run for the exercise

en-verb

run for the exercise (third-person singular simple present runs for the exercise, present participle running for the exercise, simple past ran for the exercise, past participle run for the exercise)

runs for the exercise (present singular third-person)
running for the exercise (participle present)
ran for the exercise (past)
run for the exercise (participle past)

A pun on two senses of run: to run for election and to travel quickly on foot.

[I]f Rockefeller wanted to run for the exercise, [Democrats] reasoned, let him kill himself off and clear the way for a more regular Republican in the next election.

1959, Candidates 1960 "xxx", Nelson. A Rockefeller, page 53

BENTSEN: SAYS HE WON'T RUN "FOR THE EXERCISE"
"Asked about the 1992 presidential race, Bentsen said he would not run as a sacrificial lamb so that the [Dems] would have a credible candidate and avoid a humiliating defeat"

1991, The Hotline, volume 4, numbers 127-148, page 3:

(simile, US, colloquial, politics) To run for political office with little chance of success.


ruptured duck

(US military, slang) The Honorable Service Lapel Button, a military award bearing the image of an eagle.


liquid democracy

en-noun

liquid democracy (countable and uncountable, plural liquid democracies)

(politics) a form of democracy where the electorate may choose to either vote directly or vest their voting power on delegates, and can withdraw their power from these delegates at any time.


snozzle

A few minutes later, when the two RMFD vehicles arrived, the on-scene commander instructed one of them to take up a position on the left side of the airplane and to use its snozzle to apply firefighting agents in the airplane's main cargo compartment.

2005, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.15.3 Emergency Response”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Hard Landing, Gear Collapse, Federal Express Flight 647, Boeing MD-10-10F, N364FE, Memphis, Tennessee, December 18, 2003, archived from the original on 2020-10-18, page 24:

(aviation, firefighting) A reinforced firefighting nozzle used to pierce the exterior skin of an aircraft and spray water or firefighting foam inside the aircraft to help extinguish a fire.


armed struggle

(politics) An irregular political conflict waged by an armed rebel group attempting to overthrow the prevailing regime or otherwise achieve or secure political rights.


Beretta

The officer fired his Beretta at the protesters.

The gun turned out to be an empty, dirty Beretta nine millimeter.

1993, Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower, HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP (2019), page 221:

(firearms) A firearm (especially a handgun) made by the Beretta company.


H. Res.

(US politics, law) Abbreviation of House Resolution; also H.Res.


H.Res.

(US politics, law) Abbreviation of House Resolution; also H. Res.


poncho liner

(US, military) An item of field equipment, made from quilted nylon with a polyester filling, that can be attached to a standard-issue poncho to provide additional warmth, or used alone as a blanket, sleeping bag or protective cover.


reasoned amendment

reasoned amendment (plural reasoned amendments)

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(UK politics) A negative response by a Member of Parliament to a proposed bill, providing reasons why it should be rejected rather than receiving a second or third reading.


Rocks and Shoals

From the language of Article 4, Section 10, which prescribed the death penalty for "any person in the naval service...[who] intentionally or willfully suffers any vessel of the Navy to be stranded, or run upon rocks or shoals".

(US, naval, informal, historical) The Articles for the Government of the United States Navy.


teeth arm

During the recent hostilities all the teeth arms units of the Territorial Army were embodied for military service.

1967, Military Year-book, volume 3, page 37:

(military, slang, chiefly in the plural) Any branch of the military that engages in direct combat.


swab jockey

(US military, slang, derogatory) A member of the United States Navy.


open the range

en-verb

open the range (third-person singular simple present opens the range, present participle opening the range, simple past and past participle opened the range)

opens the range (present singular third-person)
opening the range (participle present)
opened the range (participle past)
opened the range (past)

Even after receiving the order to withdraw, the battle-cruiser squadron took several more hits before they managed to open the range.

In the confusion, Johnston manages another about-face and heads away to open the range, with its torpedoes spent.

2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 18:40 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 2022-11-03:

(military) To draw oneself or one's vehicles (warships, tanks, aircraft, etc.) out of range of the enemy's fire.


arresting gear

en-noun

arresting gear (countable and uncountable, plural arresting gears)

(aviation, military) A system used to quickly decelerate a landing aircraft, essential for landing on an aircraft carrier (although land-based airfields can also be equipped with arresting gear); the most common system consists of a series of transverse wire ropes designed to snag an aircraft's tailhook, connected to a hydraulic or mechanical energy-absorbing system, but other systems exist (typically only for use in an emergency situation) which use a net to slow down an aircraft.


squad bay

(US, military) A barracks for junior members of the Marine Corps.


administrative loading

(military) The loading of troops and equipment so as to make the maximal use of the available space, without regard to tactical considerations such as speed and convenience of unloading.


tactical loading

(military) The loading of troops and equipment in a way that facilitates their tactical operations, rather than merely making the maximal use of the available space.


all standing

[…] and then with a terrific crash the ship brought up all standing, and we were hurled against the bridge screens by the force of the collision.

2008, Robert C. Stem, Destroyer Battles: Epics of Naval Close Combat:

A couple of girls were standing alongside an ambulance drawn up next to the lorry, out of which they had apparently just crawled, having slept all standing, as all had I suppose.

1917, Edward Percy Stebbing, At the Serbian Front in Macedonia, page 77:

No man had aught to cover him save his blankets, in which he slept “all standing,” i.e., with his clothes on.

1925, Fitzhugh Green, Our Naval Heritage, page 106:

(UK, naval) Wearing one's clothes, for example while sleeping.


grazing fire

(military) Gunfire approximately parallel to the ground and where the centre of the cone of fire does not rise above one metre from the ground.


watchout

A change in wind direction is a watchout.

Being uninformed on firefighting strategy and tactics is a watchout.

(firefighting) Any potentially hazardous condition or situation that may make a fire more dangerous.


second reading

(politics) In the United Kingdom and various other countries, the second presentation of a bill (proposed legislation) to a parliament or legislature, or chamber thereof, subsequent to the initial announcement of the bill at first reading. It is the first opportunity for debate on the main principles of the bill, and in the UK precedes the committee stage, where the bill is scrutinised in more detail.


nearfall

(wrestling) Alternative spelling of near-fall.


near-fall

(wrestling) A wrestling maneuver where shoulders are pinned to the mat for between one and two seconds. Alternatively a two second approach of shoulders to within two inches of the mat also counts for scoring.


armored cruiser

armored cruiser (plural armored cruisers)

armored cruisers (plural)
armoured cruiser (alternative)

(military) A type of cruiser (the warship) common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, carrying a small number of moderately-heavy main guns plus a large secondary battery of smaller guns and with armor protecting the sides and upper and lower decks, but lighter and with thinner armor and less powerful guns than a battleship; a mainstay of battle fleets around the turn of the 20th century, but displaced from this role by the more powerful battlecruiser after ca. 1908, becoming obsolescent by the time of WWI.


protected cruiser

protected cruiser (plural protected cruisers)

(military, nautical) A type of cruiser (the warship) carrying moderately-heavy main guns (although considerably lighter than those of a battleship) in armored turrets or other enclosures and having the machinery and magazine spaces protected by an armored lower deck, but leaving the sides of the ship unarmored (relying on the ship's coal bunkers to absorb hits to the sides of the hull) to save weight and allow for a high speed and long range; common in the late 19th century, but rendered obsolescent by the armored cruiser around 1900 as technological advances reduced the weight penalty of a side-mounted armor belt and made warships lacking belt armor increasingly vulnerable to enemy gunfire.


workers' party

workers' party (plural workers' parties)

workers' parties (plural)
Workers' Party (alternative)

(politics) A political party generally claiming to represent and/or fight for the working class.

National Socialist German Workers' Party


people's party

people's party (plural people's parties)

people's parties (plural)
People's Party (alternative)
Peoples Party (alternative)

(politics) A political party, its designation normally reflecting a focus on people.


FGS

Federal German Republic
Federal German Republic

(military, nautical) Initialism of Federal Germany Ship (“a ship prefix used for naval ships of the Federal German Republic, both West Germany and unified Germany.”).


SHORAN

(military) Acronym of short-range navigation.


METI

(politics) (Japan) Abbreviation of Ministry of Economy, Trade, and, Industry.


pommetty

pometté (alternative)
pometty (alternative)
pommeté (alternative)
pommetée (alternative)
pommetté (alternative)
pommettée (alternative)

(heraldry, of a cross, saltire, etc) Having the ends terminating in rounded protuberances like pommels.


mess trap

(naval) Synonym of mess kit (“set of eating utensils”).


mixed manning

(military) The bringing together of people representing different nations for some military project.


MEGA

Make Europe Great Again
w:Make Europe Great Again

(European politics) Initialism of Make Europe Great Again.


wire cartridge

When we arrived at the knoll, after having crossed the frozen bog, I took on account of the considerable distance at which the bird would have to be shot at, if he, as we supposed, would settle in the top of the fir tree the shot out of my gun, and loaded again with a wire cartridge.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 89:

(firearms) An early type of shotgun cartridge that had wire lining in the case to assist concentrating the shot.


slopshoot

I stopped by the slopshoot and had a couple of beers before going to the barracks and hitting the sack.

2000, John R. Hull, Takeoff: Career Adventures in General Aviation and the FAA, page 72:

(US, military, slang) A drinking establishment.


fringe meeting

In the midst of all the chaos and uncertainty on the railways as a result of the pandemic, it is surprising that considerable sums of money and much time and energy is being devoted to the concept of driverlessness. The idea that you can get rid of drivers is a regular theme of speeches at fringe meetings at the Conservative party conference, and in the output of like-minded think tanks.

2021 February 10, Christian Wolmar, “Time to end this infatuation with driverless vehicles”, in RAIL, number 924, page 36:

(politics) A meeting held during a party conference, which is attended only by people whose views or interests are not important to the majority.


highly-enriched uranium

(nuclear physics, military) Enriched uranium containing at least 20% uranium-235 (some applications, such as fission weapons and naval reactors, use uranium enriched to as high as 80-95% uranium-235), and therefore capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction without needing a moderator; used in nuclear weapons and in a few types of nuclear reactors requiring very high power density or high neutron flux.


tacnuke

tacnukes (plural)
tac-nuke (alternative)
tac nuke (alternative)

Probably it would go as this: the Soviets attack with as little warning as possible in a holiday with a massive BC assault together with their mechanized wave. Maybe a tacnuke or two (or two dozens) are exchanged between WARPACT and NATO troops in Germany and Turkey (i'm thinking of the Thrace area). After 2-3 weeks either the Soviets reach the Rhine and ask for an armistice or the war stalemates and ask for an armistice.

