talks a great deal; as, when going to run, he says, 'One to begin, two to show, three to make ready, and four to go.' J. attempted every part of this, though not a word was distinct.

1894, The Pedagogical Seminary, volumes 3-4, page 44:

one for the money, two for the show, three to make ready, and four to go#English

Alternative form of one for the money, two for the show, three to make ready, and four to go.


not before time

Indicates that something is occurring just in time, or is overdue.


JBW

‘JBW’ or ‘Just Be White’—the idea that being white automatically makes you more attractive, particularly to non- white women

2021, Will Gerdes-McClain, "Differents: Essays About a Human (and Humans)", thesis submitted to Georgia College, page 96

In misogynist incel communities, the acronym “JBW” (Just Be White) is a popular expression of white men’s perceived sexual advantages.

2021, Megan Kelly, Alex DiBranco, Dr. Julia R. DeCook, in collaboration with the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism, "Misogynist Incels and Male Supremacism", https://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/misogynist-incels-and-male-supremacism/a-brief-overview-of-intersections-with-race-and-class/

I'm not denying that, being white gives you an advantage, what annoys me about JBW spammers is they think ONLY being white will get you laid, when being white is merely an advantage, just like being tall. That's all really, if JBW spammers would say being white is just an advantage that's fine, I agree being white is advantageous, but simply being white alone won't get you laid. Same with being tall for that matter.

2021, TigerFestival, quoted in Hugo Engholm, "The lack of looks: A study on the Incel ideology of Incelism during the 2010s–2020s and its relation to historical and contemporary ideologies particularly within far right milieus", thesis submitted to the University of Uppsala, page 43

(incel slang) Just be white (used sardonically to reflect the belief that white men are greatly advantaged over other men at attracting women)


if I'm not there, start without me

(idiomatic) I am not interested in the event and do not plan to attend.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see start.


PMFJI

(Internet slang) Initialism of pardon me for jumping in.


DYEL

(Internet slang) Initialism of do you even lift?.


who died and made you queen

who died and made you boss
who died and made you boss#English

Alternative form of who died and made you boss (said to a female)


call the fire department

(US) Call the emergency service that specializes in extinguishing fires.

叫水龍車 /叫水龙车

kiò chúi-lêng-chhia / kiò chúi-liông-chhia / kiò chúi-lông-chhia

叫拍火車 /叫拍火车

kiò phah-hóe-chhia / kiò phah-hé-chhia / kiò phah-hér-chhia

消防隊を呼んでください

しょうぼうたいをよんでください


Donald Ducking it

From the cartoon character Donald Duck, who is almost always depicted with no clothing below the shirt.

Wear clothes on the bottom half of your body. During the lockdown, many people got caught out when they rose from their computer only to be discovered “Donald Ducking” it.

2021, Nancy Bishop, Auditioning for Film and Television: A Post #MeToo Guide:

'Hope your neighbours don't catch me Donald Ducking it,' I call, returning to the bedroom still knickerless, holding the bottle and the glasses.

He is wearing eighties-style dark sunglasses and completely Donald Ducking it in a Hawaiian shirt with the sleeves cut off.

(slang) Wearing no clothes below the waist.


born in a mill

The loud machinery in a mill may necessitate raising one's voice to be heard.

Were you born in a mill, curtole? you prate so hye.

1578, George Whetstone, Promos and Cassandra, quoted in 1965, Burton Egbert Stevenson, The Macmillan Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Famous Phrases (page 497)

Hence among the vulgar, when you speak to them with too loud a voice, they tell you "that they were not born in a mill."

1981, Benjamin Rush, Eric T. Carlson, Jeffrey L. Wollock, Benjamin Rush's Lectures on the Mind, page 345:

Admonished that she should “keep the woman's virtue and be more silent,” she countered “that she was 'born in a mill, begot in a kill, she must have her will,' she could speak no softlier.”

2015, Kirilka Stavreva, Words Like Daggers, page 77:

Applied to a person who speaks more loudly than necessary.


how about them apples

how do you like them apples
how do you like them apples#English

Alternative form of how do you like them apples.


who put a quarter in you

Suggesting the insertion of a coin into a machine such as a jukebox.

