neofeudalism

The founding fathers of the American Republic understood this point perfectly well when they built a system of checks and balances into the American Constitution in an attempt to confine neofeudalism to the Old World.

2001, Ken Binmore, “8: The Breakdown of Social Contracts”, in Steven N. Durlauf, H. Peyton Young, editors, Social Dynamics, page 230:

Neofeudalism is rhetorically pitted against a purer, romanticized form of capitalism characterized by small and medium-sized enterprise operating in a “free,” but disciplining market.
Neofeudalism is also used by activists critical of capitalism itself.

2013, Majia Holmer Nadesan, “Chapter 3: Neofeudalism and the Financial Crisis: Implications for Occupy Wall Street”, in Renee Guarriello Heath, Courtney Vail Fletcher, Ricardo Munoz, editors, Understanding Occupy: from Wall Street to Portland, page 39:

Neoliberalism therefore is the default position of capitalism to which it reverts unless restrained by popular struggles against its institutionalized rule in political systems such as neofeudalism, managed democracy and inverted totalitarianism.

2013, Tatah Mentan, Democracy for Breakfast? Unveiling Mirage Democracy in Contemporary Africa, page viii:

(politics, sociology) The contemporary rebirth of policies of governance, economy and public life reminiscent of those present in many feudal societies.

new feudalism

rebirth of policies reminiscent of feudal societies


trippant

From trip + -ant, alteration of tripping, present participle of trip. Compare Scots trippand (“tripping”), present participle of trip (“to skip, go nimbly, trip”).

[Borne by the late 1737.] Richard Davies, Esq. of Kent, 1833.] Davison, gu. a stag, trippant, or.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry:

Crest, a buck roe-bucks, trippant, or, as many quatrefoils gu.

1830, Thomas Robson, The British Herald, page 82:

a buck trippant within an orle […] three bucks trippant […]

1844, John Burke, Bernard Burke, Encyclopædia of Heraldry, page 349:

(heraldry) Represented as walking or trotting, usually with one of the forehooves lifted while the remaining three are on the ground.


counterguard

(fortification) A low outwork before a bastion or ravelin, consisting of two lines of rampart parallel to the faces of the bastion, and protecting them from a breaching fire.


sarcelled

From Old French cercel, from Latin circellus, diminutive of circulus (“circle”).

Cross, quarterly, quartered, couped, ends sarcelled and reverted.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, page 9:

(heraldry) Sarcelly, having curled ends (compare moline).

1828-40, Berry, Encycl. Her. I"
Cross pattée sarcelled at bottom in the form of a ᴧ reversed.

Cross moline sarcelled, or voided throughout, cross recercelée, or recersile, or recercelée voided or disjoined, which has also been called a cross fleury biparted. This is borne by the names of Knollys, or Knowles, and Verney. Gules, a cross moline sarcelled argent. BEC. […]

1847, Henry Gough, A Glossary of Terms Used in British Heraldry: With a Chronological Table, Illustrative of Its Rise and Progress, page 101:

(heraldry) Cut through the middle, or voided with the ends left open (unconnected).


overslaugh

/ˈəʊ.vəɹˌslɔː/

From Dutch overslag, from Dutch overslaan.

When an officer is on duty he receives an "overslaugh" for all other duties that come to his turn, provided that they are not additional duties that he may be called on to perform .

1892, Sisson Cooper Pratt, Guide to promotion, page 71:

When an officer's tour for more than one duty comes round on the same date, he is to be detailed for that duty only which has the precedence in the clasification in para. 2, Sec. 8, H.M. Reg.; and he is to receive an overslaugh for any other duty, the date being filled in for the duty performed, and a — [ blank line ] drawn in the column of the duty for which he receives the overslaugh .

1875, J. Jerome, The Office Duties of an Adjutant, page 71:

Hamilton, a brevet colonel, though only a captain in the regiment, is charged for these guards, and the governor of Gibraltar giving no "overslaugh" to absent officers, Colonel Hamilton was put to great expense. He sets forth in his memorial that as he is a colonel he is unable to join his regiment for captain's duty, and prays that the circumstances set forth in his memorial may be admitted as a reasonable plea for his remaining at home, and that an "overslaugh" may be allowed him, which was afterwards done.

1895, John Davis, The History of the Second Queen's Royal Regiment:

(military, archaic) The permission to skip a duty; an exemption from an active duty.


patonce

patoncy (alternative)
patoncée (alternative)
patoncé (alternative)

Compare French patte d'once (“paw of an ounce”).

(heraldry) Having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end; said of a cross.


patonce

(heraldry) A cross whose four arms expand in curves from the centre, with floriated ends.


paly

Compare French palé. See pale (“a stake”).

(heraldry) Palewise; vertically striped.


lance-jack

They made him a lance-jack; but it was only because they wanted somebody tall at the end of the front rank to fix bayonets by.

1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 44:

(UK, military slang) A lance-corporal or lance-bombadier.


torsed

en-adj

torsed (comparative more torsed, superlative most torsed)

more torsed (comparative)
most torsed (superlative)


NUWC

Naval Undersea Warfare Center
w:Naval Undersea Warfare Center

(military, US navy) Initialism of Naval Undersea Warfare Center.


antidisturbance

(military) Causing an explosive device to detonate if disturbed.

antidistúrbio

causing an explosive device to detonate if disturbed


minority cabinet

en-noun

minority cabinet (plural minority cabinets)


Harperite

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Harperite.

(Canadian politics, sometimes derogatory) A supporter of Stephen Harper and the policies of his government.


masterly inactivity

Majority Leader Alben Barkley had advised patience and silence, to let the isolationists wear themselves out. This plan of masterly inactivity had flopped frightfully.

This cautious new approach was to become known as the doctrine of ‘masterly inactivity’, in sharp and obvious contrast to the aggressive ‘forward’ policy which, with such disastrous results in Afghanistan, had preceded it.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 256:

Deep divisions within the Bank of England's monetary policy committee suggest that interest rates are likely to be on hold for a while to come. Whether indecision will translate into masterly inactivity is another matter.

1999 August 19, Mark Milner, The Guardian:

(politics, public policy) A policy of deliberate inactivity, carried out with diplomatic skill, so as to preserve a predominant influence without risking anything.


bezanty

bezanté (alternative)
bezantée (alternative)

(heraldry) Covered with bezants; semé (strewn) with bezants.


star shell

star shells (plural)
star-shell (alternative)
starshell (alternative)

Twilight deepened, and a flicker of star-shells wavered in the sky beyond Béthune.

1928, Siegfried Sassoon, Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, Penguin, published 2013, page 260:

The sky flickered with the flash of guns, and an occasional star-shell flooded their path with light.

1929, Frederic Manning, The Middle Parts of Fortune, Vintage, published 2014, page 5:

To deprive the enemy of any advantage they might gain at night, he had star shells which could light up the entire countryside.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 351:

(military) A type of ammunition shell which bursts to release a shower of stars for illuminating enemy positions etc.


counter-rampant

(heraldry, of two animals) Both rampant and facing each other.


sangar

sangars (plural)
sangah (alternative)
sanger (alternative)
sungah (alternative)
sungar (alternative)
sungha (alternative)

From Pashto سنګر (sangar) or from Persian سنگر (sangar).

At the summits of these the enemy sharpshooters waited for them in sangars, or rock-built entrenchments, each of which had to be taken before the advance could safely continue.

1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 422:

A sangar is a breastwork in the form of stonewalls built without bounding material. If stones are unavailable at or near the picket site sandbags are brought in to build the sangar.

2002, Stephen Hughes, The Iraqi Threat and Saddam Hussein′s Weapons of Mass Destruction, page 140:

As the sun finally set, the rebels rushed the sangars, but were cut to pieces by the deadly accurate SAS fire.

2003, Mike Ryan, Secret Operations of the SAS, page 81:

The game′s up, thought Piet as the Burghers returned fire and moved forward to attack the sangar.

(military, UK) A stone breastwork; a fortified niche or look-out post.


concertative

en-adj

concertative (comparative more concertative, superlative most concertative)

more concertative (comparative)
most concertative (superlative)

The "quarrelsome" sense is from Latin concertativus.
The concertation sense is a back-formation from concertation, replacing the -ation suffix with -ative.

[…] the development of the 'concertative state', the institutionalized consultation between large interest groups, government and administration.

1983, Alexander Kouzmin, Public Sector Administration: New Perspectives, page 59:

It [sc. the NEDC system] was clearly one of several concertative arrangements set up by the British state to provide channels of access for labor and management to industrial policy making.

1986, Jeffrey A. Hart, “British Industrial Policy”, in Claude E. Barfield, William A. Schambra, editors, The Politics of Industrial Policy: A Conference Sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, page 131:

The Swedish political system has long been regarded as exemplary of what political scientists have called a “consensus model” of democracy […] During the postwar period, political institutions have supposedly been characterized by “a low intensity of conflict, together with a highly effective machinery for conflict resolution. The predominant style of policy-making is seen as concertative and deliberative, and the level of inter-elite agreement is high” (Elder at al. 1988: 182; cf. 465–7).

1988, Henrik Enroth, quoting Neil Elder at al., “Populism and the Particularization of Solidarity: On the Sweden Democrats”, in Giuseppe Sciortino, Jeffrey C. Alexander, Peter Kivisto, editors, Populism in the Civil Sphere, published 2020, page 208:

(politics) Related to concertation, especially in the context of tripartism.


ordoliberalism

/ˌɔːdəʊˈlɪbɹəlɪz(ə)m/

/ˌɔɹdoʊˈlɪbəɹəlɪzəm/

Borrowed from German Ordoliberalismus (coined in 1950 by the German economist Hero Moeller (1892–1974)), from ORDO (the name of a journal, the full title of which is ORDO — Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (ORDO – Yearbook of Economic and Social Order) + Liberalismus (“liberalism”). ORDO is derived from Latin ōrdō (“methodical arrangement, order, or series”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to fit, put together; to fix”); while Liberalismus is from French libéralisme (ultimately from Latin līber (“free, independent, unchecked, unrestricted”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“to grow; people”)) + -ismus (“suffix forming the names of schools of thought, systems, or theories”).

der

(economics, politics) A political philosophy that emphasizes the desirability of the government establishing rules to maximize the potential of the free market to produce results.


ordoliberal

/ˌɔːdəʊˈlɪbɹəl/

/ˌɔɹdoʊˈlɪbəɹəl/

Probably a back-formation from ordoliberalism, borrowed from German Ordoliberalismus (coined in 1950 by the German economist Hero Moeller (1892–1974)), from ORDO (the name of a journal, the full title of which is ORDO — Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (ORDO – Yearbook of Economic and Social Order)) + Liberalismus (“liberalism”). ORDO is derived from Latin ōrdō (“methodical arrangement, order, or series”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to fit, put together; to fix”).

[W]hile ordoliberals share strong policy preferences (in some cases "elevated to the status of a religion"), they rest their case on rigorous micro analysis and stress the pertinence of a long-term orientation.