2018 October 16, El_Presidente, “Reply to "WW3 in the late 80s: How long does the munition last?"”, in alternatehistory.com, archived from the original on 2021-02-21:

(military, slang) A tactical nuclear weapon.


Gucci Gulch

From Gucci + gulch. From the fashion company Gucci and gulch (“ravine, valley; swallows”). An alliterative construction, matching the "GG" logo of Gucci. From lobbyists being attired in Gucci-brand fashion.

District of Columbia
District of Columbia#English

United States of America
United States of America#English

The section of K Street in Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, where the head offices of political lobbyists are located.

Collectively, the political lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

The location in the U.S. Capitol where political lobbyists are to be found.


Dixiecratic

en-adj

Dixiecratic (comparative more Dixiecratic, superlative most Dixiecratic)

more Dixiecratic (comparative)
most Dixiecratic (superlative)

(US politics, dated) Of or relating to the Dixiecrats.


MCM

en-noun

MCM (countable and uncountable, plural MCMs)

(military, nautical) Initialism of (naval) mine countermeasure(s).


loss of supply

loss of supply (plural losses of supply)

The House of Commons blocked the government's proposed budget, causing a loss of supply and triggering a new election.

(politics) The refusal by the legislature of a parliamentary democracy to provide the government with funding required for the government to continue to function, forcing either the resignation of the sitting government (and the formation of a new government), or else the dissolution of the legislature and the calling of a general election.


campoo

(India, military, historical) A kind of infantry brigade.


Nacionalista

(politics) A member of the Nacionalista Party (Filipino: Partido Nacionalista), the oldest political party in the Philippines, founded in 1907.


fence-mending

In summary, the recognition of the mandate of a group by government is useful not only to the group's leaders but to government as well. The existence and operations of organized groups introduce an element of stability into the political process; […] they enable government to carry on a continuous process of “fence mending” by continually drawing attention to the fences which require mending; […]

1972, David Kwavnick, Organized Labour and Pressure Politics, page 15:

Patronage and political fence mending had come to bore him.

1995, Jack Bass, The Transformation of Southern Politics, page 295:

(politics) Social assistance given to a community in order to retain popularity with the electorate.


Obamaworld

Heading into 2016 and 2020, if you told the hotshots from Obamaworld that you thought Biden would be a good candidate, they would uniformly offer a look of infinite patience, tolerance and condescension and say something like, “Well, I could understand how someone would think that.”

2021 March 20, Maureen Dowd, “Old Pol, New Tricks”, in The New York Times:

(US politics, informal) Barack Obama's circle of associates, employees and appointees.


observation balloon

observation balloon (plural observation balloons)

(military) A type of balloon that is employed as an aerial platform for intelligence gathering and artillery spotting.


Foreign Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

(UK politics) A department of the British Government, headed by the Foreign Secretary, that is responsible for maintaining and developing Britain's diplomatic and trade relations with other countries, as well supporting its citizens and businesses around the world. Official full name: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, formerly (until 2020) Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


Foreign and Commonwealth Office

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (canonical)

(UK politics) The former (until 2020) official full name of the Foreign Office; now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.


ace in a day

(aviation, military) An aviator (usually a fighter pilot) who destroys five or more enemy aircraft (the number required to become an ace) in a single day.


Foreign Secretary

Foreign Secretary (plural Foreign Secretaries)

Philip Hammond has been appointed chancellor of the exchequer and Boris Johnson foreign secretary as Theresa May allocated the top posts in her cabinet on her first evening as prime minister.

2016 July 13, Peter Walker, “Theresa May unveils cabinet, with Hammond and Johnson in top jobs”, in The Guardian, London:

(UK politics) The British cabinet minister who heads the Foreign Office and is responsible for Britain's relations and dealings with other countries. Official full title: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.


en-proper noun

the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

(UK politics) The official full name of the Foreign Office.

bureau des Affaires étrangères et du Commonwealth

Ufficio degli esteri, del Commonwealth e dello sviluppo

Ministerstvo inostrannyx del i meždunarodnovo razvitija Velikobritanii

Министерство иностранных дел и международного развития Великобритании

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y de la Mancomunidad de Naciones


LCI

(military, nautical) Initialism of landing craft, infantry.


infantier

infantiers (plural)
infanteer (alternative)

(Canada, military) A soldier in the infantry; an infantryman.


fascistlike

en-adj

fascistlike (comparative more fascistlike, superlative most fascistlike)

more fascistlike (comparative)
most fascistlike (superlative)

Winterbotham introduced Rosenberg to Oliver Locker-Lampson, who was then the leader of a fascistlike organization called the Blueshirts.

1997, James Pool, Suzanne Pool, chapter 7, in Who Financed Hitler, U.S.A., →ISBN, page 308:

(fascism) Reminiscent of the Fascists; somewhat fascist.


Lady Presidentress

en-noun

Lady Presidentress (plural Lady Presidentresses)

(US, politics, obsolete) Former name of First Lady (of the United States).


Presidentress

(politics, informal, rare) The title of a female president; a presidentress.

She was more than America’s “first, First Lady” and “Presidentress,” she was an incredible force for good. […] Together, but perhaps not alone, they merit the title of one of America’s greatest Presidents and Presidentresses.

2020, Rodney K. Smith, Dolley and James Madison: An Unlikely Love Story that Saved America, Outskirts Press, →ISBN, page 111:

(politics) The title for the wife of a President, a First Lady.


Republican Queen

Republican Queen (plural Republican Queens)

From republican + queen. From the United States being a republic, and queens being the martial consort of the leader of a kingdom (a king), where the US had recently became independent from such an entity (Great Britain, under King George); thus terming the consort of the male president a form of queen.

(US, politics, obsolete) Former name of First Lady (of the United States of America); FLOTUS.


ten-shun

Company, 'ten-shun—(More violently.) 'ten-shun, please... (He draws himself up exaggeratedly.) Stand straight, like soldiers!

1946, Harry Lester Baum, Prelude to Victory: A Masonic Play:

(US, military) Used to bring a marching band or group of soldiers to attention.


at-ten-shun

Respelling of attention to show the stress pattern.

"At-ten-shun !" commanded he, with that peculiar inflexion only attainable after considerable service.

1906, Joseph Edgar Crowell, The Young Volunteer: The Everyday Experiences of a Soldier Boy in the Civil War:

At-ten-SHUN! ¶ The United States Marine Corps wants your children.

2003, “Family Fare”, in The New York Times:


buzzerphone

buzzerphones (plural)
buzzer phone (alternative)

(military, historical) A portable buzzer system for transmitting messages in Morse code.


Fullerphone

(military, historical) A kind of buzzerphone designed to prevent messages being overheard by nearby enemies.


crew-served

A heavy machine gun, anti-materiel rifle, or rocket launcher might be crew-served.

(military, notably USMC) Of a weapon system: requiring a crew or more than one individual to function due to its high operational complexity.


Belgicism

Belgicism (countable and uncountable, plural Belgicisms)

(politics) The political ideology which supports the political and economic union of Belgium; Belgian nationalism.


Eireann

Borrowed from Irish Éireann "Ireland's; of Ireland", genitive case of Éire, "Ireland".

The neutrality, however, causes some peculiar situations, such as that arising from the prohibition of uniforms other than those of the Eireann Defence Forces and the Diplomatic Corps. This would be simple if no one from Eire were a sailor, soldier, or airman in the British Forces, but thousands of them are, and as such they may not wear mufti unless on leave from the B.E.F.

1940 May, “The Irish Railways Today”, in Railway Magazine, page 295:

An Eireann member of the Forces can, however, elect to take his discharge here and stay here for good or proceed to Eire and return within the period of demobilization leave, that is eight weeks, and then remain.

1945 December 10, Sir William Jowett, "IRISH VOLUNTEERS AND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT" Hansard HL Deb vol 138 c540

1971 November 30, "EIREANN CITIZENS IN GREAT BRITAIN" Hansard HL Deb vol 326 cc140-2

(British, politics, obsolete, deprecated) Alternative spelling of Eirean.


test depth

test depth (usually uncountable, plural test depths)

(nautical, military) The maximum depth at which a submarine is permitted to operate in peacetime.


operating depth

operating depth (usually uncountable, plural operating depths)

(nautical, military) The maximum depth at which a submarine is permitted to operate when actively engaged in battle.


SpAd

(UK politics, informal) Alternative letter-case form of spad (“special adviser”).


ZELL

(aviation, military, historical) Initialism of zero-length launch.


ambulancer

(military) A medic working in a mobile field hospital.


SOW

(military) Initialism of standoff weapon.


oligarchization

oligarchization (countable and uncountable, plural oligarchizations)

/ˌɒlɪɡɑːkaɪˈzeɪʃn̩/

/ˌɑləɡɑɹˌkaɪˈzeɪʃən/

From oligarchize + -ation (suffix denoting an action or process).

affix

(politics, uncountable) Conversion of a political system to an oligarchy; (countable) an instance of this.

oligarkiaksi kehittyminen

conversion of a political system to an oligarchy; an instance of this


on the beat

bobby on the beat

From midsize departments like the one in Indianapolis to big-city forces like New York City's, from top commanders to officers on the beat, police officers nationwide were unprepared to calm the summer's unrest, and their approaches consistently did the opposite.

2021 March 20, Kim Barker, Mike Baker, Ali Watkins, “In City After City, Police Completely Mishandled Black Lives Matter Protests”, in The New York Times:

(law enforcement) Of a police officer: patrolling his or her assigned area; on duty.


command and control

"American police simply were not prepared for the challenge that they faced in terms of planning, logistics, training and police command-and-control supervision," said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit that advises departments on management and tactics.

(military, law enforcement) The management and logistics of a military or paramilitary force.

command-and-control economy

(economics, politics) The management of a polity's economic and political resources by state officials themselves, rather than by more democratic or spontaneous means.


NDB

non-directional beacon
nuclear depth bomb

(military, nautical) Initialism of nuclear depth bomb.


(US, military) Synonym of 4F (“military draftee rejected for being physically unfit”).


field stop

(law enforcement) An on the ground stop made by a police officer.


subimperialism

en-noun

subimperialism (countable and uncountable, plural subimperialisms)

subimperialisms (plural)
sub-imperialism (alternative)

PIE word
 *upó
From sub- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under; secondary, subsidiary’) + imperialism.

affix

The revolt against "imperialism" has engendered a number of "subimperialisms." Egypt has ambitious plans of expansion which include the annexation of the Sudan and the suppression of Israel. India is determined to retain possession of Kashmir (the cause of ineradicable antagonism between her and Pakistan) and to annex the Portuguese territory (territory, not colony) of Goa.