(Canada, US, colloquial) Who upset you, or caused you to behave in a certain way? criticizing somebody perceived as making an unreasonable or negative remark


run, don't walk

Grab-a-cop-gun kinda crazy / She's poison but tasty / Yeah, people say "Run, don't walk, away"

2018, Ava Max, Madison Love, Tix, Cook Classics, Cirkut, “Sweet but Psycho”, in Heaven & Hell, performed by Ava Max:

If you don’t mind subtitles (or just so happen to know French), then please run, don’t walk, to Call My Agent. It’s a comedy (with a bit of drama sprinkled in) about a talent agency in Paris just trying to keep its business afloat and its clients happy.

2024 August 15, Laura Hanrahan, “19 Shows You Need to Watch if You Love ‘Emily in Paris’”, in Cosmopolitan:

(often figurative) A directive given in times of urgency to act quickly and without hesitation.


will the real someone please stand up

will the real (someone/something) please stand up

will the real please stand up (canonical)
would the real someone please stand up (alternative)

From the 1950s panel show To Tell the Truth, in which the line was said after votes came in as to who the people thought was the real person they were supposed to find out.

Will the Real Hymnal Please Stand Up?

1972 fall quarter, James W. Chapman, The Chaplain, page 53:

Will the real Jimmy Carter please stand up? Is it the twice-born Baptist who can preach love and compassion with true fervor? Or is it the tough relentless office-seeker with a pious front of “religiosity?”

1976, Marquis Childs, “Glimpses of The Real Carter”, in The Washington Post:

WILL THE REAL CHARLIE BROWN PLEASE STAND UP?

1977 July, D. C. Owens, “Softball at NRMC”, in The Clipper, volume 11, number 2, Memphis, Tenn.: Naval Regional Medical Center, page 7:

Will the Real SPP Please Stand Up

1980 December, “Appendix A: Bibliography of BBN Packet Radio Temporary Notes”, in Command and Control Related Computer Technology: Packet Radio (Report No. 4340), prepared for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, page 33:

1982, Barbara Morgenroth, Will the Real Renie Lake Please Stand Up?, New York, N.Y.: Fawcett Juniper Books, →ISBN:

I remember that moment when the host of the show would say, “Will the real Mr. X please stand up.” One fake would start out of his chair and then, bashfully, the real person would stand up to studio applause. There have been moments when I wanted to ask, “Would the real Mr. Arafat please stand up,” but they have been very fleeting.

1996 March 18, Barbara Amiel, “The stream of anti-Israeli vitriol”, in Maclean’s, archived from the original on 2022-10-15:

May I have your attention please?
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
I repeat
Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?
We're gonna have a problem here.

2000, Eminem, "The Real Slim Shady", The Marshall Mathers LP

[delurk][long] will the real goth please stand up […] but am I Goth? Am I NotaGoth? Am I a Closet Goth? Is there a 12 step program? Am I welcome?

2001 March 26, n4ca, aus.culture.gothic (Usenet):

BOOKENDS: Will the Real Jonathan Safran Foer Please Stand Up?

2005 April 13, Leon Neyfakh, Harvard Crimson:

Will The Real Woodhall Spa Please Stand up? / This was it folks, the REAL Woodhall Spa.

2006 September 8, Tim Hallam, Geograph Britain and Ireland:

Will the real you please stand up? : 7 spiritual strategies to help you discover your purpose and live it with passion

2007, Fran Harris, Will the Real You Please Stand Up?, Deerfield Beach, Fla.: Health Communications, Inc., →ISBN:

‘Would the ‘real’ girl gamer please stand up?’ Gender, LAN cafes and the reformulation of the ‘girl’ gamer

2007, Catherine Beavis, Claire Charles, Gender and Education, volume 19, page 691:

Racing the Archive: Will the Real William DuBois Please Stand Up?

2007, Shannon Rose Riley, English Language Notes:

Will the Real Hooded Man Please Stand Up

2007 August 15, Errol Morris, The New York Times, section “Opinionator”:

Will the Real Blue-Eyed Soul Artists Please Stand Up?

2007 October 9, Retannical D. Russell, PLAYBACK:stl, archived from the original on 2007-10-11:

2008, Gerry Ryan, Would the Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up, Penguin Ireland, →ISBN:

Will the real Alberta please stand up?

2010, Geo Takach, Will the Real Alberta Please Stand Up?, The University of Alberta Press, →ISBN:

Claiborne Holmes Kinnard V, Franklin, Tenn., “Will the real Bruiser please stand up?”