2017 November, Thorsten Beck, Hans-Helmut Kotz, “Introduction”, in Thorsten Beck, Hans-Helmut Kotz, editors, Ordoliberalism: A German Oddity? (A VoxEU.org eBook), London: CEPR Press, →ISBN, archived from the original on 2020-05-31, page 15:

(economics, politics) A proponent of the theories and ideals of ordoliberalism (“a political philosophy that emphasizes the desirability of the government establishing rules to maximize the potential of the free market to produce results”).

ordoliberaali

proponent of the theory and ideals of ordoliberalism


ordoliberal

en-adj

ordoliberal (comparative more ordoliberal, superlative most ordoliberal)

more ordoliberal (comparative)
most ordoliberal (superlative)

/ˌɔːdəʊˈlɪbɹəl/

/ˌɔɹdoʊˈlɪbəɹəl/

The institutional design of EZ [the Eurozone], being influenced by the rules versus discretion debate, has some ordoliberal touches (not the least since some German architects were imbued with ordoliberal ideas), but, of course, in reality, in particular in the wake of the crisis, they were not upheld.

2017 November, Thorsten Beck, Hans-Helmut Kotz, “Introduction”, in Thorsten Beck, Hans-Helmut Kotz, editors, Ordoliberalism: A German Oddity? (A VoxEU.org eBook), London: CEPR Press, →ISBN, archived from the original on 2020-05-31, page 14:

(economics, politics) Of or relating to ordoliberalism.


BEREC

w:Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications

(politics, European Union) Initialism of Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications.


COW

en-noun

COW (countable and uncountable, plural COWs)

(naval, uncountable) Acronym of chief of watch.


(US, politics) A 501(c)(4), an organization that conforms to the United States Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)4


spooky PAC

(US politics) A type of political action committee which does not have to reveal its donors' identities, and which does not limit the amount of contributions by donors.


enarmed

Old French enarmé (“equipped with a handle”).

uder

For quotations using this term, see Citations:enarmed.

(heraldry) Having horns, hoofs, etc. of a different colour from the body.


pass-parole

Unadapted borrowing from French passe-parole.

ubor

(military, archaic) An order passed from the front to the rear by word of mouth.


Austrophobe

The shift after 1737 towards a more pro-Austrian policy was unpopular with the Foreign Minister, a noted Austrophobe.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, pages 119–20:

(chiefly politics) Someone who fears or dislikes Austria or the Austrians.


CLU

(UK, healthcare) Initialism of consultant-led unit.


TTS

(US politics) Initialism of Technology Transformation Services.


postliberal

Near-synonym: neo-reactionary

But if we hope to create a humane postliberal future, we cannot pretend that the age of liberalism did not happen or that its basic contours can simply be jettisoned in some sort of restoration of an idyllic preliberal age.

2018, Patrick J. Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed, New Haven: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 184:

He [Patrick Deneen] also offers a vague reassurance that the postliberal future will not revive the prejudice and bigotry of the past.

2023 June 7, Jennifer Szalai, “When ‘Regime Change’ Means Returning America to an Idealized Past”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

The essence of the initial postliberal movement, in Pinkoski’s view, is the abandonment of the “essential tenet of liberalism: the state-society, public-private distinction,” in favor of a model of politics in which the state acts in a concert with an ever-widening array of nongovernmental partners, […].

2024 November 1, Ross Douthat, “Who Abandoned Liberalism First, the Populists or the Establishment?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(politics) After the introduction of liberalism; following or opposing liberalism; antiliberal.


stacket

Compare French estacade and English stockade.

Also, I would advise you to fortify the said sconce, not only by a foussie, or graffe, but also by certain stackets, or palisades. […] The whilk stackets or palisades should be artificially framed with re-entering angles and loop-holes, or crenelles, for musquetry, whereof it shall arise that the foemen— […]

1819, Jedediah Cleishbotham [pseudonym; Walter Scott], chapter II, in Tales of My Landlord, Third Series. […], volume IV (A Legend of Montrose), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 32:


anti-monarchism

Designed by the Parlement, the grisly mise-en-scène, which horrified many philosophes, was intended to wipe the Parlement's slate clean of any putative stain of anti-monarchism.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 231:

(politics) The fact or principles of being opposed to monarchism; opposition to monarchy.


omnishambles

From omni- + shambles. Introduced by the television show The Thick of It in 2009.

Between the car accident, the food poisoning and the lost keys, the holiday was an omnishambles.

Rail unions also rounded on ministers to intervene in the energy "omnishambles", with ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan calling on the Government to "do the right thing for people, the right thing for business, and the right thing for our rail network. Because it is also the right thing for our planet."

2021 October 20, Paul Stephens, “Network News: Electricity prices force Freightliner to revert to diesel”, in RAIL, number 942, page 7:

(UK, informal, chiefly politics) A situation that is bad or mismanaged in every way.


UDT

en-noun

UDT (countable and uncountable, plural UDTs)

Underwater Demolition Team
w:Underwater Demolition Team

(US, military, historical) Initialism of Underwater Demolition Team.


trou-de-loup

(military, historical) A pit in the form of an inverted cone or pyramid, constructed as an obstacle to the approach of an enemy, and having a pointed stake in the middle.


aristocratization

The political dinosaurs of earlier periods had died or (like Choiseul) been exiled, and the growing aristocratization of government clearly suited him.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 286:

(politics) The fact or process of becoming aristocratic.

არისტოკრატიზაცია

the fact or process of becoming aristocratic


crampet

crampets (plural)
crampette (alternative)
crampit (alternative)

(military) A cramp iron or cramp ring; a chape, as of a scabbard.


contractualism

the customary part of the ceremony in which the monarch was presented before the people in his regalia for popular acclaim was removed altogether for fear that it be interpreted as incipient contractualism.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 301:

(politics) A political theory based on the idea of a social contract between a ruler and their subjects.


snap cap

1187. B. Lilly. Improvements in the construction of "snap caps" or "nipple protectors" for firearms. Dated May 12, 1863.

1863 December 18, The Mechanics' Magazine, page 889:

Snap caps are dummies (no powder, no primer, no projectile) shaped like the ammunition for a particular gun. They're supposed to provide something for the firing pin to hit during dryfiring, so the gun's lockwork doesn't have to absorb this impact. It's a fine idea, but not all snap caps are made right.

2012, Silvio Calabi, The Gun Book for Boys:

However, it does no harm (and may prevent damage) to use snap caps - dummy rounds which are inserted into the chamber to soften the impact of the firing pin.

2014, MAssad Ayoob, Gun Safety in the Home, page 124:

(firearms) A dummy round of ammunition used to check ammo feed and other mechanical problems.


counter-paly

French contre-palé, equivalent to counter- + paly.

(heraldry) Paly, and then divided fesswise, so that each vertical piece is cut into two, having the colours used alternately or counterchanged.


LBF

(boxing) Initialism of Luxembourg Boxing Federation.


chow hall

Back home you may not be much, but out there they've got deployment goggles—you look good, so you're in chow hall and it's kind of uncomfortable because you feel like a piece of meat or something on display.

2010, Laura Browder, Sascha Pflaeging, When Janey Comes Marching Home: Portraits of Women Combat Veterans, University of North Carolina Press, →ISBN, page 137:


dining facility

dining facility (plural dining facilities)


DFAC

DFAC (countable and uncountable, plural DFACs)

(military slang) Abbreviation of dining facility.


Babouvist

From French babouviste, corresponding to Babeuf + -ist.

At the end of the month, Merlin ordered the disbanding of the Police Legion, which had been infiltrated by the Babouvists.

2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 510:

(politics) A supporter or follower of François-Noël Babeuf or his ideas, including universal equal income and the abolition of private property.


IPCC

w:Independent Police Complaints Commission

(government, England, Wales) Initialism of Independent Police Complaints Commission, a non-departmental public body in England and Wales responsible for overseeing the system for handling complaints made against police forces in England and Wales.


brew up

en-verb

brew up (third-person singular simple present brews up, present participle brewing up, simple past and past participle brewed up)

brews up (present singular third-person)
brewing up (participle present)
brewed up (participle past)
brewed up (past)

Gavin's tank brewed up on the first hit.

(military, intransitive) To go up in flames.

(military, transitive) To cause to go up in flames.


tweep

tweep (third-person singular simple present tweeps, present participle tweeping, simple past and past participle tweeped)

tweeps (present singular third-person)
tweeping (participle present)
tweeped (participle past)
tweeped (past)

From TWEP, acronym of terminate with extreme prejudice, a US military intelligence and CIA euphemism for "kill, assassinate" that was first used in the 1960s.

Robert Maheu, tough, astute, dynamic, was the perfect professional to implement the CIA scheme to tweep Fidel Castro.

1997, William B. Breuer, Vendetta!: Fidel Castro and the Kennedy Brothers, John Wiley, →ISBN:

(US, espionage, euphemistic) To kill; to assassinate.


mom and apple pie

Mom and apple pie (alternative)
motherhood and apple pie (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-mom and apple pie.wav

(politics, US) Something that cannot be questioned because it appeals to universally-held beliefs or values.


flag, motherhood and apple pie

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-flag, motherhood and apple pie.wav

(US politics) Something that cannot be questioned because it appeals to patriotism and widely-held American traditional values.


aerochemical

(military) Relating to the delivery of chemical weapons by air

aeroquímico

relating to the delivery of chemical weapons by air


argoletier

/ˌɑː(ɹ)ɡələˈtɪə(ɹ)/

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

Alteration of argolet, after chevalier etc.

And he that shall enquire of our Argolettiers or Free-booters, what experiences they have had in these our late civil wars, shal no doubt find effect and examples of patience, of obstinacy and stif-neckednes […].

(obsolete, military) A light mounted soldier; a mounted bowman.


antimonarchic

en-adj

antimonarchic (comparative more antimonarchic, superlative most antimonarchic)

more antimonarchic (comparative)
most antimonarchic (superlative)


dead zone

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

(military, historical) An area near a fortification that is relatively sheltered from defending fire because direct fire from other parts of the walls cannot be directed around a curved wall.


raggie

He is concerned for his pal, his raggie, […]

1918, Edward Noble, The Naval Side, page 54:

Able-seaman Jenvey, his "raggie" Lofty Smith and Venus the honey-bear were ensconced in their usual billet under the fo'c'sle awning of His Majesty's cruiser Empire enjoying the peace of a make-and-mend afternoon.

1943, Gilbert Hackforth-Jones, Torpedo!: Stories of the Royal Navy, page 100:

(UK, naval slang, dated) A close friend; chum.


PERSTAT

(US military) Abbreviation of personnel status report.


minnie

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

(World War I military slang) A minenwerfer trench mortar.


ployment

en-noun

ployment (countable and uncountable, plural ployments)

(military) The act or movement of forming a column from a line of troops on some designated subdivision


Obaman

en-adj

Obaman (comparative more Obaman, superlative most Obaman)

more Obaman (comparative)
most Obaman (superlative)

(US politics) Of or pertaining to Barack Obama or to his ideology or policies.