1956 September 30, F. A. Voight, “Soviet Colonialism”, in Soviet Total War: “Historic Mission” of Violence and Deceit (85th Congress, 1st Session, House Document; no. 227, part 2), volume II, Washington, D.C.: Committee on Un-American Activities, United States House of Representatives, →OCLC, page 554:

Behind each experiment there was an important element of ‘sub-imperialism’. In West Africa, the Lagos merchants and Government became entangled in the Yoruba region. Sierra Leonians became involved in the northern rivers and some even looked to the interior of Soudan.

1967, W[illiam] David McIntyre, “Mid-Victorian Imperialism: A Pragmatic Approach to Empire”, in The Imperial Frontier in the Tropics, 1865–75: A Study of British Colonial Policy in West Africa, Malaya and the South Pacific in the Age of Gladstone and Disraeli, London: Macmillan and Co.; New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →OCLC, page 380:

And the situation is further complicated by the nascent or sub-imperialisms of the Indians and the Chinese, as shown for example by the dispute over Indonesian actions against Chinese traders.

1971, W[illiam] Gordon East, O[skar] H[ermann] K[hristian] Spate, Charles A. Fisher, “Epilogue: The Unity of Asia?”, in W. Gordon East, O. H. K. Spate, Charles A. Fisher, editors, The Changing Map of Asia: A Political Geography, 5th edition, London: Methuen & Co […], →ISBN, page 640:

The indications of Brazil's growing influence in Latin America, described in detail in this Report, have prompted a debate on the question of "subimperialism," the term commonly used to characterize Brazil's continental role.

1975 May–June, NACLA-East, “Brazil: The Continental Strategy: Introduction”, in NACLA’s Latin America & Empire Report, volume IX, number 4, New York, N.Y.: North American Congress on Latin America, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 3, column 1:

The other [new force] was Cecil Rhodes' unlimited expansion to the north, a 'personal' sub-imperialism far transcending the traditional Cape goal of local paramountcy, but yet serving it: […]

1975, G. N. Sanderson, “The European Partition of Africa: Coincidence or Conjuncture?”, in E[rnest] F[rancis] Penrose, editor, European Imperialism and the Partition of Africa, London; Portland, Or.: Frank Cass and Company, →ISBN, page 39:

At this point, the French president [Valéry Giscard d'Estaing] took upon himself a well-known role that others before him, including [Adolf] Hitler, had already claimed—that of lawful defender of the so-called Western civilization. […] In fact, it is merely a question of French subimperialism being obliged to show a side it would prefer to keep hidden—its militaristic intervention.

1978 June 14, “Editorial Criticizes France’s African Policy”, in [anonymous], transl., Translations on Sub-saharan Africa (JPRS; 71295), number 1947, Arlington, Va.: Joint Publications Research Service, →OCLC, page 51:

Upon the conclusion of the 1900 Buganda Agreement, an oligarchy in Buganda, composed mainly of Christians, with Protestants in the strongest position, achieved one of the most impressive settlements in the annals of sub-imperialism. This agreement guaranteed that the Bakungu chiefs would be the principal class mediating between the colonial power and the common people.

1985, Marcia Wright, “East Africa, 1870–1905”, in Ronald Oliver, G. N. Sanderson, editors, The Cambridge History of Africa, volume 6 (From 1870 to 1905), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, published 2001, →ISBN, page 580:

Acting sometimes at the behest of the army high command or with the unofficial support of civilian officials, and sometimes on independent initiative, Kwantung Army officers made the army into an agent of subimperialism.

1998, Louise Young, “The Jewel in the Crown: The International Context of Manchukuo”, in Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism, Berkeley; Los Angeles, Calif.; London: University of California Press, published 1999, →ISBN, part I (The Making of a Total Empire), page 30:

The pages below argue for an interpretation of BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa] not typically comprehensible within the mainstream of analysis: "subimperialism", based on locating BRICS within global uneven and combined development.

2016, Patrick Bond, “BRICS within Critical International Political Economy”, in Alan Cafruny, Leila Simona Talani, Gonzalo Pozo Martin, editors, The Palgrave Handbook of Critical International Political Economy (Palgrave Handbooks in IPE), London: Palgrave Macmillan, Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, part III (Regional Analysis), page 351:

In this way, Germans were part of the British subimperialism of science. They provided metropolitan science with information and biota. Many of them were well integrated into British academia and society. At the same time, they participated in transimperial networks that undermined the core–periphery hierarchies of British imperial science.

2021, Ulrike Kirchberger, “Between Transimperial Networking and National Antagonism: German Scientists in the British Empire during the Long Nineteenth Century”, in Andrew Goss, editor, The Routledge Handbook of Science and Empire (Routledge Handbooks), Abingdon, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 144:

(politics) A form of imperialism (“policy of forcefully extending a nation's authority by territorial gain or by the establishment of economic and political dominance over other nations”) which is subordinate to another imperialism.

subimperialismi

form of imperialism subordinate to another imperialism


subimperialist

en-adj

subimperialist (comparative more subimperialist, superlative most subimperialist)

more subimperialist (comparative)
most subimperialist (superlative)
sub-imperialist (alternative)

In the immediate post-World War I period, when the Solomons was included in Australia’s subimperialist designs, photographer and columnist Thomas McMahon made a similar trip, publishing hundreds of photographs of Solomon Islands in Australian, British and American magazines and illustrated newspapers.

2019, Clive Moore, chapter 7, in Tulagi: Pacific Outpost of British Empire, Australian National University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, page 351:

(politics) Of or pertaining to subimperialism.


subimperialist

subimperialists (plural)
sub-imperialist (alternative)

But by the 1930s, the imperial garrisons had multiplied and the institutional complexity of the armed services opened new possibilities for subimperialists.

1998, Louise Young, chapter 2, in Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism, Berkeley: University of California Press, published 1999, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 47:

(politics) Somebody who is committed to a subimperialism.


overpenetrate

en-verb

overpenetrate (third-person singular simple present overpenetrates, present participle overpenetrating, simple past and past participle overpenetrated)

overpenetrates (present singular third-person)
overpenetrating (participle present)
overpenetrated (participle past)
overpenetrated (past)

(intransitive, transitive, weaponry, of a bullet or other projectile) To pass completely through a target and out the other side, potentially striking another person or object located further downrange.


MICV

mechanized infantry combat vehicle#English

(military) Initialism of mechanized infantry combat vehicle.


Tories on bikes

So-called due to bicycles being commonly prescribed as an environmentally friendly form of personal transportation.

The only viable alternative for decades has been The Australian Greens, formerly a protest party, but now a progressive middle-class party. It’s a coalition of Tories on bikes, socially conscious baby boomers who live in architect-designed homes, and millennials who haven’t yet graduated from edgy liberalism to socialism.

2018 September 7, Ivan Mitchell, Daniel Lopez, “The Immodest Victorian Socialists”, in Jacobin, retrieved 2021-04-01:

A derogatory name for the Greens is "Tories on bikes"; they also oppose building on green belts around cities, and thus inadvertently encourage car commuting, with its attendant car pollution.

2019, Danny Dorling, Rule Britannia: Brexit and the End of Empire, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN, retrieved 2021-04-01:

But lest we forget the Green Party’s concern for the workers who make these cheap clothes in counties such as Bangladesh, the reality is that when it comes to employees’ rights they are merely Tories on bikes.

2020 September 11, Pat Flanagan, “Green Party out of touch with ordinary people and seem to like punishing poor”, in Irish Mirror, retrieved 2021-04-01:

(politics, derogatory, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) Members or supporters of a Green Party who are politically conservative.


OCCB

(New York, law enforcement) Initialism of organized crime control bureau of the New York Police Department.


TKD

(informal, martial arts) Initialism of tae kwon do.


white crane

en-noun

white crane (countable and uncountable, plural white cranes)

white crane style
white crane style#English

(martial arts) Ellipsis of white crane style.


White Crane

From white + crane. Calque of Chinese 白鶴派 /白鹤派 (“white crane style”)
* (Tibetan White Crane): From Cantonese 白鶴派 /白鹤派 (“white crane style”), from 西藏白鶴拳 /西藏白鹤拳 (“Tibetan white crane boxing”)
* (Fujian White Crane): From Hokkien 白鶴派 /白鹤派 (“white crane style”)

bor

Tibetan White Crane
Tibetan White Crane#English

(martial arts) A style of Chinese martial arts

Ellipsis of Tibetan White Crane, a style of kung fu popularized across the world from its popularity in Cantonese media, adopted in Southern China as a native style, after being introduced from Western China.

Tibetan White Crane

Fujian White Crane
Fujian White Crane#English

A style of Chinese martial arts
Ellipsis of Fujian White Crane.


white crane style

en-noun

white crane style (plural white crane styles)


rule of engagement

rule of engagement (plural rules of engagement)

The military, which acknowledged that the killings violated its rules of engagement, announced the deaths on Friday, hours after saying it had recovered the bodies of three other Israeli hostages in Gaza.

2023 December 16, Aaron Boxerman, Ben Hubbard, Thomas Fuller, “Israel Says 3 Hostages Bore White Flag Before Being Killed by Troops”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(military, law enforcement, chiefly in the plural) An internal rule among a military, police, etc. force defining the circumstances in which and manner with which to use force.


(healthcare) Initialism of pay for performance.


collaborationist regime

collaborationist regime (plural collaborationist regimes)

collaborationist regimes (plural)
collaborationist régime (alternative uncommon)


puppet regime

puppet regimes (plural)
puppet régime (alternative uncommon)


Blind Half-Hundred

So called because many members suffered from ophthalmia.

(UK, military, historical, slang) The 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot.


cold meat train

cold meat train (plural cold meat trains)

So called because this train used to convey corpses to Woking on behalf of the London Necropolis Company.

(UK, slang, obsolete, military) The last railway train of the night by which officers could reach Aldershot via the South Western Railway.


bordured

A chevron bordured between three shamrocks

a bordured coat

(heraldry) Having or exhibiting a bordure.


anti-ballistic missile

anti-ballistic missile (plural anti-ballistic missiles)

anti-ballistic missiles (plural)
antiballistic missile (alternative)

(military, astronautics) A missile designed to shoot down ballistic missiles in flight.


doughnut dolly

doughnut dolly (plural doughnut dollies)

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

So called because they served doughnuts at mobile canteens.

