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| From the editor's
desk Sow's Ear, Summer 2008
Eighteen months since the last update -- a sign of the times. I am living the Mario Andretti quotation, "If everything is under control, you're not going fast enough." Entries from polar research stations, ships at sea, and orbiting international space stations are still woefully underrepresented. Entries from those locales will be given fast track and celebrity status. cookie disclaimer: The webtracking script used on these pages is available from www.statcounter.com and it is really handy (and free!). This hit counting program only tracks very general data. We know what countries and regions our visitors are coming from, and how long they stay. If some other website refered them we know that, too. The Ojohaven website (it is one of the ones at the bottom of this page) continues to send visitors our way. We're grateful for that. We cannot identify our individual visitors, and we don't want to do so. Even if we could, we'd never give or sell any tracking information to anyone, ever! Links to other equally delightful liguistic sites may be found at the bottom of this page. If a link is no longer valid, we'd like to know. The link to the Sow's Ear main page is also to be found at the bottom of this page, so that you can see what else we've felt interesting enough to share with the world. |
abbrevate;
v., To shorten text
or reduce font size such that reader comprehension is reduced as an unintended
consequence.
(contracted form:
abbreviate)
abmure;
v., To make absurd
suggestions, esp. during brainstorming sessions; to fill silences with
idiocies. Also abmurancy, abmurant.
(L. ab mura:
off the wall)
abrevision;
n., Deleterious
supervisory alterations to a project which are beyond appeal or mitigation.
Work made worse by revision.
(L. rarum res
re ab viseo: a circus act made more dangerous by use of a blindfold )
absentiment;
n., A statement
made by silence. "Chris ignored the invitation to Cheryl's baby shower,
as an absentiment -- a third child, sired by a third boyfriend was just
too much."
(L. ab sentimentis:
without statement)
abvice;
n., Incompetent
help from others, especially superiors.
(L. ab victo:
away from success)
abvisce;
v., to render powerless
or meaningless. Also abviscete, abviscent.
(L. ab: without
+ viscera: guts)
abvise;
v., to give bad
council or counterproductive assistance.
(L. ab viseo:
blindfolded)
accretiate;
v., To praise excessively
and indiscriminately.
(comb. accrete
+ appreciate )
acronism;
n., The subconscious
belief that the name or acronym of a project or project team can confer
special protection or guarantee of success.
(Engl. acronym:
the initials of a phrase presented or used as a word)
acrost;
n., The right word in the wrong place, or the
wrong word in the right place.
(jargon, crossword puzzle design: a word which
fits the definition and allotted space, but ruins the puzzle)
additative;
n., An internal
redundancy of syllables inserted solely to improve the perceived importance
or credibility of a word or the speaker, as in
preventivebecoming
preventative.
(Eng. corrupt.:
additive)
addometer;
n., (anat.) that
portion of the cerebral cortex dedicated to mental calculation. (Brit.
var.: addometre) Not to be confused with adometer.
(Gr.: addomos
metor: estimator)
adheur;
v., To test by experiment
or subject to verification.
(G. heuriskein:
to discover)
adminocrap;
n., Policy, rules,
regulations, or laws promulgated soley to demonstrate to power and authority
of an adminocrat.
(comb. adminocrat
+crap)
adminocrat;
n., An autocratic
administrator known for producing adminocrap.
(comb. adimistrative+autocrat)
administrivia;
n., Regulations
or requirements which are beyond challenge or revision because they predate
the employment of the officials that uphold them.
(comb.: administrate
+ trivia)
adminutia;
n., Elements of
administrivia which routinely generate protests answered by, "I don't
make the rules, I just enforce them."
(comb.: admistrate
+ minutia)
adnegate;
v., To render a
proposal anorchile specifically by an ammendment or ammendments which contradict
the original purpose.
(L. ad negatum:
to nothing)
adometer;
n., An instrument designed to measure just how much ado is being made
over a particular nothing.
(engl.: ado + meter)
affectuate;
v. to dress something up with inappropriate attributes to mask a less
than acceptable subtext. Not to be confused with effectuate.
(comb. affect + actuate)
agreance;
n., A state of mistaken
concordance, where both parties erroneously interpret the position of the
other to be in line with their own.
(L. ad grea:
toward collision)
aggrement;
n., Hostility or
opposition to an idea which has built up over time, such that there will
be no discussion or decision, irrespective of merit.
(L. aggrementum:
bue)
agonate;
v., To torture a
subject and those damned to discussing it by the repeated reopening of
previously settled elements.
(inverbiative:
agony)
aholibate;
v., To bring both
sides in a campaign to equal levels of small-minded meanness of spirit.
(contraction:
a-holes debate)
akaphma;
n., A statement
or document which is universally consistent in interpretation.
(mythol. akaphma:
a magic jewel that affords the bearer universal language)
akse;
v., To offer a question
of such brutal stupidity that it stuns the listener.
(Norw. akse:
a stone used to pound okum into the seams of wooden boat hulls. )
alievski;
n., A loyal and
indispensible yet unsung assistant, usually assigned to an affable but
completely disorganized functionary. See also criznomski.
(mythical character
from Soviet bureaucratic lore)
Alphachromatology;
n., The science
of classification by symbolic colors or auras of printed or written textual
and numeric characters; the basis for color selection in pie charts.
(Gr. alphabeta:
letters + chromo: color)
alpeaux;
n., Boilerplate
text passed off as original or unique.
(Fr. alpeaux:
horseflesh used for dogfood)
alternotive;
n., A counter-recommendation made to advance
the unstated interests of the speaker.
(L. rerum alternotarum: unwritten things)
alzino;
n., A microunit
of comprehension or understanding approximately equal to half of a standard
IQ point.
(after Dr. Masin
Alzino, founder of the School of Conundral Logic)
ambolic;
adj., Phrases inserted
in order to give power to a statement, often intended to become soundbites.
(pharm. Ambolerol:
a naturally occuring steroid used in oriental herbal medicine. Derived
from the plant, Macrotestis draconis.)
amdegate;
v., The use of special
letterhead or the inclusion of proprietary symbols in a document in order
to lend wieght or credence.
(from the jesuit
acronym, AMDG: Ad Majoram Dei Gloriam.)
amny;
n., Convenient memory;
the ability to forget one's own missteps, errors, and criminal activities.
(L. ab mnea:
without memory)
ampular;
see empule
anachronym;
n., An acronym misapplied in temporal terms, such as calling the Russian
federal police the KGB, or referring to Russia as the USSR, etc.
(comb. acronym + anachronism)
anhingant;
adj., Unexpectedly
well suited to a task. Seemingly ill-designed yet efficient.
(Tupi. anhinga:
snakebird)
anjouant;
adj., Describing
the body habitus of the seasoned bureaucrat; a proportion of lower to upper
body mass approximating the Golden Mean.
(Fr. anjou: pear-shaped)
annat;
n., a grunt or verbal
tic expressed automatically at intervals, to give the false impression
that the listener is still listening.
(Scot. annat:
a small wood duck, known for continuing to utter noises after dead.
A bane of highland fowlers.)
anorchile;
adj., Powerless;
futile; impotent. Also anorchistry.
(L. an orchis:
without testicles)
anoxymoron;
n., a transipidate
pairing of terms, where even the dullest of comparisons seems bright.
(Gr. anoxy: without
air + moron: air-head)
apricate;
v., To reduce a
statement to absolute brevity without loss of context.
(L. aprica: peach
pit )
apsody;
n., Irrational fear
of repeating an error.
(Gr. psodos:
stammering)
ardnass;
n. an impossibility
plausibly presented, as is good science fiction. Also ardnassic.
(orig. unknown)
arostrate;
adj. Blunt or dull;
without distinguishing characteristics.
(L. ab rostrum:
without nose)
arpiture;
Any component designed
to fail under stress in order to halt further progress, with the intention
of limiting further damage.
(orig. uncert.)
asskey;
n., Any keystroke struck in frustration,
most typically in an attempt to revive a frozen system. The group
secretary could be heard asking Tech Support, "so
where's the asskey"?