EPICUS

(military) Acronym of emphasis, participation, interest, confirmation, understanding, success, the six principles of instruction.


CREST

(military) Acronym of comparisons, reasons, examples, statistics, testimony, the five types of verbal support used to enhance an oral presentation.


territorial waters

Her Majesty's Government do not interpret these expressions in any sense derogatory to the sovereign authority of Great Britain in the territorial waters of Newfoundland.

1880 December 11, “The Fortune Bay Outrage: Lord Granville's Letter to Minister Lowell”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-06-22:

You are not merely within territorial waters, but you have invaded a national port.

1909, Bram Stoker, The Lady of the Shroud, Book 7:

According to the South Korean joint chiefs of staff, a North Korean gunboat ventured about a mile into what Seoul claims is its territorial waters.

2009 November 10, Bill Powell, “Before Obama's Visit, a New Clash Between Koreas”, in Time:

(politics, geography) A country's inland lakes and waterways as well as the portion of its coastal oceans, seas, or other adjoining bodies of water considered to fall within the political boundaries and legal jurisdiction of that country.


antitotalitarianism

(politics) opposition to totalitarianism


Blairist

Blairist (comparative more Blairist, superlative most Blairist)

more Blairist (comparative)
most Blairist (superlative)

The campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq left him looking like the leader of a Blairist 'front' party as he backed the government on these and other issues.

2006, David Childs, Britain Since 1945: A Political History, page 298:

The Blairist emphasis on inclusiveness and recruitment by post code will likewise set off a new downward spiral in education[…]

2000, The Salisbury Review: Volumes 19-20:

(UK politics) Favouring, or according to, the policies of Tony Blair, British prime minister 1997-2007.


HSF

(military, nautical, historical) Initialism of High Seas Fleet.


pindown

(military) A hypothetical nuclear attack using a barrage of missiles to disrupt the target's ability to launch its own missiles.


patriarchalism

en-noun

patriarchalism (countable and uncountable, plural patriarchalisms)

(historical, politics, philosophy, sometimes uppercase) A political theory which arose in England in the seventeenth century, which emphasized the absolute power of the king as the paternal head of state, viewing his fatherly power as having been inherited genealogically from Adam.


LPI

(military) Initialism of low-probability-of-intercept.


balance of power

balance of power (usually uncountable, plural balances of power)

(politics, government) A situation of equilibrium in which no country is powerful enough to control, or threaten the interests of, the others.


awkward squad

(military) A squad of inept recruits assembled for special drill.


Realo

(colloquial, German politics) A member of a more pragmatic faction within a leftist organisation, often the FRG Green Party.


antirepressive

en-adj

antirepressive (comparative more antirepressive, superlative most antirepressive)

more antirepressive (comparative)
most antirepressive (superlative)

(politics) Opposed to repression; working against repression.


welfariat

Can we sustain a welfariat of its present size without serious economic, social and political consequences?

2005, Alfred Sherman, "Full of Sound and Fury", The Salisbury Review, Summer 2005

(politics, derogatory) The class of people who live on welfare payments.


tragedy of the commons

en-noun

tragedy of the commons (plural tragedies of the commons)

Coined by American ecologist Garrett Hardin in 1968.

coinage

One theory, known as the tragedy of the commons, holds that people will exploit and abuse something in which they have no ownership stake.

1995 May 7, Timothy Egan, “Let the Owner Beware”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-07-04:

Overfishing is the classic tragedy of the commons. Since no single nation "owns" the high seas, they exploit it without restraint and without thought to sustainability.

2010 November 18, “Troubles as deep as the oceans lie ahead”, in The Independent, UK, retrieved 2012-07-04:

The economist Elinor Ostrom, who is on our list this year, has written about the tragedy of the commons, which is the idea that self-interest can undermine the common good.

2012 April 18, Richard Stengel, “Editor's Letter: A World of Possibilities”, in Time, archived from the original on 2013-02-04:

(ecology, economics, politics, social criticism) A situation in which unmanaged use of a shared resource (such as the atmosphere or an ocean) by a number of participants results in the unintended ruin or total consumption of that resource.


à bouche

Borrowed from French à bouche (“with mouth”).

Dish, ornamented with blue and yellow flowers and foliage; in the centre a shield à bouche : Per fess or and azure, four chains conjoined in saltire by an annulet, all counterchanged.

1903, Marion Harry Spielmann, The Magazine of Art, page 351:

Upon a shield à bouche, scalloped at the base , are the arms : Azure two pallets argent, on a chief a lion's jamb erased in fesse azure, for ARRIGHI.

1904, Albert Van de Put, Hispano-Moresque Ware of the XV. Century: A Contribution to Its History and Chronology Based Upon Armorial Specimens, page 68:

(heraldry) Having a bouche on the dexter side.


redoublement

en-noun

redoublement (countable and uncountable, plural redoublements)


libtard

Blend of liberal + -tard, equivalent to lib (“liberal”) + -tard.

[…] The libtards in Washington closed down the mines and your pa died with eight dollars in his pocket."

2009, Noel Hynd, The Prodigy, Damnation Books, published 2009, →ISBN, page 76:

(US, slang, derogatory, politics) A stupid liberal or progressive; a person who presents or advocates liberal views in a stupid or illogical manner.


conservatard

Aren't Republican conservatards supposed to be in favor of *smaller* government?

2002 August 25, Hawkeye [username], “Re: Congressman: Time to go high-tech to secure borders”, in alt.california.illegals (Usenet):

(US, slang, derogatory, politics) A stupid conservative; a person who presents or advocates conservative views in a stupid and/or illogical manner.


absent over leave

(military) Failing to return from leave or liberty on time.


Greek cross

(heraldry) A cross with orthogonal arms of equal length.


spratmo

As early as February 1943, the "spratmo"' around Tuskegee was that the 99th was to be sent to the North African theater. There had been other rumors.

1991, J. Alfred Phelps, Chappie: America's first Black four-star general:

Segregated and unwieldy as the group might be, it was now well established, aggressive, and successful. Morale continued high. Squadron clubs operated in full swing, with drinks, music, and "spratmo" (gossip).

1998, Stanley Sandler, Segregated Skies:

Yeah, Babe, I guess I got about seven hours in the hot sun under the bubble canopy but I'm OK now. How 'bout you? What's the latest spratmo about your condition?

2002, Charles W. Dryden, Benjamin O Davis, A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman, page 229:

“Spratmo,” the base grapevine, hummed with reports that the squadron would ship out any day now—or maybe in two months

2010, J. Todd Moye, Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, page 97:

(dated, African-American Vernacular, military) News, gossip.


horse cock

horse cock (countable and uncountable, plural horse cocks)

horse cocks (plural)
horsecock (alternative)

[…] Those who served on the Mediterranean convoys may remember that we had to carry food for the round trip, and the last 1000-2000 miles were a steady diet of baloney. We felt "horse cock" was good enough for prisoners too, especially those who ordered "Fire!" on our ships.

2004, Lewis M. Andrews, Tempest, Fire & Foe: Destroyer Escorts in World War II and the Men Who Manned Them, Trafford Publishing, published 2004, →ISBN, page 50:

(uncountable, slang, chiefly military) Sausage such as baloney or salami.


JSP

jacketed soft point
jacketed soft point#English

(firearms) Initialism of jacketed soft point.


flatbow

(archery) a bow with non-recurved, flat, relatively wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section.


composite bow

(archery) a bow made from horn, wood, and sinew laminated together.


Obamatard

This collective mindset could be seen in the 2008 election, where it was discovered that trying to argue with Obamatards was futile.

2010 November 17, Dänk 666 [username], “Re: The Primary Aim Of Modern Warfare - George Orwell”, in alt.politics (Usenet):

(US politics, slang, derogatory) A supporter of Barack Obama.


Paultard

And then the motley Paultards with their freedom and liberty signs? LOL. Ultimate irony: Like they believe in *their* 'freedoms' to control and 'liberties' to stick their snouts into somebody else's reproductive freedoms. What a mob of hypocrites!

2008 January 23, jis [username], “Re: Funny photo essay about the anti-abortion rally on the mall in Dee Cee”, in alt.appalachian (Usenet):

(US politics, slang, derogatory) A supporter of Ron Paul.


ancrée

ancré (alternative)
anchory (alternative)

(heraldry) Anchored (“having the extremities turned back”).


Party of No

Coined in United States political commentary since 2008.

(neologism, derogatory, US politics) The Republican Party of the United States.


mugwumpism

mugwumpism (countable and uncountable, plural mugwumpisms)

(US politics, slang) The acts and views of the mugwumps.


mugwumpery

(US politics, historical, slang) The acts and views of the mugwumps.


mugwumpish

en-adj

mugwumpish (comparative more mugwumpish, superlative most mugwumpish)

more mugwumpish (comparative)
most mugwumpish (superlative)

(US, politics, slang) Resembling or characteristic of a mugwump.


tête-de-pont

Borrowed from French tête de pont (“head of a bridge”).


CPRM

w:Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists

(politics) Initialism of Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists.


AAF

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Allied Air Forces.

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Army Air Forces.

Army airfield
w:List of United States Army airfields

(military, US, dated) Initialism of Army airfield.


CQMS

(military) Initialism of company quartermaster sergeant.


merlion

Probably a variant of merlin, from Middle English merlioun, merlinge, marlyon, merlion, merlone, merlyon, from Old French emerillon, esmerillon, from Frankish *smiril (“falcon, hawk”), from Proto-Germanic *smirilaz (“falcon, merlin”).

merlette

mythological bird in French heraldry depicted with no beak or feet

He beareth two coats quarterly, with an Inſcocheon of pretence, viz. The firſt, per bend nebulee, Or and Sable, a Lion Rampant counterchained, by the name of Sympſon; The ſecond, Argent, a Feſſe, Gules, between three Merlions, or Sparhawks, Sable, beaks and legs, Or, by the name of Oneſlow; […]

1666, John Guillim, “Section VI, Chapter I”, in A Display of Herauldry: […], 6th edition, London: […] John Williams […], and Joshua Kirton […]; Humphrey Tuckey […], and Francis Tyton […], →OCLC, page 384:

Martlet, or merlion, a fabulous bird, of constant adoption in armorials, shaped like a martin or swallow, and always drawn without legs, with short tufts of feathers instead, divided into two parts, somewhat like an erasure, and forming, as it were, thighs. This is the distinctive mark of the fourth son.

[1884, Bernard Burke, “Dictionary of Terms Used in Heraldry”, in The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales; […], 2nd edition, London: Harrison & Sons, […], →OCLC, page xli:

(heraldry) A depiction of a bird similar to a house martin or swallow with stylized feet; a martlet.


up the spout

He went into the attack with his rifle cocked and with one up the spout.

(military, slang) In the chamber, having an ammunition round in a weapon's chamber.