Carter said they flew some doughnut dollies out to Colt the other day, but they live way up at the headquarters compound, and you said you've only been between here and the hospital.

1984, William E. Holland, Let a Soldier Die, page 151:

Rankin said she recommended the producers drop the character of K.C., a "doughnut dolly” who became a prostitute

1988, Media Report to Women - Volumes 16-17:

(US, military, slang, historical) A female volunteer for the American Red Cross providing support to servicemen.


line of communication

line of communication (plural lines of communication)

lines of communication (plural)
line of communications (alternative)

(military) The networks of land, water, and air routes that connects a battlefield and its military personnel, supplies, etc.


NDPB

non-departmental public body
w:non-departmental public body

(UK, government) Initialism of non-departmental public body.


missile farm

(military) An integrated facility with factories, silos, etc. for the production and recycling of missiles.


SQT

(military) Initialism of SEAL Qualification Training.


teeth-to-tail ratio

teeth-to-tail ratio (plural teeth-to-tail ratios)

(US, military) The ratio of combat troops to support forces.


soft ordnance

Some of the planes were loaded with "soft" ordnance—cluster bombs or napalm—others with "hard" ordnance such as high explosives. The planes were scrambled according to what the troops on the ground called for. If enemy soldiers were in the open, soft ordnance was on the menu; […]

2000 December 31, Dale Andradé, America's Last Vietnam Battle: Halting Hanoi's 1972 Easter Offensive, University Press of Kansas, →ISBN, page 364:

(US, military, euphemistic) Napalm or cluster bombs (for use against soft targets), as opposed to high explosives (for hardened targets).


second-order threat

second-order threat (plural second-order threats)

(military) A factor that may eventually lead to a direct military threat.


782 gear

So called for the form for issue of individual equipment, NAVMC Form 782.

(US, military) Military gear for use in the field, including a rifle, bedding, first aid kit, etc.


vertrep

vertrep (countable and uncountable, plural vertreps)

vertical replenishment
vertical replenishment#English

(military) Syllabic abbreviation of vertical replenishment.


vertrep

en-verb

vertrep (third-person singular simple present vertreps, present participle vertrepping, simple past and past participle vertrepped)

vertreps (present singular third-person)
vertrepping (participle present)
vertrepped (participle past)
vertrepped (past)

vertical replenishment
vertical replenishment

(military) To supply by vertical replenishment.


vertical replenishment

en-noun

vertical replenishment (countable and uncountable, plural vertical replenishments)

(military) The transfer of supplies to a seaborne vessel by helicopter.


earbanger

He also knows that he has a tendency towards being overweight and watches his diet carefully, and he can tell you everything there is to know about every man in his platoon. Yet, more than once, I've read him off for being partial to a couple of obvious earbangers, and the simplest problem can make him indecisive.

In fact, the platoon sergeant was very smart, but he was loath to show it off, especially in front of superiors, who were prone to label even junior staff noncoms who talked to them too much as “earbangers,” a blunt, unflattering nautical term for ass kisser.

2020, Eric Hammel, Til The Last Bugle Call, page 28:

(US, military, slang, derogatory) An obsequious member of the military who attempts to curry favor with superiors.


pox doctor's clerk

(military, slang, derogatory) A person who is showily dressed.


classical liberalism

A retronym to distinguish earlier 19th-century liberalism from social liberalism.

It was during this period of industrialization that the individualistic world view of classical liberalism became the dominant ideology of capitalism.

1990, E. K. Hunt, Property and Prophets, 6th edition, New York: Harper & Row, →ISBN, →OCLC:

(politics) A political ideology and a branch of liberalism that advocates civil liberties under the rule of law with an emphasis on economic freedom.


prison state

Lim Ŭn does not attempt to portray the gigantic prison state that is Kim's North Korea, […]

1982, Ŭn Lim, The Founding of a Dynasty: An Authentic Biography of Kim Il-sŏng, page 328:

(politics) A state that severely restricts the freedom of its citizens.


break squelch

en-verb

break squelch (third-person singular simple present breaks squelch, present participle breaking squelch, simple past broke squelch, past participle broken squelch)

breaks squelch (present singular third-person)
breaking squelch (participle present)
broke squelch (past)
broken squelch (participle past)

McWilliams and his capsule task force continued with an impressive show. Vehicles moved, different kinds of light flared in the night, radios broke squelch, doors slammed, […]

1981, Army Trainer, volume 1, number 1, page 37:

I acknowledge yes to Craig, and he broke squelch twice. It was my turn to pull point. I moved slowly and quietly down the path toward the company.

2013, Dan Rodgers, Call Me Sergeant Rock: How a Boy Becomes a Man in Vietnam, page 238:


groupment

(military) A temporary, improvised grouping of forces.


uncivil war

January 20 2021, Joe Biden, Inaugural Address
“We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this - if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.”

(politics) A political dispute marked by incivility but minimal violence.


train bombing

en-noun

train bombing (countable and uncountable, plural train bombings)

Set all other switches as you would for train bombing. […] When bombs are released they then drop in proper sequence.

1945, United States. Army Air Forces, Office of Flying Safety, Bombardiers' Information File:

[…] which allowed either automatic or manual control for individual, selective, or train bombing release of the bombs […]

2005, William Wolf, Boeing B-29 Superfortress: The Ultimate Look, page 153:

(military) The dropping of a series of bombs one after another.


KDF

Kenya Defence Forces
w:Kenya Defence Forces

(Kenya, military) Initialism of Kenya Defence Forces.


pseudonation

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

Does Minerva, the name of the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom, seem inappropriate for a pseudonation created by some California promoters?

Such a pseudonation will have its political parties split into ethnic or religious branches...

1991, J. N. Nanda, Conflicts and Co-existence, India, page 12:

Many state nationalisms are based on nothing more than a putative or postulated nation, i.e. a pseudonation–as became very clear after the fact in the cases of the USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and the GDR.

2008, Egbert Jahn, Nationalism in Late and Post-Communist Europe, page 45:

(politics) An entity that falsely purports or is purported to be a nation.


VIW

VIW (countable and uncountable, plural VIWs)

(law enforcement) Abbreviation of victim/informant/witness.


DOGE

Back-formation from doge as a backronym, an Internet meme, or from dogecoin, a cryptocurrency that Elon Musk has supported.

It is not known how big a budget DOGE will have, how many people it will itself employ, or how much of the American taxpayers’ dollars it will require.

2024 November 14, Rhian Lubin, “What is DOGE? Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency led by Musk and Ramaswamy”, in The Independent:

The DOGE personnel wanted to gain access to USAID security systems and personnel files, three sources said.

2025 February 2, Jennifer Hansler and Alex Marquardt, “Senior USAID security officials put on leave after attempting to refuse Musk’s DOGE access to agency systems”, in CNN:

DOGE has highlighted how USAID spent millions propping up the Marxist ideology of “diversity, equity, and inclusion;” the unfair and divisive transgender orthodoxy; and the climate alarmist movement.

2025 February 26, “USAID’s Troubling Ties to the Left’s Dark Money Network”, in Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, page 2:

Department of Government Efficiency
w:Department of Government Efficiency

(US politics) Acronym of Department of Government Efficiency.


H&I

harassment and interdiction
harassment and interdiction#English

(US, military, historical) Initialism of harassment and interdiction.


harassment and interdiction

harassment and interdiction (uncountable)

(US, military, historical) The periodic firing of unobserved rounds of ammunition at trails known to be used by the enemy, during the Vietnam War.


hasty breaching

Hasty breaching requires speed with a minimum of planning. Leading combat units must often clear a lane of all mines. Special mechanical or explosive devices, artillery or aerial bombardment, or specially trained teams accomplish this.

Combat arms units are responsible for: Hasty breaching of barriers to include minefields.

1973, The Engineer, volume 3, number 2, page 15:

(military) The clearing of a passage through a minefield or other barrier by various improvised means.


feet dry

The aircraft headed “feet-dry” by the pilot's judicious use of rudders and afterburners.

Feet wet: Fighter direction brevity code used to report that a plane had left land ("feet dry") and was now over water.

1994, Paul T. Gillcrist, Tomcat!: The Grumman F-14 Story, page 196:


feet wet

Three minutes later, at 2015, Captain Brindel entered the CIC and was notified of TN 2202 “feet wet” (aviation terminology meaning that an aircraft is over water) in the northern Persian Gulf and heading south.

1997, Jeffrey L. Levinson, Randy L. Edwards, Missile Inbound: The Attack on the Stark in the Persian Gulf, page 71:

[…] when you'd crossed the coastline after departing the ship Roger Klondike twelve dash four, understand flight of three. Feet wet.

2008, David A. Ballentine, Gunbird Driver: A Marine Huey Pilot's War in Vietnam, page 56:


finite deterrence

(military) The strategy of making a nuclear victory so costly that it is preferable for the enemy not to fight.


cab rank

Their presence with the army greatly heartened the rank and file, as did the appearance above the battlefield of "cab ranks" of fighters and fighter-bombers.

1953, Denis George Richards, Hilary Aidan St. George Saunders, Royal Air Force: The fight is won (page 352)

(military) A group of aircraft that remain airborne in order to attack targets quickly when requested.


cold launch

cold launch (countable and uncountable, plural cold launches)

(military) A form of vertical launching system where the missile is expelled by gas produced by a separate gas generator, and only ignites afterwards.


combat loading

tactical loading
tactical loading#English


Inland Revenue

(UK, taxation, historical) A British government department responsible for the collection of taxes (not including local taxes and customs and excise duties).


brown bar

Making a rather astute deduction from the fact that the brown bar in white fatigues was loaded down with a huge bottle of clear liquid and an assortment of tubes and needles, […]

Afterward, Lindenmeyer made his way over to Lieutenant Turchan's radioman who, considering the brown-bar's greenness, almost appeared to be running the platoon.

1991, Keith William Nolan, Operation Buffalo: USMC Fight for the DMZ, page 118:

(US, military, slang) A second lieutenant.


point defence

point defence (countable and uncountable, plural point defences)

point defences (plural)
point defense (alternative)

(military) The defence of a single object or a limited area, such as a ship or a building.


positive neutrality

(politics) A friendly and cooperative stance toward other countries or parties, while avoiding involvement in any conflicts between them.


oil burner route

oil burner route (plural oil burner routes)

In reference to the smoke trails that jet engines may leave behind at low altitudes.