(orig. Southern US dial., ASCII)
attitone;
n., A verbal
communication which cleverly conveys non-verbal clues. "The comptrollers
attitone made it clear that the Sisyphus Project would continue."
(comb.
attitude + tone)
aunic;
adj. Having the
properties of, or resembling an aun. adv., In an aun-like fashion.
(Aun. aun: aun)
automissivity;
n., The level of
indwelling risk of or proclivity toward being or becoming a loose cannon.
The tendency to go off half-cocked.
(Gr. auto: self
+ L. mitto: to send)
azaphic;
adj., Rubelike;
guiless by virtue of ignorance. Innately or congenitally defective.
(Gr.a: without
+ zaphos: pinch or short measure. Refers to a facial defect associated
with incestuous origin)
barbative;
adj., Presenting
a cold, negative manner, e.g. when faced with an interview, and clamming
up, and becoming reserved, monosyllabic, difficult.
(botany. barbate:
covered in short stout spikes or sharp scales.)
barmstrong;
adj., Unshakable
in an erroneous conviction or belief. also barmstrength
(Brit. slang.
barmy: crazy + Eng. strong )
barshamana;
n., An innocuous nonesense reply used to gently dismiss the statement
or opinion of someone that does not realize the meaniningless nature of
the reply. "James routinely countered the impossible requests from his
ignorant manager with eloquent barshamana, which was always accepted simply
as technical jargon."
(Yid. barshamana: sheep manure)
beable;
v., to consider a decision only under immediate
duress.
(OE, beable: the deaf and mute guard traditionally
stationed at the door of the torture chamber)
bebaism;
n., Ingrained mediocrity
or laziness jealously defended by the corporate culture.
(Malout Beba,
14th century cult leader espousing sleep as the highest form of active
meditation.)
bedreaded;
adj., Overgrown;
weedy; a xygency of neglect.
(Rastafarian:
b'dread'd: with superlative dreadlocks)
beel;
n., A bouscent,
jenking bureaucrat; one that constantly annoys and alienates all his co-workers.
(OE: beele: an
inferior rat dog.)
bissenstein;
n., An unpleasant
but necessary action which has no alternative. "It was a bissenstein
for Dave to proose the amended legislation."
(Ger: bissenstein
or bissen stein: a kissing stone or to kiss stone)
blage;
v., To strigulate
or halt a process by focus on unimportant detail or details. n., the element
of a discussion or negotiation which, without merit, forms the basis for
impasse or filibuster. Also blagery.
(It. blaggio:
a stomach cramp.)
blilb;
v., To come in while
the worker isn't there and alter a project he's been working on so that
it no longer works. To surreptitiously remove an essential part of a device.
"Wood blilbed the aluminum prism out of René Blondlot's N ray device.
Blondlot saw no change, thus proving that N rays were a figment of his
imagination."
(Hebr. bli leb:
with the heart missing)
bobwork;
n., Work innocently
performed off-book; untraceable items added to or removed from a file or
document without any authorization, paper trail, supporting research, or
fraudulent intent. The hallmarks of bobwork are twofold: 1.) the
file or document establishes troublesome precedent, and 2.) The precedent
cannot be rescinded or ammended, since its source is obscured.
(Orig. in blame
of generic unavailable person: "I think Bob handled that case before
he went into the nursing home.")
bohica;
n., A state of resigned
paranoia.
(Bohic: the
historically most frequently conquered people in Europe)
bonzonize;
v., To dress up
or improve a mediocre product by use of a showy presentation or slick marketing;
the use of flarbage.
(L. bonus: good
+ Gr. girdle)
bosnog;
n., A seemingly
ironclad proposal with a purposely built-in achilles heel. Software
which later allows the developer inappropriate access to customer data.
(Sipanyi mythol,
Bos Nog: the Bull with a hollow horn)
bosquare;
n., The boss of one's boss.
(deriv. math.: boss squared)
bourbose;
adj., Long winded,
disjointed speech; given to frequent changes in direction or apparent intent.
(OE. bourbor:
a sodden chronic alcoholic)
bousce;
v., To occupy a
position for the sake of occupation or out of habit. n., a stand taken
without conviction. Also bouscent.
(Fr. boisce:
a large, plain shirt)
bress;
v., To quickly iron
or press one's no-iron clothing; to make last minute changes which neither
enhance nor detract, but kill time.
(Dutch. beeress:
to dust )
browl;
v., To complain
with false bravado, especially after public humiliation.
(OE. the owner
of the losing rooster in a cockfight.)
bubbaform;
adj., Lowbrow; oversimplified;
idiotproofed.
(Amer. slang.
bubba + L. forma: shape )
bucoleric;
n., an angry country
person.
(Eng. comb: bucolic+choleric
)
bue;
n., Palpable tension
during official proceedings which stem from unrelated hostility between
two or more participants.
(from a metal
trades acronym: Built Up Edge)
buildiness;
Descriptive yaddage used to enhance the image
of an institution in its prospectus.
(Ger. bildnis: portrait)
bumbative;
adj., Disguised as colloquial or provincial
in appearance or manner, in order to disarm a potential adversary.
"Mary took a bumbative tack in her opening remarks to the jury, but her
real target was opposing counsel."
(orig. uncert.)
Bureaucratology;
n., The study of bureaucrats and bureaucracy.
Arguably a grim fascination rather that a true field of study.
butonic;
n., Any political view or ideology reduced to a slogan designed to
fit on a pin, button or other small clothing accessory, as either a symbol
or as text. adj..
Describing a political stand which has been reduced, ad absurdam, to fit
the limted intellectual or philosophical capacity of its proponent. Also
butonism.
(Fr. boutonier:
a decorative element worn in a buttonhole)
carabudug;
n., A false act
of penetence, intended to deflect further scrutiny or punishment.
(Hebr. kara:
kneel + Mongol. ebedug: unbended knee)
caryblairic;
adj., Bearing bad
news or an awful truth.
(medicine. cary
blair: a sample container used for fecal material )
casp;
n., Self-serving
and self-perpetuating stagnation, through the embrace of perceived victimhood.
(acronym, psychol.:
Chronic Acute Self Pity)
castigrate;
v., To punish by
brutal public humiliation which goes beyond public non-support or scapegoating;
to throw to the wolves.
(L. castigrere:
to catapult [a person] over the battlements)
centeral;
adj.,
Being at the core of a false memory; corruptionof the probability concept
holding that the more times a place is visited, the more it becomes real
to the visitor. "My work has been centeral to the success of this
program."
(comb.
form: central+ integral)
chank;
n., A lower level
manager, a supervisor, a lieutenant; a continuously irritating person with
whom one must contend as a direct consequence of accepting employment.
v., To harrass by constant challenge or questioning of mode, method or
means. To maliciously derail another's train of thought.
(corr. Fr. chancre:
an unhealing sore)
chariman;
n., A leader too
timid to lead. One hamstrung by an overblown fear of offending others.
(OE chary man:
a simpleton frightened by everything)
chetotic;
adj., Nit-picking
by nature; obtuse.
(Gr. cheto +
tomy: to split a whisker)
ciliment;
n., a troubling
detail; a sticking point. Also cilimentary, cilimence.
(L. cili-: hairs,
hairy)
cimorifia;
n., A display of
gestures and body language which unintentionally contradict a speaker's
text or intent, possibly a form of Turet's syndrome.
(It. cimifiori:
signal flags)
cinchion;
n., That attribute
or connection which makes impossible the removal of an incumbant officeholder.
(Sp. Cinchon:
knot)
circuma;
n., Peripheral spin-offs
of a proposal or project which only divert, dilute or disguise the central
concept;
(L. circuma:
weedy suckers arising from the base of a tree )
circumvade;
n., a well-choreographed
maneuver, artfully executed so as to duck responsibility. True practicioners
can do this reflexively, without thinking. v., to perform such a maneuver.
(comb. circumvent
+ evade)
cissic;
adj., Forming a
natural junction or break point. n., a detachable part. Also cissism
(L. cisso: to
cut off)
civicorb;
n., A subergate
blue collar public sector employee which enjoys immunity from responsibilities
work requirements by a combination of wits, union affiliation, and venomous
disposition.