COI

w:Central Office of Information
w:Central Office of Information

(government) Initialism of w:Central Office of Information, a UK government agency closed in December 2011.


silent service

en-noun

silent service (usually uncountable, plural silent services)

Germany has four times as many subs as when the war started. . . . The number of highly trained men in Berlin's silent service is limited.

1943 January 7, “News Behind the News”, in Modesto Bee, US, page 16:

As befits advocates of the “Silent Service,” the Naval Submarine League keeps a low profile.

1986 August 4, Richard Halloran, “Washington Talk: Speaking Out for the Silent Service”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-08-06:

A sailor with 33 years experience in the silent service and once a fabled commander of the Northern Fleet nuclear submarines, Chernov contends that the raising operation was intentionally launched as a cover-up to leave the Kursk on the sea floor.

2001 August 16, Yuri Zarakhovich, “Will We Ever Know What Sank the Kursk?”, in Time:

(military, informal, sometimes capitalized) The submarine service.

In true "silent service" tradition, the Royal Canadian Navy says little about itself.

1940 May 17, “Royal Canadian Navy Growing In Strength”, in Ottawa Citizen, Canada, retrieved 2012-08-07, page 9:

The Navy has long been known as the "silent service," and perhaps none of our naval leaders is as well known to the American public as any one of a number of generals.

1945 June 3, “Pacific Seadogs”, in New York Times, USA, page SM6:

Since then, the navy has recovered its identity but continues to pride itself on being the Silent Service.

1978 July 14, “Colonel Was Trained To Shoot From Hip”, in Montreal Gazette, Canada, retrieved 2012-08-07, page 5:

(military, informal, sometimes capitalized, possibly dated) The navy.


air-to-surface missile

air-to-surface missile (plural air-to-surface missiles)

(military) A missile that is fired from an aircraft to the ground.


surface-to-surface missile

surface-to-surface missile (plural surface-to-surface missiles)

(military) A ground-based missile that can target other objects on the ground.


left coast

From left + coast; from the reputation of the West Coast as politically left-wing and its location.

(slang, politics) The West Coast of the United States.


batardeau

(military) A wall built across the ditch of a fortification, with a sluice gate to regulate the height of water in the ditch on both sides of the wall.


Green Hornet

Named after Green Hornet, an American fictional vigilante, originally a character on a radio serial.

(military, informal) In the Vietnam War, a member of the US Air Force's 20th Special Operations Squadron, who used the Bell UH-1F variant of the "Huey" military helicopter.


blue wall

From blue + wall. From the representative color of the political party, and the solidity of support for that party in that region.

Mr. Martin says that Mr. Walz’s bio and skill set will make him an asset in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania – three “blue wall” states crucial to winning the presidential election.

2024 August 6, Cameron Joseph, “What Tim Walz brings to the table as Kamala Harris’ VP pick”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

(US politics) A group of states known for consistently voting Democratic in presidential elections from 1992 through 2012.

battleground state
battleground state#English

(US politics) The three battleground states that were dislodged from the 1992-2012 group in 2016: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin.

(UK politics) A group of Conservative-leaning parliamentary constituencies that are seen as shifting away from the party.


blue wall

blue wall of silence
blue wall of silence#English

(law enforcement politics) Alternative form of blue wall of silence.


dog

dog (countable and uncountable, plural dogs)

dogs (plural)
darg (alternative dialectal)
dawg (alternative dialectal)
dug (alternative dialectal)
doggie (alternative childish)
doggy (alternative childish)
doggy woggy (alternative childish)
doggo (alternative childish)

Australian Kriol: dog

Bislama: dog

Gullah: dog

Sranan Tongo: dagu

Tok Pisin: dok

Torres Strait Creole: dog

desc

→ American Sign Language: Kop@Inside-PalmForward 1o@Inside

→ Dutch: dog

→ Esperanto: dogo

Ido: dogo

→ French: dogue

→ German: Dogge

→ Italian: dogo

→ English: dogo

→ Portuguese: dogue

→ Russian: дог (dog)

→ Spanish: dogo

→ Volapük: dog, doeg

Inherited from Middle English dogge (akin to Scots dug), from Old English dogga, docga, of uncertain origin.
The original meaning seems to have been a common dog, as opposed to a well-bred one, or something like 'cur', and perhaps later came to be used for stocky dogs. Possibly a pet-form diminutive with suffix -ga (compare frocga (“frog”), *picga (“pig”)), appended to a base *dog-, *doc- of unclear origin and meaning. One possibility is Old English dox (“dark, swarthy”) (compare frocga from frox). Another proposal is that it derives from Proto-West Germanic *dugan (“to be suitable”), the origin of Old English dugan (“to be good, worthy, useful”), English dow, Dutch deugen, German taugen. The theory goes that it could have been an epithet for dogs, commonly used by children, meaning "good/useful animal". Another is that it is related to *docce (“stock, muscle”), from Proto-West Germanic *dokkā (“round mass, ball, muscle, doll”), whence English dock (“stumpy tail”).
In 14th-century England, hound (from Old English hund) was the general word for all domestic canines, and dog referred to a subtype resembling the modern mastiff and bulldog. By the 16th century, dog had become the general word, and hound had begun to refer only to breeds used for hunting. In the 16th century, the word dog was adopted by several continental European languages as their word for mastiff.
Despite similarities in forms and meaning, not related to Mbabaram dog.

hond

morally reprehensible person — see also scoundrel

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog

on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

To this succeeded the Snaplance ^([sic]), in which a motion was given to the dog, or cock, and a movable plate of steel, called the frizel, or hammer, was placed vertically above the pan to receive the action of the flint.

1832, The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, volume 10, page 164:

(firearms, archaic) A cock, as of a gun.


dog

en-verb

dog (third-person singular simple present dogs, present participle dogging, simple past and past participle dogged)

dogs (present singular third-person)
dogging (participle present)
dogged (participle past)
dogged (past)
darg (alternative dialectal)
dawg (alternative dialectal)
dug (alternative dialectal)
doggie (alternative childish)
doggy (alternative childish)
doggy woggy (alternative childish)
doggo (alternative childish)

A. We never stood 4 to 8 p.m. watches, sir. We dogged our watches.
Q. I suppose that is 6 to 8 p.m., then; it is a little indistinct. I mean the second dog watch.

1902, Winfield Scott Schley, Record of Proceedings of a Court of Inquiry:

Meanwhile, we dogged the watch sections so that both halves of the crew could fetch full sea bags of uniforms and gear […]

2015, Tom Vetter, 30,000 Leagues Undersea:

(transitive, military) To divide (a watch) with a comrade.


silent majority

en-noun

silent majority (plural silent majorities)

Popularized in contemporary usage by U.S. President Richard Nixon in a speech on November 3, 1969.
The older sense for "the dead" was used in English since the 19th century, and further back in Latin by the Roman writer Petronius, who wrote abiit ad plures (“he has gone to the majority”) to describe the dead.

Nixon took the field against his critics in his Nov. 3 plea to "the silent majority'" for backing of his Viet Nam policy.

1969 November 21, “Nation: The Politics of Polarization”, in Time:

As for leadership, she applauds New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, whose stern law and order policies have won over the "black silent majority," she says.

1998 June 7, Judith Levine, "What Went Wrong on the Way to Integration" (book review of Someone Else's House by Tamar Jacoby), Businessweek (retrieved 13 Aug 2012)

He has argued, however, that the demonstrations do not represent the silent majority of Japanese (presumably including those in the heartland) who are too anxious about the economy to give up on nuclear energy.

2012 July 27, Hiroko Tabuchi, “In Conservative Japan Enclave, Antinuclear Candidate Gains Ground”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-08-13:

Prior to 1968, the right had taken the view that ‘ordinary people’ were still inherently conservative, which you can see echoed today in the ‘silent majority’ rhetoric of modern establishment conservatives.

2017, Angela Nagle, chapter 3, in Kill All Normies, Zero Books, →ISBN:

President Trump believes he represents the “silent majority” of the country against a dangerous, radical minority. He says as much on Twitter, frequently yelling “SILENT MAJORITY” at his followers.

2020 July 24, Jamelle Bouie, “There Is a ‘Great Silent Majority.’ But It Stands Against Trump.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(chiefly US politics) The largest portion of a demographic group or of the population of a political jurisdiction, which is considered to possess political and social views that are not openly declared, but that can nevertheless significantly affect voting patterns and social behavior.


ALM

all lives matter
all lives matter#English

(US politics) Initialism of all lives matter.


come to order

en-verb

come to order (third-person singular simple present comes to order, present participle coming to order, simple past came to order, past participle come to order)

comes to order (present singular third-person)
coming to order (participle present)
came to order (past)
come to order (participle past)

(intransitive, of a meeting, assembly, proceeding, legislature, court) To come to an orderly state allowing it to conduct its business.

assembly; proceeding; legislature; assembly; proceeding; legislature


encik

[ˈɪn˧.t͡ʃeʔ˦]

From Malay encik, from Hokkien 引叔 (ín-chek, “uncle”).

Singapore Armed Forces
w:Singapore Armed Forces

(Singapore, informal, military) Informal term of address for a male warrant officer in the Singapore Armed Forces.


cadency

en-noun

cadency (countable and uncountable, plural cadencies)

(heraldry) Any systematic way of distinguishing similar coats of arms belonging to members of the same family.


CDI

CDI (countable and uncountable, plural CDIs)

Lauren turned to him and said, “I grew up on Army bases, so I know what CDI means. Chicks Dig It. The average male thinks things that go boom have a higher CDI than the hard work of diplomacy.”

2013, Anne Calhoun, Uncommon Pleasure, Heat, →ISBN:

(US military slang) Ellipsis of CDI factor.


tubage

(military, historical) The process of lining a heavy gun by insertion of a tube of wrought iron, etc.


trade deal

(politics) An agreement between two or more countries, often in the form of a treaty, establishing the conditions under which products from each country may be exported to the other.


chabot

Chabots[:] Or three chabots gu.

1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 839:

Over all an escutcheon of pretence : 1 and 4 , Gules, nine mascles conjoined or, 3, 3, 3 (Rohan); 2 and 3, Or, three chabots hauriant gules (Chabot).

1901, Ex Libris Society, The Journal of the Ex Libris Society, page 66:

"Or, three chabots gules” is the crest of a French family of the name of Chabot.

1904, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopaedia of Armory, London : T.C.; & E.C. Jack, page 186:

Arms : Gules three gemels gold on a quarter silver three chabots erect gules.