(aviation, slang, military) A region of airspace in which military jets are authorized to carry out low-altitude training.


the other body

House of Representatives
House of Representatives

(US, politics) Either the Senate or the House of Representatives, from the point of view of the other.


fractionalism

(politics) The division of a political party into groups that may have differing ideologies.


OPFOR

(military) Abbreviation of opposing force.


ground wallah

(UK, military, aviation, slang, dated) An officer who does not fly aircraft.


front porch campaign

front porch campaign (plural front porch campaigns)

(US, politics) A low-key electoral campaign in which the candidate, rather than traveling, remains near or at home to make speeches to supporters who come to visit.


Green New Deal

The right rallying call is for a “Green New Deal.” The New Deal was not built on a magic bullet, but on a broad range of programs and industrial projects to revitalize America. Ditto for an energy New Deal.

2007 January 19, Thomas L. Friedman, “A Warning From the Garden”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

The claims are outlandish. The Green New Deal is, among other things, a plan to tightly regulate and upgrade the energy system so the United States gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewables in a decade.

2021 February 21, Naomi Klein, “Why Texas Republicans Fear the Green New Deal”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(US politics) A set of proposed public policy changes to address climate change along with achieving other social aims like job creation and reducing economic inequality.


counterliberal

en-adj

counterliberal (comparative more counterliberal, superlative most counterliberal)

more counterliberal (comparative)
most counterliberal (superlative)
counter-liberal (alternative)


unitarism

en-noun

unitarism (countable and uncountable, plural unitarisms)

(politics) A unified and centralized system of government


shoulder-strap

(military) An ornamental distinguishing band worn over the shoulder


ITAR

(US politics) Initialism of International Traffic in Arms Regulations.


who whom

He noted various indications that a somewhat more moderate view had emerged of the basic "who-whom" problem that Lenin had so starkly formulated […]

1971, Erik P. Hoffmann, Frederic J. Fleron, The Conduct of Soviet Foreign Policy, page 186:

The Bolsheviks may have held the commanding political heights, but in social terms the daunting question of "who — whom?" — as Lenin had put it — was still conspicuously unresolved.

1984, Max Hayward, Patricia Blake, Writers in Russia, 1917-1978, page 58:

(politics) Who will defeat or dominate whom? A Bolshevist principle or slogan, urging action against the capitalists.


surf torture

(US, military) A training exercise for Navy SEALs that involves exercising in cold seawater on the beach.


triple-E

en-adjective

triple-E (comparative more triple-E, superlative most triple-E)

more triple-E (comparative)
most triple-E (superlative)
triple E (alternative)

From having three "E"'s in the initialism.

(Canada, politics) Abbreviation of elected, effective, equal.


third-campist

(politics) A follower of the third camp socialist ideology.


third-campism

(politics) The third camp socialist ideology.


Norway-plus

From the similarity to Norway's arrangement, with plus denoting the addition of a customs union outside of EFTA.

European Economic Area
European Economic Area

(UK, politics) A proposal for a post-Brexit settlement that would have consisted of membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area as an EFTA member state, combined with a separate customs union with the European Union.


cross-counter

(boxing) A counterattack begun immediately after an opponent throws a jab, exploiting the opening in the opponent's position.


cross-counter

en-verb

cross-counter (third-person singular simple present cross-counters, present participle cross-countering, simple past and past participle cross-countered)

cross-counters (present singular third-person)
cross-countering (participle present)
cross-countered (participle past)
cross-countered (past)

(boxing, ambitransitive) To employ a counterattack of this kind on (someone).


mud-crusher

From mud + crusher, i.e. one who walks over the ground.

(military, slang, derogatory) A member of the infantry.


EUCO

European Council
European Council#English

(politics) Initialism of European Council.


KPA

Korean People's Army
w:Korean People's Army

(military) Initialism of Korean People's Army.


zero-length

zero-length launch system; zero-length take-off

(military) Being or relating to a method whereby jet fighters and attack aircraft could be near-vertically launched using rocket motors to rapidly gain speed and altitude.


ZLL

(military) Initialism of zero-length launch.


Kaffrarian

Kaffrarians (plural)
Caffrarian (alternative)

(military, historical) A member of the Kaffrarian Rifles (now the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles), an infantry regiment of the South African Army.


Kenseikai

(politics, historical) A short-lived political party in the pre-war Empire of Japan.


Wafdism

(politics, historical) The policies and attitudes of the Wafd Party, a nationalist liberal political party in Egypt.


Wafdist

(politics, historical) A member or supporter of the Wafd Party, a nationalist liberal political party in Egypt.


RATOG

(British, aviation, military) Initialism of rocket-assisted take-off gear.


flag list

(military, nautical) A list of active flag officers.


madman theory

(US politics, historical) An element of U.S. President Richard Nixon's foreign policy, by which Nixon was portrayed as irrational and volatile toward leaders of hostile Communist nations, with the aim of making them fearful of provoking the United States.


Nixonette

The entrance to the hotel was flanked, as if it were the doors of a potentate’s private suite, with two bands and the high-kicking Nixonettes.

1969, David English and the Staff of the London Daily Express, Divided They Stand, London: Michael Joseph Ltd, →ISBN, page 285:

At the Republican convention the nominee was staying in Key Biscayne, but you could not get in the Doral because you might assassinate a Nixonette.[…]I wanted to tell a Nixonette that it was a well-known fact that McGovern is anti-music and his advisors are still trying to decide his stand on the love question … but she’d probably just grin and nod and say “that’s right” in a positively Nixonette manner … and I’d get the grues again.

1972, “August 1972”, in Patty Newman, editor, Perched Like a Weather Vane, San Diego, Calif.: World Research, Inc., pages 89–90:

But, while I was still the girl my parents expected me to be, I was asked to be a Nixonette, and I merrily, unthinkingly donned my white dress and red, white, and blue banner. One of our Nixonette duties was to stand on the curb in front of the San Marino Republican Headquarters and welcome the candidate to town.

2007, Janet Mason Ellerby, “Richard Nixon and Me”, in Following the Tambourine Man: A Birthmother’s Memoir, Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, →ISBN, section “San Marino, 1962”, page 24:

(US politics, historical) A young woman who performed as a dancer/cheerleader at campaign rallies for Richard Nixon.


Perisher

A pun on periscope and perish, in allusion to the supposedly low pass rate.

(UK, naval, slang) The Submarine Command Course.


TSG

tactical support group
tactical support group#English

(UK, law enforcement) Initialism of tactical support group.


Sea Lord

The legend and sketch designs were submitted to the Board on 27th March 1916 and, after examining a model and the drawings, the Sea Lords generally favoured proposal 'B'; the extra weight involved being acceptable.

1976, Alan Raven, John Roberts, British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleships and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946, page 63:

(UK, naval, historical) Any member of the British Board of Admiralty who is also a serving admiral in the navy.


brass-collar Democrat

en-noun

brass-collar Democrat (plural brass-collar Democrats)

Yellow Dog Democrat
Yellow Dog Democrat#English

(US politics, dated) Synonym of Yellow Dog Democrat.


browning shot

See brown (“mass of birds or animals in hunting”).

[…] the U-boat would ordinarily be able to have only a "browning shot" (a random shot in the hope of hitting one ship in the convoy), which might or might not hit.

2014, Arthur J. Marder, From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, volume IV, page 132:

(naval) A haphazard shot at a group of vessels.


tactical warning

tactical warning (plural tactical warnings)

(military) A warning of an ongoing or immediately impending attack.


protective reaction

protective reaction (countable and uncountable, plural protective reactions)

(military, euphemistic) The bombing of enemy targets, ostensibly in self-defense.


letter of credence

letter of credence (plural letters of credence)

(diplomacy) Formal diplomatic letter that appoints a diplomat as ambassador to another sovereign state.


NSSL

(US, politics, military, espionage, aerospace) Initialism of National Security Space Launch program; a U.S. government program for assured access to space


NSSL

national security
national security#English

(US, politics, military, espionage, aerospace) Initialism of national security spacelaunch; a high security spacelaunch of U.S. government payloads, such as spy satellites


EELV

(US, politics, military, espionage, aerospace) Initialism of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program; a U.S. government program for assured access to space


EELV

(US, politics, military, espionage, aerospace) Initialism of evolved expendable launch vehicle; a rocket developed under the EELV government program.


NROL

(US, government, military, espionage, aerospace) Initialism of National Reconnaissance Office launch. An NRO spacelaunch for delivering a high security government payload into space.


GBU

→ Indonesian: GBU


swallow the anchor

en-verb

swallow the anchor (third-person singular simple present swallows the anchor, present participle swallowing the anchor, simple past and past participle swallowed the anchor)

swallows the anchor (present singular third-person)
swallowing the anchor (participle present)
swallowed the anchor (participle past)
swallowed the anchor (past)

My grand pa was the carpenter on his ship, but had a few years before swallowed the anchor and stepped on land to repair boats.

2008, Scott Telek, The Ghost Ship, page 184:


ADIZ

Thursday morning began with reports of multiple warplane incursions into the ADIZ, and cyber-attacks targeting the websites of the president’s office and the ministries of foreign affairs and defence.

2022 August 5, Helen Davidson, “What the fallout from Pelosi’s visit means for Taiwan and China”, in The Guardian:

air defense identification zone
w:air defense identification zone

(military, aviation) Initialism of air defense identification zone.


biscuit bomber

(military, slang) A military supply plane that drops food supplies from the air.


in pride

Over the fire-place on the right hand, there is a group of heathen celestials: - Jupiter and Juno, in a reclining posture, with their mythological insignia (the eagle holding the thunderbolts, and the peacock in his pride); […]

1841, Irvin Eller, The History of Belvoir Castle: From the Norman Conquest to the Nineteenth Century, page 301:

I remember, too, seeing the Peacock in pride above the arms of the late Sir Matthew Tierney, the physician, […]

Argent, three peacocks in pride proper.

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 448:

A Psalter, B.L. MC. Arundel 157, of circa 1200, has a fairly good bird in its pride in the initial D of Psalm 98 […] (f.82v). This is not one of the regularly illustrated psalms, and the only possible symbolism, that the peacock represents Christ, seems far-fetched.

1982, William Brunsdon Yapp, Birds in Medieval Manuscripts, page 22:

Our Turkey Lectern is 20th-century, but the family arms, with the turkey crest, occur in 18th-century glass and in the carvings above 17th- and 18th- century tombs. I find it interesting that these two earlier birds show great resemblance to your 18th century picture of the North American wild turkey. Though depicted "in its pride”, the body has the elongated shape of the present-day pheasant. Can it be that at that time the domestic turkey was still similar to the North American wild turkey?