(L. Corvis civicus:
a city crow)
clabberation;
n. The muddle produced
by a team when the members are at loggerheads with each other or lack essential
skills or knowledge for the project.
(Gael. clabar:
churn)
cladofenes;
n., naysayers
(Gr. clado: to
throw + fenes: out the window)
clafir;
n., A public information
officer especially gifted in the art of "spin."
(Turk. clafir:
lierally, a royal clothier; a valet or personal assistant to an emir)
clafiricate;
v., To successfully
sell setbacks as progress.
(Turk. clafir:
lierally, a clother; a valet or personal assistant to an emir)
cleidokakism;
n., the intentional
concealing of defects or faults. Also cleidokakist,-ry.
(Gr. cleido:
to hide + kakis: the worst)
coapt;
v., Any word, phrase
or material copied or lifted to better use elsewhere. Also: co-apt.
(comb. co-opt
+ apt)
cofidance;
n., A doomed alliance
between two or more incompetents.
(L. cum fide
dunce: with faith in folls)
cognosticate;
v., To, with calm exterior, internally struggle to remember someone's
name while in conversation with that person.
(Cognostics. applied study of nmemonics)
cognought;
adj., Incapable
of seeing incompetence in a colleague, particularly one's own nominee or
appointee; blinded by pride or misplaced loyalty.
(L. cogna nullat:
seeing nothing)
cohurt;
n., Fellow victims
of a specific layoff.
(comb. cohort
+ hurt)
collention;
n., A strategy of
shared pain. "Collention from the Engineering Department soon had
the Sales Division in an uproar, which led to a suspension of outsourcing."
(L. collentii:
prisoners chained together)
colial;
adj., Layered or
with a tendency to form layers or strata.
(L. colere: to
repaint)
comboberate;
v., To actively complicate something in order to fortify it against
audit.
(Swahalo-French
pidgin. com bobo: the work of monkeys)
combolete;
adj., Structurally
or contextually obtuse or distorted. N., An element of an argument which
untintentionally defeats or discredits the argument.
(L. combolus:
an object choked upon)
commisherate;
v., To placate with
false empathy for an imagined wrong, usually so as not to aggravate an
insane or drunken person. "We all commisherated with Jim, it was
clear that he'd been drinking all morning and no one wanted a reprise of
last year's incident."
(slurred form
of commiserate)
compulcate;
v., Unnecessary
addition of details, driven by lack of confidence.
(L. compulchrae:
face paint or make-up used by prostitutes)
concortion;
n. anything rendered
inflexible as a direct result of an attempt to simplify or make it more
user friendly.
(Medicine. side
effect of cortisone overdose)
condise;
v. To redefine by
sheer force of confident delivery.
(L. con que de
se: with what of this)
confest;
v., To waste or steal resources under the cover of a far more wasteful
or corrupt entity. "The draining of the social fund was a cleverly confested
scheme, with the stock inflation scandal taking the limelight."
(contraction: co-infestation)
confurcation;
n., pathological
habitual hairsplitting.
(L. con furcus
addendum: forks added)
congrestion;
n., The paralysis
of process, intentionally inflicted or not.
(comb.: Congress
+ congestion.)
considertion;
n., Lip service
paid with a show of pained magnanimity.
(L. considion:
a criminal serving a term of temporary enslavement.)
consolidarity;
n., Agreement among
individuals usually intolerant of one another; grassroots polodomy.
(comb. consolation
+ solidarity )
cont;
n., The next-to-last added detail.
"Bailey threw in his last cont just before the vote was taken. It
was doomed, and everyone knew it."
(contraction: continuum)
contragarious;
adj., repellent
in nature; unfriendly.
(L. contra: against
+ gregaricus: group or gathering)
coolerant;
adj., Outwardly
mildly prejudiced while inwardly rednecked, as a result of social or legal
pressure. BR>(comb. cool + tolerant)
cormal;
adj. offered in the nature of a decoy, to test for risk
(Botany: after the first shoots from a bulb or corm, which may regrow
if killed by late frost)
cormorous;
adj., Superficially
functional; occupying a position which appears far more influential or
important than it is. Harmless or politically captive.
(OF. coer merant:
a trained bird used for fishing)
corporated;
adj., Fleshed out;
fattened up; packaged for presentation.
(L. corpora:
body )
corsh;
corvilling;
n. The grumbling
background sound of discontent or rising protest from a mob approaching
irrational action.
(L. corvis: raven)
cosmotic;
adj., From an alternate
plane of existense or spirituality. As a pejorative: flaky.
(comb. cosmic
+ osmotic: seepage from the universe)
coughter;
n., A ripple of
audience noise which punctuates and underlines a gross public misstatement
or gaff.
(comb.: cough
+ laughter)
coun;
n., A micromanager in denial. One that while professing faith in underlings,
snares them in a safety net.
(L. semper com unem: always with one)
covality;
n., A single shared passion which bonds two or more otherwise incompatible
people. "The covality which held the Bell-Spewicks' marriage together
was their dedication to the Green Party."
(medicine, covalent twin: conjoined twins sharing an arm or hand)
crappenstance;
n., an occurance
of bad luck, which as part of a trend, exceeds statistical expectations.
(comb. crappy
+ happenstance)
criznomski;
n., The bureaucratic
equivalent of a court jester, derived from a mythical mid-level bureaucrat
whose combination of jaded humor, clever deviousness, and big heart manage
to keep a bloated but critical agency from collapse; a mythic lowercase
hero, anonymous and faceless, about whom many jokes and tales developed
within the soviet system, a direct descendant of the czarist era Lieutenant
Kieje. See also alievski
(Soviet Russian
argot, a fictitious surname roughly meaning "nameless")
croquane;
adj., Leading to
unintended consequences which should have been obvious ahead of time.
(Fr. croquet:
the strike of the mallet on ball)
Crumbach's method;
n., a method employed
by some writers to conserve all ideas, irrespective of merit. The
keeping of text fragments edited from documents for potential use in other
documents. Akin to the way bakeries save stale product which is ground,
toasted and used to coat some donuts.
cuada;
n., A direct and
expedient political action, without pretense of tact; usually concerned
with self-preservation at any cost.
(Arabic. Q'ada:
the assassin's blow)
cupate;
v., to become a funtional employee by drinking
coffee.
(comb.: cup + pupate)
curantee;
n., A cleverly worded
and often susquasyllabic disclaimer which seems to guarantee or embellishes
the claimed value of an item or idea.
(L. curanto:
a curse)
cution;
n., The excessive
managerial worrying, nagging, or obsession with a task which inspires resistance
in the ranks to its completion.
(It. cutio: to
shake violently)
cutnose;
n., A stubborn,
vindictive sort who would "cut off his nose to spite his face".
(comb. Cut +
nose)
Cyclomethod, Cyclomethodics;
n., A training scheme
based on the maxim that any behavior may be extinguished by repeated failure.
Cycomethodics dictates that the negative reinforcement must be neutral
and beyond the apparent control of any person, and therefore best administered
via software interface. Published as Cyclomethodics: the Principles
of Applied Rundancy by Dr. Snow just before his last dissappearnce.
czil;
n., A person that
speaks the truth or elicits it from the timid or reluctant, regardless
of the consequences.
(Gr. via Russian.
xylon: wooden mallet used for striking clapperless bells during religious
services)
decateur;
n. A person proficient
in the use of defective or obsolete technology or software.
(Fr. decature:
ploughman)
deffo;
delabrose;
adj., Patently and
unabashedly false or treacherous.
(L. without lips)
delegrate;
v., Spucery for
the sake of spucery; delegation of useless or demeaning tasks in order
to maintain appearance of superiority.
(comb. delegate
+ denigrate)
delamerous;
adj., Strange and
unexpected; unpredictable; capricious.
(Fr. de la mer:
from out of the sea)
delide;
v. To cry at someone
or something, especially one who did not expect to be cried at.