1928, New England Historic Genealogical Society. Committee on Heraldry, A Roll of Arms:

(heraldry, rare) A kind of fish, mainly found on the coat of arms of the Chabot family ("or, three chabots gules").


caesaropapism

caesaropapism (countable and uncountable, plural caesaropapisms)

caesaropapisms (plural)
Caesaro-Papism (alternative)
Caesaro-papism (alternative)
caesaro-papism (alternative)
Caesaropapism (alternative)
Cæsaro-Papism (alternative)
Cæsaro-papism (alternative)
cæsaro-papism (alternative)
Cæsaropapism (alternative)
cæsaropapism (alternative)
Cesaro-Papism (alternative)
Cesaro-papism (alternative)
cesaro-papism (alternative)
Cesaropapism (alternative)
cesaropapism (alternative)

/ˌsiːzəɹəʊˈpeɪpɪzm̩/

From caesar + -o- + papism, probably modelled after New Latin caesaro-papia, coined by the German ecclesiastical jurist Justus Henning Böhmer (1674–1749) in his work Jus ecclesiasticum Protestantium (Ecclesiastical Law of the Protestants, 1714–1736).

coinage

Shari'a civil law and Ottoman secular fiscal and administrative practice were all combined with Byzantine Caesaropapism, entrenching the ruler as legislator and inhibiting the transition to the rule of law ultimately made in the Empire.

2016, Peter H[amish] Wilson, The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe’s History, London: Allen Lane, Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 148:

(government, religion) The combination of state (originally imperial) power with religious authority; state authority over ecclesiastical matters.

Catholic University of America
Justus Henning Böhmer

皇帝教皇主義

こうていきょうこうしゅぎ


RMIC

Republican Majority Issues Committee
w:Republican Majority Issues Committee

(US, politics) Initialism of Republican Majority Issues Committee.


escroll

Or, on a bend sable, three ostrich feathers argent, the quills transfixed through as many escrolls gold. - Sir Roger de CLARENDON, [natural son of Edward the Black Prince].

1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, page 238:

(heraldry) A long strip or scroll (resembling a ribbon or a band of parchment), sometimes bearing a motto or other text, either (rarely) used as a charge upon the shield, or placed above the shield and supporting the crest, or below the shield.


antinationalistic

en-adj

antinationalistic (comparative more antinationalistic, superlative most antinationalistic)

more antinationalistic (comparative)
most antinationalistic (superlative)


antinationalism

en-noun

antinationalism (usually uncountable, plural antinationalisms)


SOCO

scenes of crime officer
w:scenes of crime officer

(UK, law enforcement) Acronym of scenes of crime officer.


Crown

(government) The sovereign of a monarchy; often with reference to that of the Commonwealth realms.

(government) The government of a monarchy; often with reference to one that is a member of the Commonwealth realms.


lieutenant governor

lieutenant governor (plural lieutenant governors)

lieutenant governors (plural)
lieutenant-governor (alternative)

(government) The state representative of, or second-in-command of a governor, or Crown, who usually acts as the nominal chief executive officer of the realm.

(Canada, government) The representative of the Crown in the provincial legislatures of Canada.

United States of America
United States of America

(US, government) The next-in-line to the chief executive of a primary political division of the United States of America, such as a state, second to the governor.


masculy

en-adj

masculy (comparative more masculy, superlative most masculy)

more masculy (comparative)
most masculy (superlative)

Masculy arg. and gu. William FITZWILLIAM, Y. Sire Robert POGEYS, N. PORGYES OF POGERS, co. Bucks. Sir John RIVERS, J, K.
Masculy arg. and sa. BEROMY, Cumberland. Sire T. de BEZOM, N. Nicolas de CROFTS, Y. […]

1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 977:

Masculy, gules and ermin, de la Roketey.

1808, Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Freebridge (concluded). North Greenhow. Happing. Holt. Launditch, page 253:

There are some number of coats which are said to have had a field masculy. Of course this is quite possible, and the difference between a field masculy and a field fretty is that in the latter the separate pieces of which it is composed interlace each other; but when the field is masculy it is all one fretwork surface, the field being visible through the voided apertures.

1909, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, page 148:

(heraldry) Bearing or composed of mascles.


rejoiner

From rejoin + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (ideological suffix).

All these obstacles are real. None can be wished away. Which is why rejoiners need to look to the likes of [Nigel] Farage and [John] Redwood for inspiration.

2023 June 23, Jonathan Freedland, “With even leavers regretting Brexit, there’s one path back to rejoining the EU”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) Someone who wants the United Kingdom to join the European Union again.


ADM

atomic demolition munition
w:atomic demolition munition

(military) Initialism of atomic demolition munition.


ACM

(military) Initialism of anticoalition militia.


bourdonnée

A shield of arms : bendy of six, over all a cross bourdonnée fitchée.

1898, British Museum. Department of Manuscripts, Walter de Gray Birch, Catalogue of Seals in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, page 185:

Crest - Upon a crest coronet or, charged with a cross bourdonnée azure, a pelican argent, holding in the bill a nail or. Motto - "Sine labe nota." Residence - Henley House, Avenue Road, Regent's Park, N.W. PILKINGTON[…]

1910, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour, page 1282:

(heraldry, of a cross) Having the ends terminating in rounded knobs like those on a pilgrim's staff; pommetty.


cantinière

Borrowed from French cantinière, from cantine (“sutler's shop, canteen”).

(military, historical) A woman who carries a canteen for soldiers; a vivandière.


fougade

'Twas not dumb chance, that, to discover the Fougade or Powder-plot, contrived a miscarriage in the Letter.

1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, I.17:

(military, historical) A kind of land mine; a fougasse.


Which is precisely why I'd volunteered as point man on this little jaunt, prowling and growling up the unlit stairwell of a Cairo slum at 0-dark-hundred to catch my quarry napping on his bedroll.

1996, Richard Marcinko, John Weisman, Green Team: Rogue Warrior III, page 4:

It's late, and we have to get up at 0-dark-hundred to got to Paris in the AM.

2011, Diane L. Sheridan, Don't Forget the Flippin' E: A Memoir, page 290:

(chiefly US military slang) An otherwise unspecified time of night; some time when it is dark out.


In the very early morning--0-dark-30--the veterans have the Wall entirely to themselves, which is the main reason that we go at that hour.

2002, Jonathan Shay, Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming:

(chiefly US military slang) Half an hour past 12(am) midnight, or more formal and exact would be 00:30; The practice of adding “dark” and “thirty” (30) can be used sometimes as a slang term in place of an otherwise specific time a time of night, meaning some time when it is dark out between 00:01 - 05:00 hours local time.


zoomies

I wouldn't go back there unless you want to get some zoomies!

How many zoomies did you get today?

(US military slang) Nontechnical units of radiation, such as are present in a compartment containing or near nuclear weapons or a nuclear reactor, or are picked up on a dosimeter.


Rogernomics

From Roger + -nomics. Compare earlier Reaganomics.

(New Zealand politics) The economic policies followed by Roger Douglas, New Zealand finance minister, characterised by market-led restructuring and deregulation and the control of inflation through tight monetary policy, accompanied by a floating exchange rate and reductions in the fiscal deficit.


moving violation

en-noun

moving violation (plural moving violations)

Under present law, the Department of Public Safety can suspend a license from 30 to 90 days when the holder accumulates three moving violations.

1959 May 20, Taking Violators Off the Road, St Petersburg Times, p. 8A

(US, Canada, Australia, law enforcement) Violation of the law by the driver of a vehicle while in motion.

Verkehrsverstoß

violation of law by the driver of a moving vehicle


clear blue water

Introduced by the Conservative Party in the 1990s.

It was the Conservatives' policy, designed in part to put some clear blue water between themselves and Labour and to refresh Conservative Party ideas.

2002, Anthony Forster, Euroscepticism in Contemporary British Politics, page 27:

But, Boyle's admission does put clear blue water between CC and the autonomist politics of another notorious commons enthusiast, Peter Linebaugh, who is also included in this chapter.

[…] the Conservatives can still create clear blue water between them and Labour by showing how they prioritise the family over the State.

2011, Martin H. M. Steven, Christianity and Party Politics: Keeping the Faith, page 62:

I was of the view that there ought to be clear blue water between us and the Tories on this issue.

Sitting on the bottom of both league tables - with clear blue water between it and the next worst operator - is Avanti West Coast.

2023 February 8, Sir Michael Holden, “Comment: Boom or bust: time to decide”, in RAIL, number 976, page 3:

(idiomatic, especially UK politics) An obvious, unambiguous divide between the policies of two parties.

daylight

emotional or psychological distance, or disagreement; usually in the expression put daylight between oneself and someone


ORB

(historical, military) Initialism of operations record book (used by RAF).


Karelian Question

(politics) The question of whether or not Finland should regain sovereignty over Karelia and other territories ceded to the Soviet Union as a result of the Winter War and the Continuation War.


raguled

Compare French raguer (“to chafe, fret, rub”), or English rag.


escalop

Old French escalope (“shell”), French escalope (“a sort of cut of meat”).

uder

(heraldry) A bearing or charge consisting of an escalop shell, considered as a sign that the bearer had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.


personal defense weapon

en-noun

personal defense weapon (plural personal defense weapons)

personal defense weapons (plural)
personal defence weapon (alternative)

(weaponry) A compact fully-automatic or semi-automatic firearm similar to a submachine gun but firing a rifle round.


aaa

(military) Initialism of anti-aircraft artillery.


langrel

The “Virgen del Pilar” was within five hundred yards of the harbour's mouth, when six sakers, charged now with langrel, chain and cross-bar, swept her decks with murderous effect and some damage to her shrouds.

1931, Rafael Sabatini, “The Chronicles Of Captain Blood”, in [aka Captain Blood Returns], published 2008, page 80:

Langrel shot was also intended to damage the enemy's rigging.

1987, Brian Lavery, The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War, 1600-1815, page 137:

“And ready the langrel shot,” he yelled to Smithy.
Isabel turned to Cutter, fear sparking within her. “What is langrel?” “A type of cannon shot meant to damage sails and masts. Never fear, milady. He means only to cripple them.”

2014, MaryLu Tyndall, Legacy of the King's Pirates 3: The Restitution, unnumbered page:

(military, naval, obsolete or historical) Langrage (scraps of metal used to fire at an enemy).


tricorporate

For quotations using this term, see Citations:tricorporate.

(heraldry) Represented with three bodies conjoined to one head.


mutualist

(politics) A person who advocates mutualism.


(UK, Ireland, taxation) The end-of-year tax certificate given to each employee by their employer.


post-captain

post-captains (plural)
post captain (alternative)
postcaptain (alternative)

From both the action of taking or making post (“occupying an established military position”) and the practice of posting (“publicly announcing”) the names of such officers in the London Gazette.

The general principle which governs the navies of the old world is... when the Post is attained, then promotion is by inheritance... If a Post Captain in the English navy lives long enough, he is certain of being an Admiral, though not before he is sixty years of age... Hence it is manifest that the public interest no more requires the new grade of Admiral to be added to the navy, than it does the bestowing of orders of nobility on all the diplomatic agents, who represent the United States at the different courts of Europe.