1983, Cynthia Mortimore, in a letter to (and published in) Country Life, volume 173, page 582

Above the shield and helmet is the Crest which is described as : "A peacock in pride ar." A translation of the Crest description is : "A silver peacock in her pride." Family mottos are believed to have originated as battle cries in medieval times ...

(1) A peacock in his pride arg. (for Pelham).

1993, James Fairbairn, Fairbairn's Book of Crests of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, Genealogical Publishing Com, →ISBN, page 438:

The careful and detailed rendering of the "eyes" of the peacock's tail in many of the bestiaries may be an artistic attempt to create a pictorial equivalent of the text. The peacock in Bodley 764 is shown in its pride (figure C, p. xxiv).

2013, Debra Hassig, The Mark of the Beast: The Medieval Bestiary in Art, Life, and Literature, Routledge, →ISBN, page 61:

(heraldry, chiefly of a peacock) With its tail feathers spread.


preyant

Lowe, [New Sarum, in Wiltshire] Gu. a wolf preyant ar. Crest, a wolf's head couped ar. collared or.

1780, Joseph Edmondson, A Complete Body of Heraldry:

Culcheth of Culcheth: argent, an eagle disclosed, preyant on a child in a mantle gules, wattled or. This is the crest of Stanley, well known in Lancashire as the bird and bantling.

1880, Thomas Spencer Baynes, The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature, page 700:

(heraldry) Preying; in the posture of preying (upon something).


PHE

(healthcare) Initialism of public health emergency.


PHE

Public Health England
w:Public Health England

(historical, healthcare) Initialism of Public Health England: an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in England between 2013 and 2021, formed to protect and improve health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.


NBMR

(military) Initialism of NATO basic military requirement.


woketopian

en-adj

woketopian (comparative more woketopian, superlative most woketopian)

more woketopian (comparative)
most woketopian (superlative)
Woketopian (alternative)

Of Woketopia + -ian, from woke + -topia + -ian. Attributed to US Congressman Matt Gaetz.

'Where the risk to safety and security and normal life has caused a lot of folks to abandon ‘woketopian’ politics for order, for security for normalcy. In Philadelphia right now, we don't see that.'

2020 October 28, Matt Gaetz, quotee, “Matt Gaetz suggests Philadelphia riots could harm Democrats on Election Day”, in Newstex Blogs: Florida Politics:

Finally, there would be woketopian revenge for “the patriarchy” and biology, for slavery and Jim Crow, for heteronormativity, for war in the Middle East, for able normality, and for prosperity.

2020 November 2, Phillip Carl Salzman, “Goodbye America, Hello Woketopia”, in Minding the Campus:

What this woketopian prat has failed to realise is that our monarch has proven in actions throughout her life to be the ultimate anti-racist.

2021 June 9, Dan Wooton, “Over-privileged, over-woke and over here: Would the American student who cancelled the Queen have disrespected his own country like that?”, in Daily Mail:

The channel’s mission is to present “both sides of every argument”, even though alternative views are routinely depicted as “leftist propaganda”, the product of the “woke mob” or “woketopian snowflakes”.

2021 August 16, Tom Evans, “Farage attack on city typical of a peddlar in ‘anti-wokeness’”, in Liverpool Echo, page 26:

Getting back to foundational basics is refreshing, especially in today's Woketopian climate

2021 December 13, Jim baker, “Reversing Roe is not pragmatic”, in The Day, archived from the original on 2021-12-23, Comment:

(US, politics, derogatory) Excessively woke; demanding or reflecting values of social justice to an extreme extent.


woketopian

woketopians (plural)
Woketopian (alternative)

As a Democrat watching the Republican convention, I was surprised to learn that I’m a radical “woketopian” who wants to support “Communist China,” disarm Americans, defund the police, unlock prisons, disburse opioids, cancel our founding fathers, abolish the suburbs and raise taxes.

2020 August 26, Michael Stewart, “letter to the editor”, in New York Times:

At the Republican National Convention in August, right-wing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) scolded “woketopians,” grouping them together with socialists and Biden supporters, as though the definition of a “woketopian” was self-evident.

2020 October 9, Aja Romano, “A history of “wokeness””, in Vox:

What makes it obvious that Weston is a woketopian is that, as she announced these changes, she also revealed the charity would start to focus on ‘addressing inequality and protecting the environment’.

2021 September 9, Dan Wooton, “How can the very people supposed to protect the legacy and memory of Winston Churchill have betrayed him so badly? We must never surrender to the woke mob”, in Mail Online:

(US, politics, derogatory) Someone who is excessively devoted to values of social justice.


VCP

vehicle checkpoint
vehicle checkpoint#English

(UK, law enforcement) Initialism of vehicle checkpoint.


parish-pump

/ˈpæɹɪʃ ˌpʌmp/

/ˈpæɹɪʃ ˌpʌmp/

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-parish-pump.wav

From parish + pump, the attributive form of parish pump, alluding to its use as a place where members of a parish meet and talk to each other.

parish pump politics    parish-pump squabbles

Never avoid bars or smoke-rooms, because in the former case you miss the chance of marrying a flirt, and in the latter of having your mind improved by local parish-pump politics, and your head broken by a fool in his cups.

[1875?], Thomas Bardel Brindley, chapter I, in Hints, Humorous and Satirical, to All the World and His Wife. […], 3rd edition, London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. […], →OCLC, paragraph 7, page 6:

I now turn to the question of political progress. Ten days or so ago I was criticized in a newspaper for saying that I would confine political progress to the parish-pump level. […] I believe it right to ensure that truly responsible local government at the rural community and Municipal Council levels is firmly established and as quickly as possible.

1952 March 19 (date delivered), Victor Purcell, quoting Gerald Templer, “The Case for the Governments”, in Malaya: Communist or Free?, Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, published 1954, →OCLC, page 189:

I don't think I've voted once since the war. The issues nowadays so often seem—well, a bit parish pump.

1978, Graham Greene, chapter I, in The Human Factor, London; Sydney, N.S.W.: The Bodley Head, published 1979, →ISBN, page 14:

This study […] pays serious attention to so called parish-pump conflicts in the belief that they performed a fundamental role in shaping opinion in the countryside. The vitality of parish pump alignments had a temporal dimension, too, for it seems that the querulousness of the rural community expressed a developing perception of equilibrium and well-being.

1985, P[eter] M[ichael] Jones, “Introduction”, in Politics and Rural Society: The Southern Massif Central c. 1750–1880, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 5:

The idea of "parish-pump politics" is well known. Instead of engaging in problem solving at the community level, local politicians often think only of their own, local community, even if it is much more reasonable to cooperate with neighbouring communities and to pursue common regional interests.

2016, Michael Böcher, Max Krott, “Case Studies”, in Eduardo Fargas, editor, Science Makes the World Go Round: Successful Scientific Knowledge Transfer for the Environment, [Cham, Zug, Switzerland]: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, page 62:

(UK, often politics, dated, derogatory, figurative) Of local interest or significance only; petty, parochial.


Cannonism

(US politics, historical) Dominance over the House of Representatives and its discussions and debates, like that exerted by Joseph Gurney Cannon (1836–1926), Republican politician.


Chauchat

Named after Colonel Louis Chauchat, who led the development project.

(military, historical) The standard light machine gun of the French army during World War I.


clearance rate

(crime, law enforcement) The proportion of crimes that are solved by the police with respect to the total number of crimes reported.


target of opportunity

en-noun

target of opportunity (plural targets of opportunity)

(military) A target onto which one's attack is diverted as soon as it is seen or becomes known.


NAFOD

(US, military) Acronym of no apparent fear of death, a disqualifying condition for hazardous or combat duty.


hyperactive battlefield

hyperactive battlefield (plural hyperactive battlefields)

The result is a ‘hyperactive’ battlefield where the “differences between strategic, operational, and tactical levels, as well as between offensive and defensive operations, are being erased,” and that can quickly overwhelm the capacity and will of any combatant.

2018 June 1, Stephen Marr, “Stability in Multi-Domain Battle”, in U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institue: Defense Technical Information Center, page 6:

[…] are shaping the future operational environment: increased competition across all five warfighting domains, an increasingly lethal and hyperactive battlefield, an operational environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, and challenges to deterrence […]

2019, Justin R. Wegner, “49th Staff Judge Advocate Course Wrap-Up”, in Army Lawyer, number 4:

“The reason we say we need a joint concept more than ever is because the tempo of warfare, and the complexity of all the domains. Because all of these domains are controlled at different echelons or by different services, military forces must integrate all domains quickly to take advantage of opportunities on a very lethal, hyperactive battlefield."...Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Futures Command and director of the Futures and Concepts Center

2019 November 19, “The new era of high-power electromagnetic weapons”, in Military & Aerospace Electronics (article), retrieved 2021-07-06:

The Pentagon is kicking off a new series of joint war games and exercises this fall designed to figure out how to confront peer adversaries like China and Russia, as military leaders rush to come up with new ideas for how to fight through what one Army general describes as a “hyperactive” battlefield.

2019 September 4, “Major War Game to Jolt 4 Services, Force Decisions”, in Breaking Defense (article), retrieved 2021-07-06:

Future wars will likely be decided in the realm of “high-speed information-networking,” software upgrades that include artificial intelligence, long-range sensing, stealth, precision weapons and, perhaps most of all, sensor-to-shooter decision cycles. Army Futures Command Commander Gen. John Murray has often said that the future of warfare is expected to be what he called a “hyperactive battlefield.”

2021 July 4, “The National Interest: Future Wars Will Be Fought on the ‘Hyperactive Battlefield’”, in The National Interest (blog), retrieved 2021-07-06:

information technology
information technology

artificial intelligence
artificial intelligence

(US military jargon) Warfare involving advanced technologies that expand military engagement beyond the physical battlefield, such as high-speed information technology, artificial intelligence, long-range sensors, stealth, precision-guided munitions and sensor-to-shooter systems.


balloon buster

(slang, military, historical) A pilot known for destroying enemy observation balloons.


base chief

chief petty officer
chief petty officer#English

(Canada, military, Royal Canadian Navy) A chief petty officer, the highest ranked warrant officer on a military base.