(Láadan.
delishe: cried or wept)
dellaishment;
n., Mental anguished
suffered after attempting to complete a mundane task complicated by interaction
with administrative support personnel.
(It. morta della
assimenta: death from overwork)
demdedose;
adj., Lost in the
details; hung up on details.
(Scot. demdedo:
a tool used to incise the most intricate scrollwork)
demerolize;
v., Too placate
a workforce by use of insubstantial rewards, such as employee-of-the-month
parking spaces, casual dress days, and parking lot barbecues after hours.
(pharm. demerol:
a widely used anti-anxiety drug)
depure;
v., To add elements or language to a project which lend the appearance
of long standing, and thereby credibility.
(Chem.: to add a contaminant known to enhance the desired reaction)
derulation;
n., an increasingly
risky strategy or activity.
(L. de rulata
ab rulata: from one narrow ledge to another)
deteriogeny;
The natural and
inevitible entropy or decay of bureaucracy; malignant fuzziness of purpose.
(L. deterio genesis:
the end starts from the beginning)
despiction;
n., the image formed
in the air in front of a speaker by his or her hand gestures.
(comb.: description
+ depiction)
dessimilate;
v., To expel gradually;
to passively ignore or shun an individual in order to drive them away.
(L: undo + simila:
sameness)
dictoral;
n., Procedure or instruction informally
communicated to new manager/supervisor, typed up and distributed by same
without attribution.
(contraction: dictatorial)
didadid;
n., A no-win situation;
bureaucratic or political quicksand.
(Aboriginal Austral.
a drowning person)
digilent;
adj., Attentive
to distractions; easily misled or thrown off.
(Dyslexic corruption:
diligent + vigilant)
digm;
n., A poorly defined
or undefined concept. Also digmal.
(Gr. digmo: eel)
digret;
v., To interrupt
a conversation with a string of unwarranted apologies.
(Eng. comb: digress+regret
)
dinano;
n., A paranoid
state wherein the sufferer suspects that they are the only one that does
not know a vital secret
(Indones. dinano:
a dust devil )
dintrul;
n., a devious and
often counterproductive partial restoration of a revute through administrative
rulemaking.
(Partial retetion:
aDmINistrative RULe)
dipid;
adj. Vetted to blandness;
so inoffensive as to insult intelligence. "The last draft was dipid
before it got to the final review committee, but was sent back for a full
rewrite nonetheless."
(Gr. dipido id:
without personality)
diptine;
adj., Potentially
hazardous to credibility; with potential to embarrass. Also diptic, diptinous.
(Gr. dipso, diptino-:
drunken; swaying)
diption;
n., The self-amusing
ramblings of [most often] engineers and archeologists, full of jargon and
arcane esoterica of no interest or value to anyone other than the speaker;
a form of bourbosity.
(comb.: diptine
+ dictation)
discomboberate;
v., To undo bobwork.
See also comboberate
(Eng. dis+Swahalo-French
pidgin. com bobo: the work of monkeys )
disdose;
n., Acceptance or
resignation to one's lot in life or career stagnancy; a benign mental numbness.
Also disdosition.
(R. Cathol.:
St. Disdo, an accidentally martyred fourth-century half-wit, the patron
saint of the ignorant)
disentraist;
n., One for whom the compassion for individuals
has obliterated the sense of compassion for the community.
(L. disentra spectabilis, a garden favorite)
disgression;
n., Sanctioned profligacy; "Headley's six
month training abroad was unabashed disgression, but then being married
to the chairman's daughter has its rewards."
(L. dis gresso camino: to go off the path)
disnotation;
n., An error which corrupts associated data such
that the original data set cannot be reconstructed by regressive steps;
any plausible yet erroneous concept which goes undetected or unchallenged.
(chess: an error,or combination of errors
in the record of a game or illegal moves which go unnoticed during play.)
disotic;
n., One zealously
and resolutely opposed to an idea or argument such that compromise, sanction
or reason will dissuade them.
(Gr. dis + oto:
he that will not hear it)
distinguinate;
dormal;
adj., The usual or expected state of an audience during a post-lunch
presentation.
(L. dormare: to sleep)
downlote;
n., A cyber-opportunist.
v., To hide flaws behind flashy computer or internet jargon.
(comb. download
+ coyote )
drection;
n., Guidance
provided in a manor in accordance with the systems of jerrynomics and/or
lasbinomics. Seemingly basic policies are expanded to detract from
any final decisions being made. Any useless or misleading instruction
set which nonetheless fully conforms to the style and grammatical guidelines
constraining the author and editors.
(L. drexo,
drexare: to misthrow [a spear])
dreponify;
v., To viciously
turn upon one's colleagues in a transformation of personality fueled by
ruthless ambition. To make allied subordinates into rivals of one another
by restriction of resources or promotional opportunities.
(Gr. harma dreponyphor:
a scythe bearing chariot)
drign;
n., A tool for boring
a progressively widening hole. A belief repeated as fact. v., to bore a
hole of increasing diameter.
(Finn. ijd rign:
a tapered chisel used in boat building)
drox;
n., One that convincingly
professes the company line, while inwardly despising it.
(orig.
uncert., possible reference to creme filled
wafer style cookie )
duflagate;
v., To alter or
larify a process with minutiae. adj., That which creates a blage.
(Orig.
uncert.)
dupelcation;
n., Accidental or
unwitting plagiarism. Writing or speech claimed or believed to be
original, but actually lifted from subconscious memory. "The editor
flagged the manuscript as outright fraud until he interviewed the author,
and found it to be a dupelcation
(comb. duplicity
+ duplication)
duplicious;
adj., Wonderfully
evil or diabolical.
(comb. duplicity
+ delicious)
duretic, duretics;
n., Any lengthy
monolog or diatribe engaged in by official spokespersons with fragile egos
in order to prove that they posess more knowledge than their audience.
(OF. du retior
chien: from a barking dog)
dymology;
n., The theory,
philosophy, and practice of continuous omniflagacy without product, marked
by colial planning sessions; a permenant state of prevolution.
(Gr. dymos: a
spinning top)
dysaudic;
adj., Suffering
from dysaudia, a hearing form of dyslexia. Describing someone that "never
gets it."
(Gr. dys + audio:
hearing wrongly)
dysphonesis;
n., Chronic malapropism
due to stupidity.
(Gr. dys phono:
wrong sound )
dystesis;
n., a condition
of continuous transition between two mutually exclusive states. Also dysteses,
dystetic, dystetory
(Gr. dys: against
+ stetos: stillness)
ebess;
v., To reduce the
pressure of the whole by collapsing one compartment or interior section
without a net release of content. In bureaucracies, the committee process
by which tasks or personnel are eliminated from work plans with no change
in productivity.
(OE yfess, OD
ehpiss.)
ebix;
effectuate;
v. to use flashy multimedia technology for the sake of using flashy
multimedia technology. Not to be confused with affectuate.
(comb. effect + actuate)
effitism;
n., habitual quitting
or giving up. Astrategy of cultivated helplessness.
(Amer. slang:
"F--- it!" + ism)
egmunch;
n., Junkfood for
thought.
(orig. uncert.)
egomorphic;
adj., Dillusionally
conceited to the point where the ego has become separated from the individual.
Often accompanied by feelings of persecution or lack of appreciation.
(Gr. ego morphos:
taking the shape of oneself)
eilian;
adj.,
The antiphone of Aeolian, drawing dischord from the winds. Capable
of souring any conversation.
(origin
undocumented)
ejact;
n., Any gaff, malapropism, or outrageous statement which becomes the
only part of a meeting or conference remembered beyond a few days. v.,
to utter an ejact. also ejactor, ejaction.
(comb. ejaculation + extract)
ejuct;
v., (grammar) To change meaning through change of word order.
(bureaucracy) To change status by changing positions with another.
"Chris and Pat were ejucted in the re-org, and both were miserable and
far less effective."