2011 fall, EHS: The Magazine of Episcopal High School, volume 63, number 2, page 61:

‘Will the Real Boccherini Please Stand Up’: New Light on an Eighteenth-Century Portrait in the National Gallery of Victoria

2015 December 25, Mark D. Shepheard, Art, Site and Spectacle: Studies in Early Modern Visual Culture:

(idiomatic, humorous) A request for the real person or thing to be identified from among others that are similar.


waiting to happen

Modeled after accident waiting to happen and disaster waiting to happen; more generic uses outside of those phrases apparently started decades later, c. 1960s.

an accident waiting to happen, a divorce waiting to happen

On the most prosaic level, there’s the section in the show when what appears to be a giant rope made of knotted sheets ascends to the roof and transforms itself into a swing. Bono selects a fan from the front row in an echo of U2’s fabled Live Aid performance, seats them in the swing and pushes them out over the audience: with the best will in the world, this seems less like stagecraft than an injury lawsuit waiting to happen.

2023 September 30, Alexis Petridis, “U2 review – an utterly astonishing, admirably raw Vegas extravaganza”, in The Guardian, London:

(colloquial) Bound to happen; almost certain to occur in the future.


money makes the world go around

money makes the world go round (alternative)

(informal, cliché) Money plays an essential role in the ordinary operation of one's life or the world at large; money underlies the fulfillment of the needs of human existence.


Christmas comes early

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

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Christmas comes early.wav

Then he [Viserys I Targaryen] turns to Rhaenys, who, he reasonably argues, is the best authority on what her husband would want. And Christmas comes early for Rhaenyra, because not only has her dad come out to support her family, but her aunt also backs Luke [Lucerys Velaryon]'s claim—and accepts her niece’s offer of a Targaryen-Velaryon double wedding.

2022 October 10, Jenna Scherer, “House of the Dragon Drops Its Best Episode Yet”, in w: The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2025-06-19:

Christmas come early
Christmas come early#English

Alternative form of Christmas come early.


there is no Planet B

Coined by British comedian and writer Rob Newman in 2006, in his stage show There Is No Planet B: A history of the world backwards. In 2007, Newman performed a song called No Planet B at Heathrow Climate Camp, after which activists painted the phrase on placards, first at the Heathrow Climate Camp, and then at COP15 in Copenhagen. The phrase was later popularized by British researcher and writer Mike Berners-Lee in his 2019 book There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years. It is a play on words based on the phrase "there is no plan B".

coinage

There is only one Earth, so humans must try to conserve Earth's environment by taking steps to mitigate climate change, etc.


straight, no chaser

Cowboys in high-heeled boots teeter along its sidewalks, or push the swinging doors aside for a shot or two—straight, no chaser.

1947, John Clarkson Jay, Skiing the Americas, page 115:

‘Here,’ offered Scotch, ‘get a dash of Coke.’
‘Straight,’ said I, ‘no chaser.’
I gulped the drink all at once. Sat back in the chair as the laughter of the brothers swirled around me.
‘Straight, no chaser, he says,’ Scotch said, throwing back a slug of brandy.

2007, Fred Khumalo, Bitches' Brew, Jacana Media, →ISBN, page 173:

(bartending) An alcoholic drink served in its pure form, without anything mixed in, and not followed by a non-alcoholic drink.


the job is oxo

Catch her in an emotional environment and if the chemicals of attraction are correctly and sensitively pestle mixed, the job is oxo.

2005, Bryan MacMahon, Hero Town, page 131:

I've no idea what they're going on about - it's all mahogany gaspipe to me - but next thing Brendan tips me the nod and a wink and gives me to understand that the job is oxo.

1993, Colbert Kearney, The Consequence, Blackstaff Press, →ISBN, page 277:

(Ireland) Everything is satisfactory; things are fine.


mustn't grumble

(UK, humorous) Not bad; implying that life is not bad and one should not complain about it.


shut the fridge

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-shut the fridge.wav

"Shut the fridge! You're kidding?" "I wish I was." "Details. What happened?" He let out a long breath, sagging against the side of his car. "Look, it wasn't entirely her fault. We'd been growing apart for months.

2015 February 19, Gemma Halliday, Hollywood Confessions: Hollywood Headlines Mysteries book #3, Gemma Halliday Publishing, →ISBN:

(minced oath, euphemistic, slang) shut the fuck up (usually expressing disbelief)


IYKYK

Alternative form: iykyk

These, supposedly, are clothes for people without anything to prove. IYKYK.