1836 March 17, 'Candor', "The Navy", Army and Navy Chronicle, Vol. II, No. 11, p. 173

(UK military, informal, obsolete) A captain of the 18th or 19th-century Royal Navy in command of a vessel, with his subsequent promotions almost always determined by seniority rather than merit or ability.


merlette

From Late Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman merlet (from merle (“blackbird”) + -et (“suffix forming a noun”)), or from Middle French merlette (“little blackbird; merlette (heraldic charge)”) (from merle (“blackbird”)—formerly a feminine noun) + -ette (“diminutive suffix for a feminine noun”). Merle is from Latin merula (“blackbird”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ems- (“black; blackbird”).

der

(heraldry) In French heraldry, a depiction of a mythological bird without beak or feet.

martlet

depiction of a bird in English heraldry with stylized feet


schwerpunkt

/ˈʃvɛɹpʊŋkt/

/ˈʃvɛəpʊŋkt/

From German Schwerpunkt (“center of gravity, focal point, focus”), from schwer (“heavy”) + Punkt (“point”).

bor

Should it be the schwerpunkt of Labor's attack or will it be an unproductive dilution of forces?

2006 June 12, Terry Sweetman, “Kim Finds a Sore Point”, in The Courier-Mail, Brisbane:

In the only arty shot, the Dalai Lama, seen in silhouette, sits at the schwerpunkt of a Mondrian-like composition."

2004 June 25, Meir Ronnen, “Happy Families?”, in The Jerusalem Post, Jerusalem:

The schwerpunkt must be an application for which Shen is ideally suited; one where its unique strengths will make it difficult to mount any effective opposition to our advance and which we can develop quickly.

2012 April 23, Mark Tarver, “finding the schwerpunkt”, in Google, retrieved 2012-09-25:

(military) main point, main target; point upon which the most effort is concentrated (e.g. during an attack)


GOPer

(US politics) A member of the Republican Party.


CPB

Communist Party of Britain
w:Communist Party of Britain

(UK politics) Initialism of Communist Party of Britain.


antibureaucrat

(politics) One who opposes or shuns bureaucracy.


antiartillery

an antiartillery radar system


BBM

(Philippine politics) Initialism of Bongbong Marcos, 17th President of the Philippines.


sin tax

He has suggested raising “sin taxes” on cigarettes, liquor and arcade games to pay for the 24-percent teacher pay raise he supports.

1963 May 1, Kathryn Baker, “White Facing Realities: Time, Cash”, in Victoria Advocate, Texas, USA, retrieved 2012-09-29, page 16A:

Another form of consumption tax that some foresee is a “sin tax”, which would come in the form of higher excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

1988 Dec. 19, Jan M. Rosen, "Tax Watch: The Likely Forms Of New Taxes," New York Times (retrieved 29 Sep 2012)

The sin tax is an established tactic. In the early 1500s, Pope Leo X underwrote his lavish lifestyle in part by taxing licensed prostitutes.

2009 April 2, Alex Altman, “A Brief History Of: Sin Taxes”, in Time:

(idiomatic, politics) A government-imposed tax on a specific good, service, or activity which is legal but widely considered to be unwholesome or socially harmful, such as a tax on alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or gambling.


caponier

caponiers (plural)
caponiere (alternative)

/ˌkæp.əˈnɪə/

/ˌkæp.əˈnɪɚ/

(military, historical) A work made across or in a ditch, to protect it from the enemy (as fire from it could cover the ditch), or to serve as a covered passageway (e.g. to outworks).


shooting glasses

(firearms) A type of impact-resistant eyewear worn by shooters to prevent injury due to a cartridge or gun malfunction blowing hot gas or metal particles into the shooter's face.


balance the ticket

en-verb

balance the ticket (third-person singular simple present balances the ticket, present participle balancing the ticket, simple past and past participle balanced the ticket)

balances the ticket (present singular third-person)
balancing the ticket (participle present)
balanced the ticket (participle past)
balanced the ticket (past)

(US politics) To pick a vice-presidential candidate who represents a different constituency than the presidential candidate.


executive officer

en-noun

executive officer (plural executive officers)

(military) second in command of a military unit or ship


JDP

Justice and Development Party
w:Justice and Development Party

(politics) Initialism of Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi).


BAE

(military, nautical, initialism) The ship prefix for ships of the navy of Ecuador.


BCP

Botswana Congress Party
w:Botswana Congress Party

(Botswana, politics) Initialism of Botswana Congress Party.


BDP

Botswana Democratic Party
w:Botswana Democratic Party

(Botswana, politics) Initialism of Botswana Democratic Party.


slow march

[T]he Rector emerged, erect as a cane, from his garden, and proceeded in slow march, his hands behind him, down the cemetery.

1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Further Communications on Business”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 72:

This was no other than a column of foot soldiers, marching with perfect regularity. . . . On they came at a slow march.

c. 1851, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, “The Spectre Lovers”, in Ghost Stories of Chapelizod:

(sometimes military) A controlled walking pace in a deliberate, steady, rhythmic manner.


Borismania

2012 October 8, James Kirkup, The Telegraph:

(UK politics) Enthusiasm for Boris Johnson (born 1964), British politician and Mayor of London.


hiper

A tall wrestler who is an expert hiper is always a terror to a man of smaller stature. Edward Norman, of Carlisle, who stands close on six feet, is at present the best hiper in England.

1890, Walter Armstrong, Wrestling, page 14:

(wrestling) A wrestler who uses the hipe technique.


public-private partnership

public-private partnership (plural public-private partnerships)

public-private partnerships (plural)
public private partnership (alternative)
public/private partnership (alternative)

Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay, who will lead the administration's side of the fight, has long argued that power resources should be developed through a public-private partnership, with private enterprise being given projects that it is willing and able to build.

1955 Aug, Jack Steele, “Hell Breaks Loose Over Hell's Canyon”, in Florence Times, Alabama, USA, retrieved 2012-10-15, page 6:

In 1955, Congress passed the Presidential Libraries Act, which created a public-private partnership: an ex-President would raise money to build his library, but Washington would pick up most of the tab for maintaining the documents housed there.

2001 February 26, Matthew Cooper, “Presidential Libraries: The Price Isn't Right”, in Time:

Just outside the nation's capital, a $1.9 billion public-private partnership will finance new high-occupancy toll lanes around Washington.

2008 August 27, Jenny Anderson, “Cities Debate Privatizing Public Infrastructure”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-10-15:

Chiarelli defended the government’s decision to use a public-private partnership to build, design, finance, maintain and operate the LRTs [light-rail transports].

2012 September 20, Tess Kalinowski, “Stintz to Metrolinx: Don’t expect a TTC subsidy for new LRT”, in The Star, Toronto, Canada, retrieved 2012-10-15:

(politics, government, business) An arrangement by which one or more private firms agrees to fund, create, or operate a facility, service, or other element of public infrastructure (such as a school, hospital, or highway) which is usually the sole responsibility of government, in return for all or some of the revenue generated by that facility or service.

julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin kumppanuus

julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin yhteistyöhanke


stump speech

From a bucolic image of a politician touring little settlements with his boilerplate speech which he delivers standing atop the stump of a chopped-down tree.

A week ago, two or three events a day was the norm for each candidate. They have shortened their stump speeches and are spending less time greeting supporters.

2008 November 3, John M. Broder, Julie Bosman, “In States Once Reliably Red, Palin and Biden Tighten Their Stump Speeches”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

“You're hungry and you want a burrito,” [Jeff] Jarvis exclaimed during one of his frequent stump speeches.

2014, Astra Taylor, The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN:

(politics, chiefly US) A standard speech by a politician running for office.


puppet state

(politics) A state governed by a puppet government.


Romnesia

Blend of Romney (“Mitt Romney”) + amnesia.

blend

When the Boston Globe asked Mitt about the incident in 1994, he provided a classic mind-numbing “Romnesia” evasion: “I don't have any memory of what she is referring to, although I certainly can't say it could not have been me.”

2011 November 22, Ronald B. Scott, Mitt Romney: An Inside Look at the Man and His Politics, Lyons Press, →ISBN:

In a typical display of what Kossack AlyoshaKaramazov calls "Romnesia," the all-but-official presidential nominee conveniently couldn't remember the incident in which, aided by some of his pals, he attacked a gay student at his prep school and, while others held the boy to ground, whacked off his non-conformist long hair because "he can’t look like that."

2012 May 11, Timothy Lange, “The bully's bully: Mitt Romney's consigliere Eric Fehrnstrom”, in Daily Kos, archived from the original on 2013-05-24:

The fact that Mitch Daniels apparently has forgotten we are at war in Afghanistan—even though he served in the White House when we began the war more than a decade ago—is a fitting tribute to the Romnesia that has infested the Republican Party.

2012 May 18, Jed Lewison, “Another dazzling display of Romnesia: Mitch Daniels says we're in 'peacetime'”, in Daily Kos, retrieved 2012-10-19:

If you say you’re for equal pay for equal work, but you keep refusing to say whether or not you’d sign a bill that protects equal pay for equal work — you might have Romnesia. If you say women should have access to contraceptive care, but you support legislation that would let your employer deny you contraceptive care — you might have a case of Romnesia. If you say you’ll protect a woman’s right to choose, but you stand up at a primary debate and said that you’d be delighted to sign a law outlying — outlawing that right to choose in all cases — man, you’ve definitely got Romnesia.

2012 October 19, Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event — Fairfax, VA”, in The White House, archived from the original on 2013-07-06:

This is more than Romnesia / Or any other Romney brainteaser. / This is cognitive dissonance.

2013 September 5, Timothy J. Callahan, Poet Against Israel, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 418:

(US politics, of Mitt Romney) A propensity to claim to have forgotten, or act like one has forgotten, one's past deeds and political positions.


chemical warfare

(military) The use of toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons of war, through the intentional exposure of enemy forces to such substances.

化學戰 /化学战

use of chemical substances as weapons of war


proving ground

(military) A terrain or installation for testing weapons, military equipment, or tactics.


throwing axe

throwing axes (plural)
throwing ax (alternative)
throwing-ax (alternative)
throwing-axe (alternative)

(weaponry) An axe that is used as a missile weapon.


scrub in

en-verb

scrub in (third-person singular simple present scrubs in, present participle scrubbing in, simple past and past participle scrubbed in)

scrubs in (present singular third-person)
scrubbing in (participle present)
scrubbed in (participle past)
scrubbed in (past)

There were no booties to wear over their shoes, and they wore scrub caps on their heads only if they were going to scrub in for a procedure. When you scrubbed in for surgery you couldn't touch anything after you finished scrubbing.

2007 September 11, Mary Lou Parks, "O Lord Have Mercy!": Finding Our Way As Student Nurses in the 1950s, Dog Ear Publishing, →ISBN, →OL, page 83:

Members of the transplant team scrub in and go about their respective duties.

2008 August 18, Lee G. Bolman with Terrence E. Deal, Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership, 4th edition, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, →ISBN, →OL, page 99:

When we were assigned to a surgical patient, we were expected to “scrub in” on his or her patients’ surgery when it occurred. […] To “scrub in” on a case meant one was to be part of the operating team, which might consist of one or two advanced residents and a second year resident or intern or two.