(L. ex + jucta)
electromagnecute;
adj. pertaining
to the very real physiologic effects from secret exposure to low-level,
non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation by unnamed government agencies.
v., to foster a belief in a person that they have suffered , or will suffer
mental contusions due to the willful exposure to low-level, non-ionizing
electromagnetic radiation, especially where a govenrnment cover-up is likely.
(comb. electrocute
+ electromagnetic)
Elmonia;
n., One country
under discussion, whose name is arbitrary or not important. Also Elmonian.
see fusterus, Pelonia.
(Heb. ploni elmoni:
such and such)
emergant;
adj., Unwashed,
raw, animal, or of questionable sanitary state. "She observed, with
repulsion, the surgeon's emergant fingers, coated with powder. Discarding
his gloves casually to the floor, he approached her, his eyes filled with..."
(Fr. emerge a
gant: to unglove)
emeritis;
n., The condition
of resentment among peers and subordinates caused by someone that should
have retired but hangs on and on and on.
(L. e meritus
pro detritis: from greatness to decay )
emeroid;
n., A company official
or board member retained long past usefulness.
(comb. emeritus
+ hemorrhoid)
empathetic;
adj., Begging for
pity while deserving less.
(Eng. [addiditive
corruption]: empathic.)
empiriclast;
n., One who distrusts
or rejects mainstream science or the scientific method in favor of unproven,
exotic, or "New Age" alternatives.
(Gr. empiri clast: to break the truth)
emplical;
see implical
empule;
v., to disdain publicly
by active indifference. Also empular, Brit.: ampular
(L. im: toward
+pulere: to discard or abandon.)
encabsulate;
v., To strategically
share a taxi in order to influence the other passenger; to buttonhole someone
temporarily captive in any enclosure, such as vehicles, elevators, aircraft,
hunting lodges and queues.
(comb. encapsulate
+ cab)
encapitate;
v., To tie together
a poorly organized presentation by use of catchy titles, headers or captions.
(L., in plus
capito: with a head stuck on )
endon;
n., An interjected summary statement made in effort to move discussion
from one agenda item to the next.
(molecular genetics. endon: a subsequence of nucleotides which
signals a boundary between active genes and "nonsense DNA")
engonulate;
adj., Not quite right; an inaccurate or ineffective approximation.
v., to create such an approximation.
(geometry: a circle is approximated by an n-gon)
ennerate;
v., To weaken perceived
power; to demoralize.
(L., ex nerro:
to drain away from )
enpassanation;
n., A comment made
as a naked ploy to distract attention from or direct attention to a situation.
(Fr. en passant:
in passing)
entemanure;
epete;
adj., Overbearing; aggressively boorish; finding
an argument in anything and everything.
(Fr. "vous epee, te!": "Your sword,
you!" )
episodomize, episodomy;
v., Purposeful corruption, for better or worse, of text, language,
titles or names, just for the fun of it. "Until the first year seminarian's
ejact, Father Rector was oblivious to his well-known episodomized title,
Father Rectal."
(Gr. epi sodom: to bring corruption upon)
epitotic;
adj., endlessly
appended; rambling.
(L., epi toto
extra: one more thing)
eriend;
n. a marginally
justifiable distraction; any task prolonged in order to avoid a more important
one.
(Fr. eriende:
a side path)
eruse,
erusion;
v. to experience
an involuntary and narrowly defined tic; erusion: a behavioral disorder
found in those who respond to questions by turning their heads towards
the nearest computer screen and engaging nervous, twitchy keyboard action.
First discovered by researchers into Human-Computer interaction, who think
it's caused by numerous momentary disconnects between the optic nerve and
the brain. Found only in underlings, i.e., help desk personnel,
and never in supervisors, who often declare, "We are not erused."
combinatve:
L. eradere: to scrape, [see also: rasor], and ME ruse: to repulse in battle,
or to make a detour as a hunted animal.
eritible;
adj. Having the
potential for immortality, as in a project or problem that will never completely
end; extremely larifiable.
(L. erit: it
will be. )
escavate;
esculate;
v., To expound with
decreasing accuracy and increasing tone of authority on any subject with
which one is barely acquainted.
(L. escula: a
slope)
espressive;
adj., Speaking in
a hyperactive way, bordering on nonsensical.
(Ital. espresso:
a concentrated coffee drink)
ethier;
n., The dull speaker
usually placed on the agenda in order to numb the audience in advance of
a potentially troublesome presentation. "Dr. Freundlich thought he'd
look better if he gave his talk right after Wigbright's colorless report.
Instead, his audience had been rendered dormal by his choice of predecessor,
a notorious ethier."
(Fr. ethier:
anaesthesiologist)
etidorial;
n., A document that
changes in content overnight with no explanation. This phenomenon usually
occurs where no one claims final responsibility for the body of work, and
is the result of one or more independent clandestine revisions by members
of the group that produced it.
(It. etidore
allia ablia: to rinse a stain on borrowed clothing.)
eudiotic;
n., An absurd truth.
adj., True while seemingly contradictory. Also eudiocy, eudiot.
(Gr. Eu: true,
truly + idios: moronic)
eunimbic;
adj., Intentionally
sesquipedalian in order to obfuscate content.
(Gr. Eu: true,
pure + nimbos: clouds)
euphasia;
n., a delusional
state where the sufferer willingly suspends the knowledge that he or she
has lost touch with reality. Also euphasic.
(Gr. eu phasia:
chosen condition)
eustanous, eustaneity;
adj. obsolete, esp. technology or its use.
"Crockett remained on call for years, owing to the board's unwillingness
to replace the mainframe. Hus eustanous code would not allow migration
to another system."
(Gr. Eu stannos: pure tin)
Evans Orb;
n., Theoretical perfection attained by fortitous
addition of an unforeseen component. "Every member of the project
team was secretly counting on some sort of Evans Orb event, knowing that
their continued employment was at stake."
(Archit. Evans Orb Theory: Existing structures,
features, and spaces around a site always predifine design limits)
exalate;
v., To yield out of frustration to an unyielding
yet inferior argument. To capitulate.
(corr. exhalation)
excalate;
v., To harden one's
position in the face of an unyielding yet inferior argument.
(L. Ex calcalare: to harden like stone)
excapit;
adj., Without forethought
or planning.
(L. ex capitis
capita: off the top of the head)
excessory;
adj. Uninvited and
unnecessary assistance, generally well intended and useless.
(L. ex cessoram:
beyond the stopping place)
ex cetera;
adj. in a fashion
typical of a former spouse, especially where reinforcing the propriety
of the divorce. abbr: ect.
(L. outside that
which would logically follow)
exdystic;
adj., Curmudgeonly.
n., A devil's advocate.
(Gr. ex dystos:
from the opposing view)
exholibate;
adj., Bereft of
positive value; reduced to the most negative form. Also Aholibate.
(L. ex holibare:
after digestion)
expact;
n., The damage left
by the sudden departure of a key employee; a gaping hole in the organizational
chart. "The expact of Irene's was evident throughout Engineering
-- all of the old rivalries came back with a vengence.'
(L. ex pacto:
to punch outward)
expecial;
adj. passe; out-of-fashion.
Where public acceptance of a topic fades into bored tolerance. Also ecspecial,
exspecial, exspecially.
(L. formerly
+ special)
expension;
n., The unforeseen debt incurred on company business, which must later
be justified and documented to an onerous degree.
extablish;
v., To remove or
expell abrubtly, often with real or impied violence.
(L. ex tabula:
crossed off the list)
exter;
extrapetent;
adj., untouched
by proximate scandal, problem or error; unwittingly or luckily beyond danger.
n., a lone survivor or one of few survivors of a disaster, spared by dumb
luck alone.
(L. extra: beyond
+ Gr. bdein: to break wind)
extraploitation;
n., The use of another
project's budget or resources toaugment your own, often accomplished through
intramural billing
(Eng. comb: extra+exploit
)
extrapulate;
v., To convert data
into a form credible to the public it is meant to mislead.
(L. extra + pulare:
to twist further )
exquithent;
adj., burned out.
Also quithent.
(Turk. qitta:
cold ashes)
exstriction;
n., An on-the-fly
interpretation of legal code, passed off as exact text from legal document
or regulation in question. Also exstrict, exstrictly.