Flags

Suddenly the flag lieutenant grabbed an air vice-marshal's daughter by the hand and dragged her past the Charltons […] Flags was always doing something of this sort, and although Paul did not know him, he disliked it […]

1959, John Gilbert, Face in the Clouds, page 102:

[…] up the Flag Lieutenant to inform him that a cow would have to accompany the distinguished passenger. "Flags" was rather horrified at this, so Louis, overworked and slightly irritable, said, "Very well — no damn cow, no damn general — […]

1971, Piet van der Byl, From Playgrounds to Battlefields, volume 1, page 193:

(military, slang) Nickname for a flag lieutenant.


market communism

Attempts to introduce versions of "market communism" — in China, Hungary or Yugoslavia — have shown how hard it is to make mainly state-owned economies as nimble as mainly private ones.

1988, The Economist, volume 306, numbers 7532-7539, page 13:

These second tier businesses too might prefer the luxury of rentier satisficing, but lacking “godfathers,” are compelled to behave more or less like neoclassical profit-seekers. They are the “market” heart of Chinese market communism; […]

2011, Steven Rosefielde, Masaaki Kuboniwa, Satoshi Mizobata, Two Asias: The Emerging Postcrisis Divide, page 432:

(politics) A form of communism that also engages to a limited extent with the free market.


Awkward Bench

Described as 'a sabre-toothed growler on Labour's awkward bench' (Robert Hardman), he sits alongside Dennis Skinner a mere arm's length from the Chief Whip, whom, in opposition during the 1992 Parliament, he defied 52 times, […]

1999, Robert Waller, Byron Criddle, The Almanac of British Politics, page 288:

I am pleased that he is on the awkward Bench and hope to see him here in future.

2005, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), page 451:

(UK politics, slang) The front row of seats below the gangway on the Labour side of the House of Commons, where rebel MPs often sit.


below the gangway

(UK politics) On the benches in the House of Commons located past the central aisle and relatively far from the Speaker, generally occupied by minority groups not belonging to either the government or the Shadow Cabinet.


pocketbook issue

pocketbook issue (plural pocketbook issues)

The party leaders became social media stars. Heidi Reichinnek, who is credited for much of the turnaround, told a crowd on Sunday night that they owed their success to the many volunteers who went from door to door talking to people about pocketbook issues.

2025 February 24, Christopher F. Schuetze, Jim Tankersley, “5 Takeaways From Germany’s Election”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

bread-and-butter issue
bread-and-butter issue#English

(politics) Synonym of bread-and-butter issue.


police special

(US, firearms, historical) A pistol manufactured for police use.


police positive

police positive (plural police positives)

(US, firearms, historical) Synonym of police special (“pistol manufactured for police use”).


avcat

From aviation, aviation carrier (aircraft carrier), and aviation turbine fuel (avtur).

(US, military, aviation, nautical) Synonym of JP-5, the U.S. Navy jet fuel.


BFM

(military, aviation) Initialism of basic fighter maneuvers (“the corpus of maneuvers and tactics expected of fighter aircraft and their pilots”).


BFM

(military, aviation) Initialism of basic fighter maneuver, a foundational maneuver or tactic used by fighter planes and fighter pilots.


Locofocoism

(US, politics, historical) The political principles of the Locofocos.


municipal president

municipal president (plural municipal presidents)

(politics, Mexico) The head of government of a municipality, often referred to as "mayor".


supermissile

supermissiles (plural)
super missile (alternative)
super-missile (alternative)

An interview with Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, Chief of Naval Operations in which he describes the Navy's role in an era of H-bombs and supermissiles.

1956, Army Library (U.S.), Special Bibliographies, United States Department of the Army, Army Library, page 91:

For example, the details of the new Soviet SS9 supermissile, which apparently was not thought to be a proper subject to include in a formal “posture statement” were abruptly declassified and trotted out as Exhibit A in the case for Soviet aggressiveness as it was presented live for all to see and hear.

1969, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Subcommittee on International Organization and Disarmament Affairs, Strategic and Foreign Policy Implications of ABM Systems, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 316:

“It’s a bomber! It’s a supermissile! No — it’s a dove.”

1981 November 20, Herbert Lawrence Block, “‘It’s a Dove”, in coldwar.unc.edu:

(military) An extremelypowerful, self-propelled projectile whose trajectory is adjustable after it is launched.


echelonment

echelonment (usually uncountable, plural echelonments)


direct democracy

direct democracy (countable and uncountable, plural direct democracies)

(politics) A form of democracy in which people decide on policy initiatives directly, without electing representatives.


enaluron

Uncertain; perhaps from French *en aileron (in which case see aileron).

For quotations using this term, see Citations:enaluron.

(heraldry, uncommon) Charged with birds.


enurny

From Anglo-Norman enorné, enourné, variant forms of aurné, aourné, from aurner (“to adorn, decorate, endow”); compare anorn, enorn from the same nasal variants.

He beareth Argent, a bordure quarterly, as followeth: The first Gules, enurny of three Lioncels passant guardant, Or. The second, Azure, verdoy, of as many Flowers de Lis, Or. The third as the fecond : The fourth as the first.

1638, John Guillim, A Display of Heraldrie, page 32:


well-served

en-adj

well-served (comparative more well-served, superlative most well-served)

more well-served (comparative)
most well-served (superlative)

(military, weaponry) (of a gun, artillery, etc.) Operated well.


nonexpansion

The resulting nonexpansion policy (fukakudai hōshin), embodied in the September 24 “First Official Statement,” clearly set forth government opposition to a full-scale occupation of Manchuria and to any further military action.

1998, Louise Young, chapter 4, in Japan’s Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism, Berkeley: University of California Press, published 1999, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 120:

(politics) Refusing to expand; abstaining from expansion.


LOAC

(law, military) Acronym of laws of armed conflict.


QF

(military, chiefly nautical, of artillery) Initialism of quick-firing.


leg sweep

(martial arts) A swipe of a fighter's leg meant to destabilize the adversary


Bozza

(UK politics, slang) The British politician and journalist Boris Johnson (born 1964), Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022.


Washminster

Blend of Washington + Westminster. Coined by political scientist Elaine Thompson in 1980.

Having read Graham Maddox I can no longer complacently describe the Australian system as a Washminster mutation, nor as a successful system of representative democracy government, as I have in the past.

2005, A Passion for Politics: Essays in Honour of Graham Maddox:

This has caused speculation that New Zealand is moving from a classic Westminster parliamentary system to a more parliamentary-congressional 'Washminster' hybrid.

2007, Stephen I. Levine, Nigel S. Roberts, The Baubles of Office: The New Zealand General Election of 2005:

The move toward the "Washminster" model identified in the early 1980s may be measured by shifts in several of these indicators.

2017, Jong S. Jun, Development in the Asia Pacific: A Public Policiy Perspective, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, →ISBN, page 479:

(politics) A political system which has elements of both the Westminster system and the United States' political system ("Washington").


teleman

The classification is for graduates of a class A teleman school with no significant experience and for other personnel who are not qualified for a specialized classification.

1949, Manual of Navy Enlisted Manpower and Personnel Classifications and Occupational Standards, United States Bureau of Naval Personnel:

(US, military) A petty officer in the US Navy who performs clerical, coding and communications duties.


gun-howitzer

gun-howitzers (plural)
gun howitzer (alternative)
howitzer-gun (alternative)

Sometimes the distinction between an artillery gun and a howitzer becomes blurred due to the development of gun-howitzers that can perform both roles. The best-known Allied gun-howitzer used during World War II was the British 25-Pounder Gun, which had a caliber of 87 mm.

2000, Michael and Gladys Green, “Artillery Weapons”, in Weapons of Patton's Armies:

The Pattern of 1857 12-pounder Napoleon gun-howitzer was one of the most versatile and popular field pieces used during the Civil War. […] Although technically a gun, the Napoleon was often referred to as a gun-howitzer for its ability to also fire explosive shell.

2007, Jeff Kinard, “Nineteenth-century U.S. Artillery, 1800–1865”, in Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact:

(military) An artillery piece designed both for direct fire and indirect fire at a wide range of angles of elevation, thus capable of fulfilling the roles of a traditional field gun and howitzer.

armatohaubica

artillery piece capable of fulfilling the roles of a traditional field gun and howitzer


red wall

Coined by pollster James Kanagasooriam in August 2019.

coin

Truss claims to have grown up in a “red wall” seat. This is not just a wilful anachronism, it is flatly untrue.

2022 July 18, Martin Pengelly, “I grew up where Liz Truss did, attended the same school. She’s not telling you the truth”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A set of constituencies, in the Midlands, Northern England and North East Wales, which have historically tended to support the Labour Party.


nonbasing

(military) Not involving or not permitting the basing of foreign troops in one's own territory.


nonbasing

Norwegian membership in NATO has rested from the beginning on the principle of nonbasing in times of peace.

2013, W. Laqueur, L. Sloss, European Security in the 1990s, page 36:

(military) The policy of not permitting the basing of foreign troops in one's own territory.


IAF

An IAF representative told an Indian parliamentary committee that due to the Ukraine war a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”

2023 March 24, Rhea Mogul, “Russia can’t meet India arms deliveries due to Ukraine war, Indian Air Force says”, in CNN:

(military, aviation) Any of several air forces

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Indian Air Force.

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Indonesian Air Force.

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Iraqi Air Force.

“Following precise IDF intelligence, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) is currently conducting strikes on strategic terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the area of Beirut. Among the targets struck are weapons production facilities, buildings used to store advanced weapons and key command centers of the terrorist organization,” the IDF said in a statement.

2024 September 27, Abeer Salman, “Israel continues striking Beirut buildings allegedly housing Hezbollah weapons and command centers”, in CNN:

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Israeli Air Force.

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Italian Air Force.

(dated) Initialism of Iranian Air Force.

Any of several air forces
Initialism of Iranian Air Force.

(military) Any of several armed forces
Initialism of Indian Armed Forces.

(military) Any of several armed forces
Initialism of Iraqi Armed Forces.

(military) Any of several armed forces
Initialism of Italian Armed Forces.


CFB

(Canada, military) Initialism of Canadian Forces Base.


TFG

(US politics, slang) Initialism of "the former guy"; specifically, the former American president Donald Trump.


White Terror

(politics, history) Any one of several specific white terrors in history.


red terror

en-noun

red terror (countable and uncountable, plural red terrors)

Red is the traditional color of the communist movement, which was the official ideology of the Soviets during early Soviet Russia.

(politics) Coordinated violence committed by communists, socialists, or other left-wing groups against (actual or perceived) class enemies.


Red Terror

(politics, history) Any one of several specific red terrors in history.


RASC

Royal Army Service Corps
w:Royal Army Service Corps

(UK, historical, military) Initialism of Royal Army Service Corps.


Daesh-Khorasan

From Daesh + Khorasan. From being the Daesh affiliate in the Greater Khorasan.