2009 August 26, Thomas F. Sellers, Jr., What's Up, Doc?: A Lifetime in Medicine: 1946-1990, Bloomington: iUniverse, →ISBN, →OL, page 43:

(healthcare) To thoroughly wash one's hands and forearms in preparation for performing a surgery.


organ gun

/ˌɔːɡ(ə)n ˈɡʌn/

/ˌɔɹɡ(ə)n ˈɡʌn/

From organ + gun. The multiple barrels of the device were thought to resemble the pipes of a pipe organ.

The attempts to re-invest the artillery with its one-time superiority were directed in two channels: one aimed at perfecting shrapnel, which had been rather neglected up to this time (England, Prussia, Austria), while the other resurrected the mediaeval idea of the "barrel-organ gun," with a view of assembling a number of rifle barrels and of combining thereby the accuracy of the small arm with the moral effect of canister.

1911, William Balck, “VI. Machine Guns”, in Tactics, Volume 1: Introduction and Formal Tactics of Infantry, page 259:

(firearms, historical) A large, portable firearm normally supported by wheels, in which bullets may be fired from a row of several tubes in succession; it was chiefly used from the 14th to the 17th century.

Bellifortis
Giuseppe Marco Fieschi
Konrad Kyeser
Louis Philippe I
Musée des Archives Nationales

арга́н

portable firearm in which bullets may be fired from a row of several tubes in succession


rodelero

(history, military) A type of trooper from Spain, who sported a rodela (a round type of shield) and often a side-sword.

रोडेलेरो

trooper from Spain who would sport a rodela


forend

(firearms) Part of a rifle, underneath the barrel, where it is supported by the hand.


antiextortion

In response, the federal authorities initiated a nationwide antiextortion program, including a national database to track protection rackets and a promise to protect all willing to formally complain about extortion practices.

2010, Niels A. Uildriks, Mexico's Unrule of Law, page 226:


holy-water sprinkle

en-noun

holy-water sprinkle (plural holy-water sprinkles)

/ˈhəʊliˌwɔːtə ˈspɹɪŋkl̩/

PIE word
 *kéh₂ilos
From Late Middle English haly water spryngelle (“sprinkler for holy water”), from haly water, hōlī water (“water consecrated for use in religious ceremonies”) + sprenkil, springel, spryngelle (“sprinkler for holy water”). By surface analysis, holy water + sprinkle.
Sense 2 (“weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff”) is from its resemblance to the aspergillum, and apparently from the fact that it scattered blood when it came into contact with a person.

ref

From the collection of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

From the collection of the museum of the Château de Dinan in Dinan, Brittany, France.

nb...

bookseller, 132, Fleet Street; and sold by all booksellers and news-agents throughout the kingdom.

The weapons, called by Germans "Morgen-stern," and in old English Inventories "holy-water sprinkles," from a certain resemblance to the aspergillum used in churches, are comparatively rare in the armories of this country. […] In the Tower survey of 1547 they are often mentioned; e.g.—'Great holly water sprincles, 118; Holly water sprincles with gonnes in th'ende, 7; Little holly water sprincles, 392; Holly water sprincle with three gonnes in the topp, 1.' The last-named is, without doubt, the club with iron spikes and short fire barrels still exhibited in the tower, with more or less of sensational additamenta relating to Henry VIII.

1547 (date written), “Proceedings at Meetings of the Royal Archeological Institute. November 1, 1867. [Antiquities and Works of Art Exhibited.]”, in The Archaeological Journal, volume XXV, London: Published at the office of the [Royal Archaeological] Institute [of Great Britain and Ireland], published 1868, →OCLC, pages 87–88:

To sprinkle the holy water was the cant-phrase for fetching blood, which will account for the appellation, as there is no resemblance between the weapon so called and the aspergillum. Fig. 1.—A holy-water-sprinkle of the fifteenth century. It is a wooden mallet, bound with iron and furnished with iron spikes. […] Fig. 3.—A petty-holy-water-sprinkle to hand at the saddle bow. The whole, except the handle, is of iron.

1854, Samuel Rush Meyrick, “Plate XCII. Holy-water Sprinkles, &c.”, in Engraved Illustrations of Antient Arms and Armour, from the Collection at Goodrich Court, Herefordshire; […], volume II, London: Henry G[eorge] Bohn [for John Skelton], […], →OCLC:

The horse-chestnuts showed the little green knobs which would soon enlarge and hang all prickly, like the spiked balls of a holy-water sprinkle, such as was once used in the wars.

a. 1888 (date written), Richard Jefferies, “An English Deer-park”, in J[essie] Jefferies, compiler, Field and Hedgerow: Being the Last Essays of Richard Jefferies […], London; New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], published 1889, →OCLC, page 296:

(by extension, weaponry, historical) A 16th-century weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff, used mainly in England; a morning star.


antisuffrage

en-adj

antisuffrage (comparative more antisuffrage, superlative most antisuffrage)

more antisuffrage (comparative)
most antisuffrage (superlative)


superminister

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

In 1983, diatribes about Michele were even more widespread, many dealing with her struggle with Roger Lafontant, one of the so-called superministers who, rumor had it, were running the country for Baby Doc.

1997, Gage Averill, A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey, page 156:

(politics) A minister whose talents or responsibilities go beyond those of an ordinary minister.


Electoral College

Each state's Electoral College submits its votes to the President of the Senate.

In later years Colonel Kent has been much in public life. He was an alternate delegate to the National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and in 1864 a member of the New Hampshire Electoral College, voting for Lincoln and Johnson.

1898, Charles N. Kent, “Field and Staff of the Seventeenth”, in History of the Seventeenth Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1863, Concord, N.H., →OCLC, page 44:

Oliver Wolcott, Jr., in summing up the election reports for his father at the end of November, pointed to the Rutledge faction as holding the presidency within its hands; the result would turn upon the balloting of the South Carolina electoral college, he stated, and Edward Rutledge was believed to command its decision. His reports from all over the Union indicated that Adams lacked but three votes for a majority. His fear was that Rutledge’s disgust with the Jay treaty would give the decision to Jefferson.

1957, Stephen G. Kurtz, The Presidency of John Adams: The Collapse of Federalism, 1795-1800, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 171–172:

Although not now generally known, Guilford had a vital part in the presidential election of 1800, one of its citizens, John Noyes, being a member of the Vermont electoral college, which supported Thomas Jefferson, who was opposed by Aaron Burr, each receiving the same number of electoral votes.

1961, “Guilford, "The Metropolis"”, in Official History of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961 With Genealogies and Biographical Sketches, Town of Guilford, →OCLC, page 157:

(US politics) An electoral college chosen, within a state, to formally cast that state's votes for the president and vice president of the United States.

кале́гія вы́баршчыкаў

body chosen to elect the president and vice president of the US

In accordance with these opinions I believe that the ancient and outmoded Electoral College system should be abolished and that the people should vote directly in all the states for President and Vice President. The Electoral College was established in the beginning of our history for the same reasons which actuated our forefathers in providing that United States senators should be elected by the legislatures rather than by the people of the respective states.

1954, Alben W. Barkley, That Reminds Me, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 276:

(US politics) All of the electoral colleges of the United States, considered as one body.


supercabinet

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

At times of crisis, small supercabinets have emerged. In 1962, Nehru created the Emergency Committee of the cabinet.

1974, Stanley A. Kochanek, Business and politics in India, page 56:

(politics) A political cabinet with special powers or abilities.


crancelin

From French crancelin, from German Kränzlein (“small garland”).

A chaplet of rue, sometimes called a crancelin, is blazoned bend-wise in the shield of Saxony – Barry often or and sa., over all a chaplet of rue vert.

1914, Charles Boutel, AC Fox-Davies, The Handbook to English Heraldry, page 151:

His arms show the crancelin of Saxony impaled with the crossed swords of the Marshalcy of the Empire which went with the Saxon Electorate.

1991, Jiří Louda, Michael Maclagan, Lines of Succession, page 204:

The crancelin, running from upper left to bottom right, took the form of a crenellated garland in deep green.

2011, Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms, Penguin, published 2012, page 565:

(heraldry) A chaplet of rue, as used as a charge on the arms of Saxony.


victory roll

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling) A wrestling pin in which the attacking wrestler jumps onto the opponent's shoulders from behind and rolls forward. As the attacker flips over, they hook the opponent's shoulders with their legs, flipping the opponent over onto their shoulders. The attacker hooks both of the opponent's legs to hold them in place for the pin.


Buk

From Russian Бук (Buk, “codename for a missile system”), from бук (buk, “beech tree”). Doublet of beech.

der

But systems like our S-300 V, Buk-M1, Tor, and Osa actually destroyed all the targets with a single missile.

1992, “New Priorities Set for Ground Forces Air Defense”‚ in Central Eurasia Joint Publications Research Service Report (Military Affairs n 40), Foreign Broadcast Information Service, p 17

A photo shows that the UAVs employed by Georgia are Hermes 450s and they have reportedly been downed by Buk SAMs.

2008, Aviation News v 70, Saint Leonards-on-Sea, UK: HPC Publishing, p 5

2014, “Buk missile launcher, suspected in jetliner attack, requires skill to use”,http://www.cbsnews.com/news/buk-missile-launcher-suspected-in-jetliner-attack-requires-skill-to-use/ CBSNews.com, July 18,
Pentagon officials say the missile likely came from an SA-11 or SA-17 launch vehicle -- otherwise known as a "Buk." Both Russia and Ukraine have Buks, as do most other former Soviet Union states and China.

(military) A type of self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system from the Soviet Union.

Бук

a type of self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system


ACH

Advanced Combat Helmet
w:Advanced Combat Helmet

(military, US) Initialism of Advanced Combat Helmet.


NRM

National Resistance Movement
w:National Resistance Movement

(Uganda, politics) Initialism of National Resistance Movement.


DOMA

Defense of Marriage Act
w:Defense of Marriage Act

(US politics) Acronym of Defense of Marriage Act.


Fulcrum

(military) NATO code name for the Soviet MiG-29 aircraft.


(firearms, informal) The .22 Long Rifle calibre.

(firearms, informal) A firearm chambered in that calibre.


EMALS

w:Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System

(military, aviation) Initialism of Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System.


salt horse

en-noun

salt horse (countable and uncountable, plural salt horses)

From the fact that horse meat was considered especially unappetizing and rarely eaten, but that the meat had been so heavily salted and dried that it could just be horse meat passed off as beef.

(countable, UK, naval) A naval officer or rating whose training and experience have qualified him as a seaman rather than in any specialised trade.


antiministerial

en-adj

antiministerial (comparative more antiministerial, superlative most antiministerial)

more antiministerial (comparative)
most antiministerial (superlative)

(politics) Opposed to government ministers or ministries.

antiministerial

opposed to government ministers or ministries


petardier

petardiers (plural)
petardeer (alternative)

(military, historical) One who managed a petard.


ack emma

(British, military) a.m.; in the morning


neotard

Another neotard babbling incoherently in a desperate attempt to blame Bush economic ruin on anyone but Bush.