(L. ex + stricta:
without limitation)
fanuc, fanuck;
n., An unpleasant subject whose time has come, often an item that has
had an agenda of non-issues formulated around it .
(Turk. fanuk:
a washed-out bridge)
fecule;
n., An item which
draws significance only from it's repellent nature, such as an insulting
epithet bearing no correlation with the actual character of the impugned
party. Also feculate, feculant.
(L. fecula: a
speck of dried excrement)
fedorate;
v., To dress up
an old, tried-and-true technology in order to sell it. "Once the
book, Just Sound It Out was fedorated and republished with its flashy
New-Age name, Limbic Spelling and Cortex Reading: A Literacy Revolution,
the publisher could not keep up with demand."
(Eng. fedora:
a utilitarian felt hat of cyclical popularity since the early twentieth
century.)
ferion;
n., A messenger
bringing old or unimportant news; an announcement which is delivered after
the event it announces. Also ferionic, ferionism.
(Span. ferione:
a scrap metal dealer)
fermentortion;
n., A calculated
delay meant to torment one's opponent with uncertainty.
(comb. ferment
+ torsion )
ficure;
fiditure;
n., Any core belief
which underlies and validates the world view of an individual or group;
a philosophical lynchpin. Also fiditive.
(L. fide: faith)
fimant;
adj. Obnoxiously
self-righteous. Also fimancy.
(Fr. fimant:
snob)
fixity;
n., An illusion of veracity or expertise, tendered by incompetents
and frauds, often by means of hellatinism, graming, inaptacy, and yaddage.
(Biology: fixity:
the seeming animation of a corpes by the movementss of maggots under the
skin)
flaccus;
n., a condition
of lack of meaningful facial expression, without physiological basis, which
reflects a state of emotional ambiguity.
(L. flacidus: limp; lifeless)
flarbage;
n., discarded material
from flower shops; any perfumed refuse. Any worthless offer superficially
enhanced with equally worthless inducements.
(Engl. flower
+ garbage)
fleric;
n., A monks chasuble
containing forcefully obtained loot or alms. The container of "Gods' tax".
adv., capriciously abusive, such as the servicing obtained from lower classmen
during hazing initiation.
(orig.
uncert.)
fleskible;
flister;
see phlystre
flustrate;
v., To make a bad
situation worse by reactive incompetence.
(orig.
uncert.)
folostitude;
n., A silent but
very public suffering of real or imagined injuries to pride, esteem or
reputation; maudlin stoicism.
(Gr. folostos:
a loud silence)
frabney;
n., the word used
to designate any object for which the speaker does not know or cannot remember
the name. See also fusterus.
(Frabney's U-Need-It
Stores, famous for their slogan, "If Frabney's don't got it, you didn't
need it!")
frickly;
adj., Well suited
only to a single narrow task or usage.
(enology: a set
of parallel screens of dissimilar mesh, mounted on a long pole, used to
remove submerged materials of a specific size range from primary fermentation
vats)
frivia;
frust;
n., Undeserving
survivors of any reorganizion or corporate purge.
(Janitorial jargon
for the line of dirt or dust left at the edge of a dustpan.)
fulhask;
v., To predictably
escalate a tantrum or outburst to socially innappropriate levels, in reaction
to specific triggers. "Everyone knew the CEO would be fulhasking
by the time the minutes of the last meeting were read."
(Gaelic. f'ulhagh:
squall or hailstorm)
funative;
n., A statement
which, although grammatically correct, does not seem so. Logic: the most
technically correct form.
(L. funatum:
off balance)
fundulent;
adj., Pencil-necked;
geeky or nerdy. Having the will and disdosition of a njidvaark.
(L. fundula:
a little neck)
fusterus;
n., the word used
to designate a second object for which the speaker does not know or cannot
remember the name, now used only in cominbation with "frabney" qv, as in
"There was a frabney mounted at the inner corner of the stair with a fusterus
poking up through it."
(corruption of
Foster S, ref. to Foster S. Frabney, founder of Frabney's U-Need-It Stores)
fwah;
n., An unmistakably dismissive gesture made with the eyes.
(Tibetan. fwah: the only negative utterance allowed by Buddhist
monks)
fystic;
n., A doomsayer
with a good track record of accuracy.
(comb. fatal
+ mystic)
garfle;
v., to stall or
kill a project by means of an impossible requirement beyond one's control.
(acronym: Get
A Ruling From Legal Experts)
gecche;
n., A hardened slime
or gurry of unknown organic origin. Boilerplate verbiage used in official
documentation where a series of related subjects are treated separately;
necessary but cumbersome supporting material in official documentation.
(It. gecchio:
to gag or choke)
gerbate;
adj., doomed or
predestined to failure. v., to embark upon or accept responsibility for
a spuctant. Also gerbation, gerbative.
( Engl. gerbil,
orig. Xhosa: xerbi: digs blindly)
ghual;
v. to choke from
excessive emotion while speaking.
(orig.
uncert.)
gigobyte;
n., A block of orphaned
or corrupted data which wastes space on a computer drive, often the result
of useless downloads from the internet. Unwanted hard drive clutter
such as cookies, unsolicited applets, history files.
(comb. GIGO:
garbage in garbage out + byte)
gither;
n., A project halted
and neither restarted or eliminated. v., To suspend or terminate a process
due to loss of purpose or focus.
(OE gaether:
to become lost)
glerg;
n., The silence
that follows a combolete statement, often caused by a ghualing incident.
Any telling silence or pause.
(Lap: a gag made
from a bolus of moss; reindeer cud)
gnathage;
n., The unedited
physical output of a focus group or brainstorming session. Any disorderly
heap of outsized or odd-sized sheets of paper.
(Gr. gnathatos:
cud)
gradue;
n., Top of line
equipment or technology acquired through special funding of a project,
ostensibly justified, which is retained long after the project or funding
has expired. As in,"Cool, huh? It's my gradue from the Wright-Ritter study.
It gets lousy mileage, though!"
(Fr. gras doux:
sweet fat; refers to oil glands adjacent to the tails of waterfowl)
grame;
n., An aural treadmill. That portion of
a lecture which only serves to thicken the tympanic membranes of the hearer;
anything said after the listener has tuned out or passed out.
(Fr. Grame etenite: the eternal speech)
grampf;
n., a sharp, loud
exhalation or snort meant to demand attention from an individual who is
ignoring, or inattentive to, the snorter; hence, an unwanted but irresistable
interruption of productive work.
(ME grampus:
killer whale, poss. corrupt. L. craasus: fat + piscis: fish)
greht;
adj., Advantageous
to one's opponent.
(Scot. greht:
a sword dropped during battle which is then used against its owner.)
gription;
n., Mental and emotional
unflappability; that fraction of one's shit which is "together."
(Eng. comb: grip,
grit, traction)
gutch;
n., The first budget
forecast for a fiscal cycle, often portending layoffs, cutbacks and organizational
misery.
(Eng. corrupt.
contraction: gut shot)
habble;
n., A serial dwelling
place not associated with a single culture; a natural shelter used by transients
or sojourners; modern usage: an office cubicle to which interns or new
hires are initially assigned.
(corr. L. habere:
to live)
halebopp;
n. an inopportune
idea or suggestion that glances off the perception of the intended audience,
leaving no mark; fatally ahead of its time.
(naval radar
term: unidentified but insignificant object)
halk;
v., To clear one's
throat or otherwise audibly signal without words one's disapproval. Also
halker, halkery.
(Samoan. haalaka:
to big to swallow)
haplogy;
n., The shortening,
abbreviation or intentional slurring or distortion of a word, phrase or
name in order to impart disdain, disrespect or dishonor.
(Gr. haplo: to
halve)
hattle;
v., To deny ownership
of one's work after the experiment failed or the data was found to be useless.
(OE. hattel:
a neighbors livestock)
havile;
heddle;
v. to issue empty threats, especially
those involving legal or administrative actions.