2023 May 15, Amanda Mull, “There’s No Secret to How Wealthy People Dress”, in The Atlantic:

if you know, you know
if you know, you know#English

(informal, humorous) Initialism of if you know, you know.


that's Greek to me

it's all Greek to me
it's all Greek to me#English

Alternative form of it's all Greek to me.


ICYW

(Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of in case you're wondering.


where's the lie tho

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-where's the lie tho.wav


the proverbial dog that caught the car

dog that caught the car
dog that caught the car#English


if you've got it, flaunt it

(informal) A positive or strong trait or attribute should be displayed with pride and used to one's advantage.


obscurum per obscurius

From Latin obscūrum per obscūrius, “[to explain] the obscure by the more obscure”.

We have no doubt—in spite of those rumours to the contrary which took so preposterous a shape in the table-talk of Lord Byron—that Miss More’s part in the transaction was blameless; but she certainly owes little to the dull slipslop with which Mr. Roberts has contrived to overlay—obscurum per obscurius—the only page in her history that really demanded elucidation.

1834, “Review of Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Mrs. Hannah More”, in The Quarterly Review, volume 52, page 423:

Ivy has been compared to Latin ibex ‘wild goat’ (that is ‘climber’), but, unfortunately, the origin of ibex is obscure […] and, according to the golden rule of etymology, one should never explain obscurum per obscurius.

2002, Anatoly Liberman, “Origin unknown”, in Donka Minkova, Robert Stockwell, editors, Studies in the History of the English Language: A Millennial Perspective, →ISBN, page 119:

In the first place, it cannot be denied that Napoleon changed the political face of Europe in a mere ten years[…]. To explain this by the intervention of some vast, impersonal force is undoubtedly an explanation of obscurum per obscurius at the very least, and it seems quixotic to deny that Napoleon’s rare talent as a military commander must have played a role here as well.

2012, Frank Ankersmit, Meaning, Truth, and Reference in Historical Representation, →ISBN, page 249:

ignotum per ignotius
ignotum per ignotius#English

Synonym of ignotum per ignotius (“explaining an obscure subject by resort to one even more obscure”).


it's none of your business

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Sapaa-it's none of your business.wav

(idiomatic) It's a matter (especially a private or personal one) that you are not entitled to be involved in or informed about.

不關你的事 /不关你的事

matter that someone is not entitled to be involved in


the wolf is at the door

Poverty or financial trouble is threatening someone.


the handwriting is on the wall

the writing is on the wall
the writing is on the wall#English

Alternative form of the writing is on the wall.


God rest his soul

Her mother hesitated, then said, with feeling, “Your grandfather, God rest his soul, was a humble man but a great one[…]”

2018, Alaa Al Aswany, The Republic of False Truths:

An honorific phrase said parenthetically after mentioning a deceased male person.


no contact, no contract

A person is not legally answerable to somebody with whom they have not previously interacted.


one's house in order

one's houses in order (canonical)
one's household in order (alternative)

Make sure to keep your house in order.

You have to get your house in order before you write the lease.

1976, United States. Congress. House. Ad Hoc Select Committee on Outer Continental Shelf, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1975, page 350:

You can get your financial house in order.

2020, Ronnie Lee Johnson, Is Your House in Order: Living in Today's Economy:

[T]he group asked Mr. Musk for a multimonth moratorium on changes to Twitter’s policies and enforcement processes related to elections, hate speech and harassment — at least until the midterm election results were final and “he has his house in order,” Ms. Eisenstat said.

2022 November 2, Kate Conger, Ryan Mac, Tiffany Hsu, “Elon Musk Takes a Page Out of Mark Zuckerberg’s Social Media Playbook”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(with a verb, resultative) One’s personal situation as it should be, with no problems.


verb. sap.

A shortening of Latin verbum sapienti sat est (“a word is enough to a wise man”). Compare verbum sat.

der

[…] everything’s permitted to the poor drunkard, particularly if he’s only a poor colonial and doesn’t know any better. Verb sap.

1926 January, Aldous Huxley, “The Monocle”, in The Criterion, volume 4, Faber and Gwyer, Ltd., page 53:


verbum sapienti

Used to bring something to a conclusion, implying that further comment is unadvisable or unneeded.


head

you don't know what you're talking about

Coordinate term: what do I know

What you said is so wrong it reveals you lack basic understanding of the subject or relevant experience.

daha ne hakkında konuştuğunu bile bilmiyorsun


what nonsense

That is nonsense; that is patently untrue.


how-de-do

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling

Pronunciation spelling of how do you do.


