Wednesday, May 28, 2008

My dictionary of words

power trip (n) Slang - An action undertaken chiefly for the gratification associated with the exercise of power over another or others.

Grok: verb (used with object) 1. to understand thoroughly and intuitively.
–verb (used without object) 2. to communicate sympathetically.(Dictionary.com)

deracination (n) deracinate (v): Uprooted, alienated from the native culture or environemnt.
Along with Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini, the Haiti-born Edwidge Danticat and Junot Diaz from the Dominican Republic, Lahiri swells a tide of new fictional voices: immigrants, who write about displacement and deracination. (The Independent)

Doodad: Ornamemtal attachment.
Tours have become a way to market the artist as a brand, with the fan clubs, limited-edition doodads, and other profitable products and services that come with the territory.

To bandy words: A phrase meaning to argue persistently.

Silver bullet (phrase): Direct and effortless solution to a problem.

garboil (noun): Confusion; turmoil.

tartuffe (noun): A hypocrite who feigns virtue, especially in religious matters.

asyndeton (noun): Omission of conjunctions, as in "I came, I saw, I conquered."

verbigeration (noun): Obsessive repetition of meaningless words and phrases.

The following words are from http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/newwords/?view=uk

abdominoplasty n. Medicine a surgical operation involving the removal of excess flesh from the abdomen.

bahookie n. Scottish a person's buttocks. origin 1930s: prob. a blend of behind and hough + -ie.

best of breed (phrase) any item or product considered to be the best of its kind.

blowback n. 2. chiefly US, the unintended adverse results of a political action or situation.

celebutante n. a celebrity who is well known in fashionable society.– origin 1930s: blend of celebrity and debutante.

crunk n. a type of hip-hop or rap music characterized by repeated shouted catchphrases and elements typical of electronic dance music, such as prominent bass.
adj. US, chiefly black slang (of a person) very excited or full of energy.
– origin 1990s: perh. an alt. past part. of crank1 or a blend of crazy and drunk.

hardscape n. chiefly US the man-made features used in landscape architecture, e.g. paths or walls, as contrasted with vegetation.– derivatives
hardscaping n.

hoody (also hoodie) n. · informal a person, especially a youth, wearing a hooded top.
– origin 1960s: of unknown origin.

mentee n. a person who is advised, trained, or counselled by a mentor.

mesotherapy n. (in cosmetic surgery) a procedure in which multiple tiny injections of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, etc. are delivered into the mesodermal layer of tissue under the skin, to promote the loss of fat or cellulite.

obesogenic adj. tending to cause obesity.

plank n. Brit. informal a stupid person.

radge Scottish informal n. a wild, crazy, or violent person. adj. wild, crazy, or violent. – origin 1920s: appar. an alt. of rage.

rendition n. 3. (also extraordinary rendition) (especially in the US) the practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less rigorous regulations for the humane treatment of prisoners.

retronym n. a new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish the original referent of the existing word from a later one that is the product of progress or technological development (e.g. acoustic guitar for guitar).– origin 1980s: blend of retro- and -onym.

riffage n. informal guitar riffs, especially in rock music.

shoulder-surfing n. the practice of spying on the user of a cash-dispensing machine or other electronic device in order to obtain their personal identification number, password, etc.

SIPP n. (in the UK) a self-invested personal pension, a pension plan that enables the holder to choose and manage the investments made.

therapize or therapise v. subject to psychological therapy: you don't need to therapize or fix each other.

tri-band adj. (of a mobile phone) having three frequencies, enabling it to be used in different regions (typically Europe and the US).

twonk n. Brit. informal a stupid or foolish person.
– origin 1980s: perh. a blend of twit1 or twat and plonker.

upskill v. [often as noun upskilling] teach (an employee) additional skills.
· (of an employee) learn additional skills.

wedge issue n. US a very divisive political issue, regarded as a basis for drawing voters away from an opposing party whose supporters have diverging opinions on it.

Yogalates (also trademark Yogilates) n. a fitness routine that combines Pilates exercises with the postures and breathing techniques of yoga. – origin 1990s: blend of yoga and Pilates.

zombie n. a computer controlled by a hacker without the owner's knowledge, which is made to send large quantities of data to a website, making it inaccessible to other users.

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