(Welsh. [mispronounced] heddlu: police)
hellatine;
n., a person who
coins or habitually uses words of inappropriately mixed derivation, often
Greek and Latin, and usually in an attempt to impress the listener or reader.
Hellatines are often afflicted with susquasyllabism. Also hellatinism,
hellatinize.
(Gr. hellen:
a Greek + L. latinus : a Latin)
henessity;
n., Something
you cannot abide in a place that you must be in.
(Gael. h'endagh
cael: refering to the place of a clans' last place of defense.)
heop;
herck;
v., To attempt to
manipulate an unwieldy or extremely heavy object. Also herc, herk, hurk,
hurkk, herkh, hercking, herkingly.
(corrupt. of
Gr. Hercules)
hodge;
v., to delay a meeting
by claiming that every speaker misunderstands your point. "The ineffectual
chariman was unable to prevent the meeting from being hodged, and John
had once again averted a vote.
(OE. hod; a load
of wet mortar, transported on a board between the mixer and the mason.
At a construction site, the hod-carrier has right of way owing to the weight
and timeliness of his delivery.)
hornerc;
n., A simple computer
error easily corrected.
(Serb. Hrnerc:
stumble)
hornrec;
n., A simple computer
error once easily corrected, irretrievably compounded by panicked action.
(corrupt. Serb.
Hrnerc: stumble)
houk;
howaresis;
n., A litany of health problems recited in response
to a simple, well-meant greeting; often a casp prodrome.
(psychol., self identity derived from poor health)
hyphenite;
n., a devotee of excessive, occasionally obsessive hyphen usage.
The practice is a form of verbal pack-ratting or hoarding. Also hyphenism.
(Roman Cath. St. Hyphenia: patron saint of chain makers)
hyponym;
hystericate;
v., To whip up fear or hysteria for one's own purposes --usually to
draw attention to oneself. Media: to grossly overinflate a small
story on a slow news day.
(comb.: hysteria + fabricate)
ichnology;
n., The study of
bureaucratic system dynamics.
(Gr. ichnecos:
school of fish)
ictify;
v., To mistakenly
deem an object or individual part of a group featuring some common character
or form.
(L. ex locus
ictus: out of proper place)
ificate;
iffle;
n. A unique ability
or act which, although impressive, has no possibility of practical application,
As in: "Grandad Upton's famous iffle, touching the tip of his nose with
his tongue, both revolted and fascinated his assembled grandchildren."
(corrupt. reduct.:
trifle)
ilrelevant;
adj., Supporting
the opinions without supporting the facts;
(comb. illogic
+ relevant)
Imbureficate;
v., The process
by which bright, competent individuals are rendered more and more incompetent
within the workplace. The Imburefication Theorem states that three factors
are involved. 1. the starting IQ of the individuals. 2. the size
of the bureaucracy, and 3. the cumulative length of service of the individuals.
A fourth factor has been proposed by some bureaucratologists, and that
is the reach of the bureaucracy. i.e. how many people does the agency have
the power to impact. Thus a federal agency would have a greater reach than
a state agency, and so forth. However, the fourth factor remains an unproven,
though promising, factor. The Imburefication Theorem can be written as
a formula. IQb= [*(IQ1)/n] - [*(YS1) * n], where IQb is the Bureau's
IQ and IQ1 is an individual's pre-imburefication IQ and n is the number
of bureaucrats in the agency or department and YS1 is years of service
of each individual. The fourth factor, as proposed, would be calculated
by dividing n by the population "served", then dividing above formula
by the result. As previously stated, this is controversial.
comb.:
imbecile + bureaucracy)
imbimbate;
adj., Degraded.
v., To degrade or cheapen; to make light of in a vulgar way.
(It. bimbina:
a young and inexperienced prostitute)
imbule;
v., To artificially
inflate value or importance; to pad a budget, especially by use of ambiguous
arithmetic factors. Also imbular, imbulate.
(L. bulere: to
forcefeed)
immity;
n., A helpless knowing
what is about to happen or be said..
(L. immito: the
next)
implical;
adj., dislodged
only with difficulty or force; intransigent. Also
(archaic)
implictal or
(Brit.) emplical.
(L. plictere:
to floss teeth)
imploy;
v., To assign to
a bottomless project or nire; stellenbosch; to render anorchile by assignment.
(L. implicare:
to involve)
impneum;
v., to inflate or
enlarge artificially.
(L. im: into
+ pneumare: to blow air)
impulcate;
inaptacy;
n., a eudiotic nonsequitur;
a true statement or utterance which is completely unrelated in context,
form or content to the discussion within which it is made. Also inapticular,
inapticularity.
(L. in apta:
not suited)
incalcitrant;
adj., Unable to
stand firm or hold a position; spineless.
(L. In calcalare:
crumbling)
incibe;
v., To stash or
cache items of dubious or esoteric value.
(L. in ciborium:
in the pantry)
inconsciable;
adj., Pseudoscientific
quackery; intentionally presented in scientific format without science,
in order to mislead.
(L. in conscio:
without knowledge)
indative;
adj., Having no other function than to
distract.
(Gr. Indata: shiny)
inducula;
n. An illogical
statement intended to serve as a bridge between to logical statements;
the leap of faith which falls short.
(L. intro ducto;
lead up to)
ineffitible;
adj., Noble or charismatic, so as to unspire
fierce loyalty.
(in+effit+ible: not subject to effitism)
inexorbitant;
infidial;
see invidial
infraspecular;
adj., dubious; warranting
closer inspection. Meant to deceive by ambiguity or obscurity.
(L. Proverb:
Infraspecule hippo ante emptorendat! Look under the horse before you buy
it!)
infurcate;
adj., Pinned down;
trapped. v. To entrap or catch red-handed.
(L. in tinam
furcam: on the tines of a fork)
inine;
innare;
v., To gloat or
to publish the failings or foibles of another.
(L. in nares:
into the nostrils)
inobticular;
Broadly related
but not pertinent to a context. Also obticular.
(L. in: not +
ob: of + ticula: detail)
insensial;
insipe;
v. to mock or tear
down by inconsciable argument. "The snake oil industry may be counted
on to insipe regulatory science, using the argument that their own technology
is superior.
(L. insipio:
getting worse)
inspicious;
adj. probing, scrutinizing,
penetrating with evil intent. "Among special prosecutors, Judge Gatmon
was one of the most inspicious; feared on both sides of the aisle."
(L. in spicia
fraxis: to rip into pieces)
institutional
amnesia;
n., The polar opposite
of institutional memory; how institutions continually repeat the same mistakes
(source: Weinstein's
Theory of Corporate Pathology)
instrictive;
adj., that facet
of an argument which defines or identifies an opinion as extreme.
(combination:
instruct + restrict)
instring;
n., An item mentioned
only in passing which is worthy of expansion or deeper study; diamond in
the rough. v., to include such an item within text while omitting elaboration.
(computer programming
jargon: inner segment of a string variable
intentive;
n., An obvious goal,
mission, or mandate needlessly and redundantly stated as part of a slogan.
(periaddititive
form: intent)
interantelar;
adj., Blunt, tactless,
and deadly accurate.
(L. inter antelarum:
between the horns)
interoperationale;
n., The construct of sham in-house transactions used to justify project
design flaws.
(comb.: inter + operation + rationale)
interrate, reinterrate;
v., To smother a project or idea with words, particularly words from
a fool. "Once old Kelnwick got started rambling about the potentialities
of the Booksure grant proposal, everyone present mentally wrote it off."
(Eng. inter: to bury the dead)
intoduce, intoduction;
v., To introduce
a third party to an unpleasant conversation or situation as a means to
extricate oneself. "Chris intoduced Tony to the Safety Committee
at their weekly meeting and thought to himself, 'Free at last!'"
(L. into ducto
forcare: to drag in by force)
intracopiate;
adj., In the enviable
position of excessive, duplicate and redundant funding; within a predictably
generous series of funding cycles.
(L. intra situ
copia: in the lap of plenty)
intradent;
adj., An annoying
concession, given in haste, which does not impede the intent or outcome
of negotiations, but rankles nonetheless.