(politics) An Islamic terrorist group located in Pakistan and Afghanistan affiliated with Daesh (“IS, ISIL, ISIS”)


Johnsonomics

Blend of Johnson + economics, equivalent to Johnson + -nomics.

With interest on the national debt at $100 billion annually, and the total debt at $1 trillion, these figures are not Reaganomics but Johnsonomics coming home to roost with an assist from Richard Nixon, Jerry Ford and Jimmy Carter.

1981 December 4, James H. Bolling, “Lundy column needs refuting”, in Tallahassee Democrat, number 338, Tallahassee, Fla., page 4A, columns 4–5:

This has been the going rate for as long as I can recall, and that goes back long before Reaganomics or Johnsonomics, or just about any nomics that can be mentioned.

1982 July 18, Jim Fox, “Weatherbird Is A Tradition That’s Hard To Buck”, in St. Louis Post-Dispatch, volume 104, number 196, St. Louis, Mo., page 1C, column 1:

The Eagle quotes Professor Shapiro as being “infuriated by Reagonomics.” Would he be less infuriated by Trumanomics or Johnsonomics, with another nice little war to drive the suicide rate down?

1982 November 2, John S. Kebabian, “Statistics on suicide”, in The Berkshire Eagle, volume 90, number 149, Pittsfield, Mass., page 8, column 5:

“Reaganomics and its failure is the same as Carteronomics, Johnsonomics and Nixonomics,” David W. Ring said at an hour-long faculty seminar at the college’s Hunt Union yesterday afternoon.

1983 April 14, Diane Boyer, “Reaganomics dubbed trend, not turnabout”, in The Evening Press, Binghamton, N.Y., page 1B, column 2:

I don’t understand Reaganomics and never have. Of course I never understood Carternomics, Fordonomics, Nixonomics, Johnsonomics, or Kennedynomics either. The best I have been able to figure out is that you just send all you can to Washington and hope to get a little in return.

1992, Bo Whaley, “Things I Just Don’t Understand”, in Why the South Lost THE War ...and Other Things I Don’t Understand, Nashville, Tenn.: Rutledge Hill Press, →ISBN, section “A Few Things I Don’t Understand”, page 20, column 2:

(US politics, rare) Economic policies associated with the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson, 1963–1969.


Trumanomics

Blend of Truman + economics, equivalent to Truman + -nomics.

WHY, in all the recent talk about the Man from Independence, didn’t we hear anyone mention Trumanomics?

1984 May 15, William D. Tammeus, “Starbeams”, in The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Mo., page 10A, column 4:

When Dewey told Eisenhower that he wanted to limit the role of the federal government to merely underwriting the cartels, he was calling for the stabilization of Trumanomics: the preservation of the separation of government, the cartels, and the economy.

1986, H.R. Shapiro, Democracy in America: A Political History of the United States, 1620-1789/1984, page 456:

A closer look at Trumanomics is in order, since Kuttner praises the “crusty populist” and his economic adviser Leon Keyserling as friends of full employment and economic planning.

No, go for Trumanomics

1996 August 13, David Chaffey, “Letters”, in The Modesto Bee, Modesto, Calif., page A-9:

(US politics, rare) Economic policies associated with the administration of Harry S. Truman, 1945–1953.


microparty

But in the upcoming state elections in the state of Victoria, where residents endured months of lockdown, the effects of Covid-19 restrictions may yet make themselves felt, with anti-restriction microparties — such as the Angry Victorians Party and the Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Party — hoping to appear on the ballot.

2022 August 26, Natasha Frost, “The Long Tail of Covid-19 Disinformation”, in The New York Times:

(chiefly Australian politics) A very small political party.


outload

en-verb

outload (third-person singular simple present outloads, present participle outloading, simple past and past participle outloaded)

outloads (present singular third-person)
outloading (participle present)
outloaded (participle past)
outloaded (past)

It was found that the Division could outload itself almost entirely with the equipment normally found in a division. This was possible either by use of equipment organic to an airborne division or like equipment.

1943, United States. Army. Quartermaster Corps, Q.M.C. Historical Studies, page 256:

The division outloaded over the following three days and sailed for Pusan at mid-morning on the 15th.

1961, Billy C. Mossman, United States Army in the Korean War: Ebb and Flow:

The choice of outloading equipment is influenced by the size of ship to be filled and type of material to be handled.

(ambitransitive, especially military) to load (a watercraft etc.) with supplies or personnel.


Home Guard

Later in the year the title of Local Defence Volunteer was changed to the more appropriate one of Home Guard.

1940 December, “Railways and the War—III”, in Railway Magazine, page 629:

(military, historical) An armed citizen defence force supporting the British Army during the Second World War, in particular, defence against any invasion by enemy forces.


OIS

en-noun

OIS (countable and uncountable, plural OIS)

But an objective overview of the current literature and research associated with post-OIS officer support compared to various aspects of the research ...

2007, David E. Hatch, Randy Dickson, Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, Second Edition, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 188:

Officer-involved shooting (OIS) investigations are directed at the determination of whether the shooter officer's decision to use deadly force was "objectively reasonable […]"

2017, Darrell L. Ross, Gary M. Vilke, Guidelines for Investigating Officer-Involved Shootings, Arrest-Related Deaths, and Deaths in Custody, Routledge, →ISBN, page 285:

The SHOT database gathered a dataset of 4283 officer-involved shootings (OIS) that have occurred in 50 states between January 2000 and December 2017 […]

2019, James F. Albrecht, Garth den Heyer, Perry Stanislas, Policing and Minority Communities: Contemporary Issues and Global Perspectives, Springer, →ISBN, page 117:

officer-involved shooting
officer-involved shooting#English

(law enforcement) Initialism of officer-involved shooting.


highway patrol

(law enforcement) Any police unit which is primarily responsible for overseeing and enforcing of regulations on roads and highways.


put facts on the ground

en-verb

put facts on the ground (third-person singular simple present puts facts on the ground, present participle putting facts on the ground, simple past and past participle put facts on the ground)

puts facts on the ground (present singular third-person)
putting facts on the ground (participle present)
put facts on the ground (participle past)
put facts on the ground (past)

Used by early leaders of the Zionist movement to refer to staking a claim to disputed land in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

And while people are dithering, the cloning research in the private biotech industries will put facts on the ground that will be difficult to challenge. Only a moratorium can test the good faith of those who say they want regulation.

2002 July 7, Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry, Washington, D.C.: President's Council on Bioethics, →ISBN, page 278:

Its commanding influence in the signature and future ratification of the CFA, and its attempt to put facts on the ground through hydraulic structures, has brought the relationship between Ethiopia and Egypt to its lowest level since the establishment of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).

2013 September 11, Flavia Rocha Loures, Alistair Rieu-Clarke, The UN Watercourses Convention in Force: Strengthening International Law for Transboundary Water Management, Oxford: Routledge, →ISBN, page 191:

"It's a message ... that we can also put facts on the ground," said Palestinian-American developer Bashar Masri, using a phrase associated with Israel's settlement construction on lands the Palestinians want for a state.

2013 December 5, “First planned Palestinian city a symbol of pride”, in AP News, Associated Press:

Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor at the University of Michigan, suggested that the Yale finding was motivated by "the almost certain fear by Trump administration officials that there's at least a substantial likelihood that come January, they won't be here. So they want to put facts on the ground, to try them in a potential Biden administration."

2020 August 14, Anemona Hartocollis, Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, “Yale Decision: Justice Dept. Ruling Stings Students”, in The New York Times:

(idiomatic, especially diplomacy) To quietly or incrementally change the de facto situation in one's favor in order to win a legal dispute.


max fac

(UK politics, historical) A rejected proposal to resolve the Irish border issue of Brexit by introducing technology and legislation that would streamline customs arrangements; ultimately the Northern Ireland Protocol was implemented instead.


depriming

(firearms) The action of the verb to deprime; the removal of primer from cartridge


deprimed

(firearms) Pertaining to a cartridge missing is priming/primer


librandu

(India, politics, derogatory, vulgar) A liberal, a leftist.

(India, derogatory, politics, slang) An ardent left-wing netizen, especially an atheist or one who supports globalism.

(India, derogatory, politics, slang) An ardent supporter of the Indian National Congress or its leader Rahul Gandhi.


malaun

From Bengali মালাউন (malaun, “cursed”), which is from Arabic مَلْعُون (malʕūn), ultimately from the root ل ع ن (l ʕ n).

ar-root

ل ع ن (l ʕ n)

And then there comes the word ‘Malaun.’ For many Bangladeshi Muslims, Malaun is synonymous to Hindu. Owing to the wide usage of the word since the Partition of 1947, especially after the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, people have almost forgotten Malaun is a derogatory word.

(South Asia, offensive, derogatory, ethnic slur, politics) a Hindu person from Bangladesh.


Fire-Eater

(US politics) Alternative form of fire-eater (“extreme partisan for the South before the US Civil War”).


Lincolnomics

Blend of Lincoln + economics, equivalent to Lincoln + -nomics.

It’s little wonder the Republicans are always so anxious about midterm elections. They lost ground in the very first one — when Abraham Lincoln was in the White House, in 1862. The Democrats picked up 38 House seats in that election, and they might have won more if President Lincoln hadn’t used federal troops to intimidate the opposition in some of the border-state contests. Democrats even won a majority of the House seats from Lincoln’s home state of Illinois. Was it a signal to Washington that Lincolnomics had failed? Not at all.

1982 November 14, “The missing message”, in Craig Klugman, Larry J. Hayes, editors, The Journal~Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.: Richard Inskeep, column 1:

THE LITTLE boy next door reports that his class now is studying the Civil War and Lincolnomics.

1982 December 8, William D. Tammeus, “Starbeams”, in The Kansas City Star, volume 103, number 69, Kansas City, Mo., page 16A:

1984, John H. Hotson, Rooseveltonomics, Reaganomics, and Lincolnomics, or, How Come the Bankers Are Charging Ron 10 Percent, when FDR Got His Money at 2 Percent, and Honest Abe Got His for Nothing?, Waterloo, Ont.: Department of Economics, University of Waterloo, →OCLC

The only people practicing Lincolnomics these days are the Soviets, which may be why they can afford more missiles and tanks than we can despite a much smaller economy.

1987 February 2, Charley Reese, “Today’s civil-rights and welfare groups would jump on Lincoln”, in The Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, Fla., page A-10, column 2:

(US politics, rare) Economic policies associated with the administration of Abraham Lincoln, 1861–1865.