2008 June 4, "What Me Worry?", “Re: Bush gas prices force 4 GM plants to close”, in alt.rush-limbaugh (Usenet), message-ID <28udnfW6H5dogtrVnZ2dnUVZ_qzinZ2d@comcast.com>:

The ONLY "fair" that a neotard understands is "fair-skinned" as in Aryan.

2012 February 22, ChairMan Mikey Germany, “Re: Libtard do not understand "fairness"”, in alt.fan.rush-limbaugh (Usenet), message-ID <O-qdnQ3W9IwF-tjSnZ2dnUVZ5r2dnZ2d@giganews.com>:

But as soon as Rush or one of the other right wing radio pussies tells Hags that Obama has screwed up something, he'll be back with his neotard drivel and racist screed.

2012 November 23, notroll2013, “Re: Hagar spotting”, in alt.fan.art-bell (Usenet), message-ID <eb8a3fc1-25be-463b-a7e8-5700a2a79bc5@googlegroups.com>:

(slang, derogatory, politics) A neoconservative.


neuroweapon

(military) Any weapon that targets the nervous system of an enemy combatant


LCT

landing craft tank
landing craft tank#English

(nautical, military) Initialism of landing craft tank.


landing craft tank

en-noun

landing craft tank (plural landing craft tanks)

landing craft tanks (plural)
Landing Craft, Tank (alternative)
tank landing craft (alternative)
TLC (alternative)

(military, nautical) an amphibious assault water vessel designed to transport a tank across water to directly onto shore, where the tank may roll off the vessel onto the shore, while under enemy fire.


pederero

pederero (plural pedereros or pedereroes)

pedereros (plural)
pedereroes (plural)
paderero (alternative)
paterero (alternative)
peterero (alternative)

From Spanish pedrero, from Medieval Latin petrarium. Compare petrary.

His habitation is defended by a ditch, over which he has laid a draw-bridge, and planted his court-yard with patereroes continually loaded with shot […].

1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:

(military, now historical) A short piece of chambered ordnance, used to fire stones in naval and siege warfare.


octofoil

(heraldry) A stylized flower or leaf with eight lobes; a double quatrefoil.


Chats

I think it is a libel, for I have yet to learn that West Country sailor-men are fonder of their victuals than those from 'Pompey' (Portsmouth), or 'Chats' (Chatham), or than Scotsmen, Irishmen, or Welshmen.

1918, Chambers's Journal, volume 95, page 393:

He leaned half his body out of the carriage window as we slowly pulled over the timber baulks of the rebuilt bridges, and shouted 'Up the workers!' until a Petty Officer in the next compartment also leaned out and told him, 'Shit in it, you bloody Bolshie, or I'll have your cap as soon as we get to Chats.'
[…] Once inside the prison-like walls of Chatham barracks we were all marched into the drafting office […]

1997, Tristan Jones, Heart of Oak, page 132:


tankie

From tank + -ie.
Senses 1 and 2 were named for the tanks used by the Soviet Union against uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Central Intelligence Agency
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia

[W]e also desired to shock the staid older party members and the tankies. The tankies and softliners differed as to what sort of magazine Challenge should be.

1985, Terry Bushell, “Softliners and Tankies”, in Marriage of Inconvenience: An Anglo-Soviet Alliance, London: André Deutsch, →ISBN, page 10:

Stephen Well, read the Morning Star and keep up with the tankies. / Max The tankies … How the years roll by. Dubcek is back. Russia agrees to withdraw its garrisons. Czechoslovakia takes her knickers off to welcome capitalism. And all that remains of August '68 is a derisive nickname for the only real Communists left in the Communist Party. I'm exactly as old as the October Revolution …

2006, Tom Stoppard, Rock 'n' Roll, London: Faber and Faber, →ISBN:

[T]he tankies, those members of the British Communist Party who unquestioningly followed Moscow's line, up to and beyond supporting Soviet tanks rumbling through the streets of Budapest and Prague, […]

2007, Tribune, volume 71, London: Tribune Publications, →OCLC:

(UK, politics, slang, historical) A member of the Communist Party of Great Britain who supported the Soviet Union's policy of crushing revolts in Hungary in the 1950s and Czechoslovakia in the 1960s by sending tanks into those countries.

As far as the Sparklies were concerned the new comics were scruffy herberts who shouted ‘Fuck Thatcher’ over and over, while raving Tankie Stalinists hooted indiscriminately in the front row.

2009, Arthur Smith, “Rooms above Pubs”, in My Name is Daphne Fairfax: A Memoir, London: Hutchinson, ISBN 978-0-09-192103-3; republished London: Arrow Books, Random House, 2010, ISBN 978-0-09-951965-2, pages 181–182

Though in an age in which anyone can publish texts, images, and videos to potentially huge audiences and in which impassioned leftists of “woke,” “tankie,” and “democratic-socialist” (post-Corbynista or Bernie Bro) persuasions post constant calls to action, informational posts, and manifestos, the failure of the left to ignite needs further analysis.

2021, Mike Watson, The Memeing of Mark Fisher, John Hunt Publishing:

(politics, slang, derogatory, by extension) A supporter of policies and actions by the Soviet Union, China, Cuba or other authoritarian socialist (chiefly Marxist-Leninist) governments.

tankisto

A supporter of policies and actions by the Soviet Union, China, Cuba or other Marxist-Leninist governments.

Obviously a thrust by the tankies over the ridge and through the minefield was just not on, there and then in broad daylight, a fact they appeared to recognise. At that stage the Germans were well positioned to give them a warm reception with their powerful 88s and other artillery.

1981, Noel “Wig” [Frank] Gardiner, “A Team Talk with the Tankies”, in Freyberg's Circus: Reminiscences of a Kiwi Soldier in the North African Campaign of World War II, Auckland: Ray Richards Publisher, →ISBN, page 88:

Breakfast was taken alongside a curious tank without a turret. When I asked about it a tankie sergeant said, 'It's a Kangaroo: that's a Sherman without a turret. The Canadians make them.[…]'

2006, David Fiddimore, Charlie's War, London: Pan Books, →ISBN, page 186:

Caine focused on the RTR [Royal Tank Regiment] badge directly above Glenn's left eye. 'Never had you down as a tankie, sir,' he said. 'Always thought you were a greenjacket through and through.' Glenn snorted. 'I'm no more a tankie than you are,' he said, curling back dry lips to show the slablike teeth.

2010, Michael Asher, The Flaming Sword (Death or Glory; part 2), London: Michael Joseph, →ISBN:

(military, slang) A soldier from a tank regiment.


tankie

(politics, slang, derogatory) Supporting the policies of the Soviet Union or other Marxist-Leninist governments.


MCTFS

Marine Corps Total Force System
w:Marine Corps Total Force System

(military, US) Initialism of Marine Corps Total Force System.


DFAS

w:Defense Finance and Accounting Service

(military, US) Initialism of Defense Finance and Accounting Service.


DIMHRS

w:Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System

(military, US) Initialism of Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System.


OQR

Officer Qualification Record
w:Officer Qualification Record

(military, US) Initialism of Officer Qualification Record.


(military, US) Abbreviation of DD Form 214.


NDAA

National Defense Authorization Act
w:National Defense Authorization Act

(military, US) Initialism of National Defense Authorization Act.


FAFSA

The SEOG is another type of grant awarded by the federal government to students from low-income families. Like a Pell Grant, you do not have to pay back the SEOG, and you must submit the FAFSA form to be eligible.

2018 June 7, Katie Lobosco, “36% of colleges are hiding the cost to students”, in CNN Business:

w:Free Application for Federal Student Aid

(government, US) Acronym of Free Application for Federal Student Aid.


STOVL

(military, aviation) Acronym of short takeoff and vertical landing.


BUPERS

Bureau of Naval Personnel
w:Bureau of Naval Personnel

(military, US) Initialism of Bureau of Naval Personnel.


FSSG

(military) Initialism of force service support group.


MAGTF

Marine Air-Ground Task Force
w:Marine Air-Ground Task Force

(military, US) Initialism of Marine Air-Ground Task Force.


AAV

Assault Amphibious Vehicle
w:Assault Amphibious Vehicle

(military) Initialism of Assault Amphibious Vehicle.


EFV

EFV (countable and uncountable, plural EFVs)

Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle
w:Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle

(military, US) Initialism of Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle.


NROTC

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
w:Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps

(military, US) Initialism of Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.


NHHC

Naval History & Heritage Command
w:Naval History & Heritage Command

(military, US) Initialism of Naval History & Heritage Command.


BSM

(military, US) Initialism of Bronze Star Medal.


DFC

Distinguished Flying Cross
w:Distinguished Flying Cross

(US, military) Initialism of Distinguished Flying Cross.


MARSOC

w:Marine Corps Special Operations Command

(military, US) Acronym of Marine Corps Special Operations Command.


CNIC

Commander, Navy Installations Command
w:Commander, Navy Installations Command

(military, US) Initialism of Commander, Navy Installations Command.


OCHR

(military, US) Initialism of Office of Civilian Human Resources.


AUTEC

w:Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center

(military, US) Initialism of Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center.


BUMED

Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
w:Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

(military, US) Acronym of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.


DEVGRU

w:United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group

(military, US) Abbreviation of United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group.


CMC

CMC (countable and uncountable, plural CMCs)

Commandant of the Marine Corps
w:Commandant of the Marine Corps

(military, US) Initialism of Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Central Military Commission
w:Central Military Commission

(military, PRC) Initialism of Central Military Commission.

command master chief petty officer
w:command master chief petty officer

(military, US) Initialism of command master chief petty officer.


MCPON

w:Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

(military, US) Initialism of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.


USNA

United States Naval Academy
w:United States Naval Academy

(military, US) Initialism of United States Naval Academy.


CNO

“You know, I really didn't have much to do with Vietnam. In the summer of 1964, I went to work for the assistant CNO for submarine warfare, Op 02. But that summer, Op 03—that's surface warfare—was developing new ASW strategies.”

1996, William Martin, Annapolis, New York: Tom Doherty Associates, published 2010, →ISBN, page 761:

Chief of Naval Operations
w:Chief of Naval Operations

(US, military) Initialism of Chief of Naval Operations.


LOA

(military, US) Initialism of letter of appreciation.


AAFES

Army and Air Force Exchange Service
w:Army and Air Force Exchange Service

(military, US) Acronym of Army and Air Force Exchange Service.


ALBM

air-launched ballistic missile
w:air-launched ballistic missile

(military, US) Initialism of air-launched ballistic missile.


SgtMaj

(military, US) Abbreviation of sergeant major.


SMA

SMA (countable and uncountable, plural SMAs)

sergeant Major of the Army
w:sergeant Major of the Army

(military, US) Initialism of sergeant Major of the Army.


SgtMajMarCor

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
w:Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

(military, US) Abbreviation of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.


SMMC

(military, US) Initialism of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.


CQB

(military, US) Initialism of close-quarters battle.


OBUA

(military, US) Initialism of operations in built-up areas.


MOOTW

Military operations other than war
w:Military operations other than war

(military, US) Initialism of Military operations other than war.


RAPIDS

w:Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System

(military, US) Acronym of Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System.