Kiong Hee Huat Chai

/kɪˌoŋ ˌhi ˌhuɐt ˈt͡ʃaɪ̯/

From Hokkien 恭喜發財 /恭喜发财 (Kiong-hí hoat-châi). Compare Tagalog Kiong Hee Huat Tsai.

Kiong Hee Huat Chay (alternative)
Kiong Hee Huat Tsai (alternative)
Kiong Hee Huat Tsay (alternative)
Kiong Hi Huat Chai (alternative)
Kiong Hi Huat Chay (alternative)
Kiong Hi Huat Tsai (alternative)
Kiong Hi Huat Tsay (alternative)
Kiong Hee Hwat Tsai (alternative)
Kiong Hee Hwat Tsay (alternative)


Kung Hei Fat Choi

/kʊŋ ˌheɪ ˌfat ˈt͡ʃoɪ̯/

From Cantonese 恭喜發財 /恭喜发财 (gung¹ hei² faat³ coi⁴). Compare Tagalog Kung Hey Fat Tsoy.

bor

Kung Hei Fat Choy (alternative)
Kung Hey Fat Choi (alternative)
Kung Hey Fat Choy (alternative)
Kung Hei Fat Tsoi (alternative)
Kung Hei Fat Tsoy (alternative)
Kong Hei Fat Choi (alternative)
Kong Hei Fat Choy (alternative)
Kong Hey Fat Choi (alternative)
Kong Hey Fat Choy (alternative)
Kong Hei Fat Tsoi (alternative)
Kong Hei Fat Tsoy (alternative)

(Hong Kong, Philippines) Happy Chinese New Year


Gong Xi Fa Cai

/kɔŋ ɕi fä t͡sʰaɪ̯/

From the Hanyu Pinyin romanization of Mandarin 恭喜發財 /恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái).

Kung-Hsi Fa-Tsai (alternative)
Kung-Hsi Fa-Ts'ai (alternative)
Kung Shi Fa Tsai (alternative)
Kong Shi Fa Chai (alternative)
Kong Shi Fa Tsai (alternative)


NAMALT

Coordinate term: AWALT

Initialism of not all men are like that.


StVZO

initialism of Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, literally a reference to German's traffic code, but frequently used to refer to vehicle light marketing outside Germany


trust the process

(Internet, informal) One should have faith or be confident that everything will work out as planned.


your words, not mine

—Do you think I'm stupid? —Hey, your words, not mine.

(colloquial, humorous) Used to facetiously agree with someone's self-deprecating statement.


your money is no good here

One's purchases are on the house; one will not be charged for one's purchases; said to insist on comping or treating a customer.

"Your money's no good here," he answered, shoving the two dimes across the bar to me. Sadly I dropped them back into my pocket, sadly we yearned toward the blessed stove and the armchairs, and sadly we went out into the frosty night.

1907 December 2, Jack London, “Hoboes That Pass In The Night”, in The Cosmopolitan, volume 44, number 2, page 193:


someone's heart is in

John Redwood, a longtime Eurosceptic Tory MP, said: “Sir Ivan’s heart was not in the negotiations. The talks do not need to be that complicated. If you leave, you leave. You take control of your borders, your laws and your money and that is not something that needs to be negotiated with Mrs Merkel.”

2017 January 3, Jessica Elgot, Patrick Wintour, Peter Walker, “Ambassador to EU quits and warns staff over 'muddled thinking'”, in The Guardian:

In September, [Richard] Lee set up a deal for him to go to top-flight Newcastle United as a reserve, but [Ben] Foster decided his heart wasn’t in it, rejected the move and retired.

2023 March 24, Adam Leventhal, “Ben Foster’s move to Wrexham: How a business and football deal was done”, in The Athletic:

(idiomatic, chiefly in the negative) Someone is emotionally invested in (something); someone does (something) wholeheartedly.


this is it

Yesterday, when I heard that General Prats had resigned as Commander-in-Chief, I thought to myself, This is it. The Fascists have finally driven him out.

1986, Caroline Richards, Sweet Country, page 6:

This is it: the moment of truth. This is when the preparation and work of all contributors is finally put to the test.

2014, Patrick Tucker, Secrets of Screen Acting:

In this cinematic epiphany Bridges has gone from panic and fear of crashing (“He can't steer, we're going down”) to a shock-induced realization of his own mortality (“This is it, the moment of your death”) to realizing the possibility of something like life after death ("I am not afraid, I have no fear").

2017, Andrew M. Greeley, God in the Movies, page 20:

Used to indicate that something important has finally happened or is about to happen.

Remember, the key here is that you know that this is it, the last copy; there will be no more chances to revise, no typist to complete this onerous task.

1977, Bill Knott, The Craft of Fiction, page 6:

It makes me want to have more of an influence on the world while I'm here because this is it. This is my only shot.

2015, Phil Zuckerman, Faith No More: Why People Reject Religion, page 129:

“So,” completely resigned to a dreary world, “this is it? There is nothing to look forward to? We get just one life? It hardly seems worth it, doesn't it?”

2019, Sreenivas Madhira, This is it: Yet another NDE? Or, is it just END?:

The key to happiness is recognising that, yes, this is it. You're all you have to work with and this moment is the only one you have any control over.

Used to acknowledge the limits of something.


no further action

Alternative form: (abbreviation) NFA

(law enforcement, criminal law, UK, Malaysia) A potential formal outcome for a suspect from a police investigation, indicating that no action will be taken.


no eye see

Calque of Cantonese 冇眼睇 (mou⁵ ngaan⁵ tai²).

calque

(Hong Kong, Singapore) To be unable to bear (the sight of) something anymore; to refuse to be involved further; to be disinclined to continue caring about.


tenpence to the shilling

The British shilling was worth twelve pence, so tenpence would be a deficient exchange.

I knew that chap; but he never was more nor tenpence to the shilling. He was one of the men, we say, who fell out of his cradle and knocked his head.

1909, Edward R. Hartley, Train Talks, page 4:

He felt no curiosity about news or daily events, and was getting to be looked on as 'tenpence to the shilling' in the head.

1951, Crichton Porteous, Wild Acres, page 203:

Whenever he did manage to engineer a meeting she always treated him as if he was only tenpence to the shilling, a few bricks short of a load, as if he needed another brain cell to qualify as a plant.

2011, Ruth Hamilton, A Whisper To The Living:


JWROS

The vast majority of banks set up all of their joint accounts as "Joint with Rights of Survivorship" (JWROS).

2018 December 5, The Trouble with Joint Bank Accounts 'Just in Case', kiplinger.com (retrieved 24 Nov 2022)

You can own assets jointly with rights of survivorship (JWROS). At the death of one joint owner, the assets go to the survivor.

2019 February 7, What is Probate and Should You Avoid It? Part I, Downs Law Firm (retrieved 24 Nov 2022)

(law) Initialism of Joint with Rights of Survivorship Indicating that a property is owned by two or more individuals, usually in equal portions, and that, on the death of one individual, the property will continue to be owned by the surviving individual(s).


WROS

Initialism of with rights of survivorship Synonym of JWROS.


JTWROS

Initialism of Joint Tenancy with Rights of Survivorship Synonym of JWROS.


I hear you say

Used to introduce one's understanding of someone's point of view.


IDGT

Popularized by American rapper Kevin Gates in 2014 through his song I Don't Get Tired, which was abbreviated into #IDGT, but the abbreviation is attested earlier.

"It's IDGT," Kara-France said, "I don't get tired."

2021 March 7, Lyle Fitzsimmons, “Jan Blachowicz and the Real Winners and Losers from UFC 259”, in Bleacher Report:

(Internet slang) Initialism of I don't get tired.


no joke

No joke: In February, single copy sales spiked an average 1,116 weekdays and 1,600 on Sundays, an increase Castaneda says can be attributed at least in part to the custody and asylum struggle over the six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor.

2000, Brandweek - Volume 41, Issues 18-22, page 140:

Well over a hundred urban warriors who weren't afraid to die had a bone to pick with me. No joke.

2011, Dennis Lehane, A Drink Before The War:

lightning just struck Jerzeybell. No joke— saw it blow!

No Joke! We put together more than 1,000 knock-knock jokes about every subject under the sun, along with some hilarious illustrations!

2018, Brian Boone, The Jokiest Joking Knock-Knock Joke Book Ever Written:

No joke, I was making $50 a day after tax and working so many hours that I had neither the time nor energy to even think about making music.

Emphasizing the seriousness or truthfulness of a statement.