(L. intra dentum:
between the teeth)
intrepulant;
adj., Possessing
great sousciance in the face of overwhelming apathy. The mental status
achieved before a last misguided self-trepanation attempt.
(L. intra pula:
between vacancies)
inverbiate;
v., To create a previously nonexistent verb
from a noun.
(L. in verbum dictum simplex: by simply saying
so.)
invidial;
adj., Blinding or
blocking of sight or understanding; so charged with emotion as to render
rational discussion moot. Also Brit: infidial.
(Gr. invidion:
a piece of dirt in the eye)
iridation;
n., An involuntary change in the appearance of the eyes as part of
the Meago prodrome; a temporary loss of lustre to the iris of the eye.
(med. iridation: a glazing of the eyes)
irruttate;
v., To futile attempt
to hasten a process by harassment or constant demand, as in repeated use
of an elevator call button; to distract or create a diversion. Also irruttate.
adj., thusly harassed, but not hastened.
(Tamil: iruttu-tal:
to detain)
jarble;
n., Misused jargon
or text confused by inappropriate jargon content. v., To confuse
a communication with incorrect use or overuse of jargon and /or technical
terms.
(comb. jargon
+ garble)
jenk;
v., to harrass others
out of a pathologic need for control. n., the real abuse of imagined power.
Also: jenk-off, jenking one's chain.
(Russ. jhenck:
a barbed gaff or prod)
jepperty;
adj., Having the
qualities of a Jeppert; doomed without obvious flaw.
(orig. The
exhaustively studied extended Jeppert family of Boxley County, Indiana,
has the highest known per capita incidents of unexplained fatal accidents
of any kind)
jerido;
v., To perform
tasks in an ineffective or inefficient way simply from habit or institutional
tradition.
(orig.
uncert.)
jerrynomics;
n., A system
where the guidelines for policy setting waver based on approval needed
from those in positions higher on the organizational chart. Adherents to
the jerrynomic system often end up assigned to special projects of a vague
and undefined nature. In small departments, these individuals function
to maintain a quiet, yet meloncholy workplace -- akin to labor management
ideologies of the middle and dark ages. A variant form of jerrynomics
is lasbinomics.
jespel;
adj., Newly corrupted.
Freshly, recently without ethics. Youthful excited eagerness in compromising
one's professional virtue.
(corrupt. Fr.
jus c'est puelle)
jevvie;
n., An eager intern
whose enthusiasm effectively masks their strengths and weaknesses alike.
(Rom. Cath. slang:
a Jesuit seminarian )
jewie;
n., A prioritory
guideline used pertaining to a sequence or order where numerous opinions
are discussed at length and no conclusions are drawn, but none of which
matters.
(Fr. j'oui: if
yes )
jezute;
n., A specific guideline
used to enforce a rigid sequence or order.
(Fr. j'zue: because
it is )
jipment;
n., An inexpensive alternate reward given when the least likely and
least deserving person accidentaly saves the day. "Had anyone else thought
of it, they'd have been promoted, but Higgens just got a bigger cubicle!”
(architecture: a spurious ornament, created to disguse an unforeseen
design gaff)
kabra, kabran;
Anything elevated
in status by exotic origin. "The office reeked of toadflax
oil, the kabra of the week, reputed to enhance creativity."
(Farsi. kabra:
magic)
Kakton, The;
n., The fiditive
codice of Miasmism.
(Kakton, the
first Book of the Bonab)
kaykeneeter;
n., The hoped for
result of a stand-off; the agreement to disagree.
(corrupt. Span.
Que quentar: why worry )
kirber;
n., A speaker, overwrought
to the point of incomprehensibility. v., to involuntarily truncate words
or text as a result of overinspiration.
(Turk. kirbeer:
foaming at the mouth)
kiwi session;
n., A meeting where
brainstorming devolves into group nitpicking.
(Biol. After
the feeding behavior of the kiwi)
klarn;
v.,
krepios;
v. to ruin natural
beauty or noble intent by ripping it apart or covering it over; to make
a good thing look bad. As in, "The Office of Human Resources would krepios
the resume of Mother Theresa, if given half the chance!"
(Gr. krepoios:
butcher)
krugmire;
The stagnation
of group action owing to the indecision of a key member of the group.
(Ger. krugmire:
a seasonal swamp or fen)
labac;
n. A clumsy, obvious
plot, or group of plotters, easily detected and crushed by superiors. A
red herring; a covering or distracting plot for a still deeper subterfuge.
(OF. arriere
la bac: behind the back)
lamitor;
n., A protective
measure which ultimately limits or conflicts with utility. "When
the database was streamlined, the new password system proved to be a lamitor,
negating all of the gained efficiencies."
(L. lamito: the
stone lid of a sarcophagus)
larify;
v. To delay or stall
through the use of endless procedural motions, questions or explanations.
(Gr. lare: a
wedge)
Lasbinomics;
n., A system
where the guidelines for policy setting are variably capricious, and the
degree of boldness expressed is inversely correlated with the risk
of scrutiny by those in positions higher on the organizational chart.
Known derisively among jerrynomy purists as "darenomics."
lasp;
n., A barely perceptable
lilt or inflection which occurs mid-word, conveying contempt or disdain
by the speaker for the hearer, the subject, or both.
(Finn. laasp:
to spit upon)
latransient;
n., A person that
transfers within an organization more than most, usually to an equivalent
position, as a survival strategy in a dog-eat-dog environment.
(zool. Canis
latrans: the coyote)
lavism;
n. The practice
of avoiding political risks; the overuse of disclaimers. Also lavist.
(L. lave: to
wash the hands)
ledix;
n., A person who
is against computers just as luddites were against mechanization.
(orig.
uncert. )
legitiment;
leptify;
v., To dilute an
already weak solution; to draw out or extend beyond usefulness. To stall
a process by use of invidial or narlic proctals.
(Logic) To
weaken or sabotage one's own position. Also leptifaction.
(Gr. lepto: thin)
letoupetant;
adj. Windy, numbingly
boring and self absorbed. Pompously verbose.
(Fr. le tout
petant: the most flatulent; lit. all-farting)
levace;
n., Relief or solace
found in shared irony or cynicism.
(Ital. the incongruous
happiness of the insane)
lexicide;
n. The intentional
or unintentional savaging of language or idiom.
(Gr. lexi: speech
+ Eng. cide: to kill)
lingnastics;
n. Double-talk.
The art of saying all things to all listeners while saying nothing of consequence
to anyone; flatulent bureaucratese.
(Gr. lingua +
nastos: to twist the tongue)
lizease;
n., Any nebulous
but persistent ailment which defies medical verification, which spontaneously
resolves when subplanted by another lizease.
(orig.
uncert.)
littybro;
n., A generally
and amiable mid-level bureaucrat, harmless until crossed.
(Corr. Cajun.
le thibreaux: sand shark)
logicical;
adj., Characterized
by mismic orlution.
(addititive form:
logical)
ludicrust;
n., An unwritten requirement for insanity built
into qualifications for management positions in governmental agencies.
(comb. ludicrous + upper crust)
lusent;
adj., Unspeakably
inappropriate.
(L. lusus: a
freak)
lutle, lutly;
Malat,
Auguste (1768-1813);
French philosopher
whose theories were based upon observations of ditch diggers. He observed
that soil once dug from a hole would never satisfactorily refill that hole,
leaving either a mound or a depression.
malatism;
n., The philosophy
that holds that one cannot act before all aspects of an undertaking have
been fully studied; that any whole that cannot be proven to be the sum
of its known parts requires a separate committee.
(after Auguste
Malat, late eighteenth century French philosopher )
malean;
adj., Pertaining
to bad luck associated with a company, organization, or product. “Even
though Evelyn left the company long before the criminal activity began,
her subsequent chances for employment were tainted by the mere mention
of it on her resume.”
(L. malus toxicus:
a poisoned apple)
mangnitude;
maudle;
mauriciate;
meablephistic;
Meago prodrome;
A stage in the hypnotic
process where the subject is aware that consciousness is slipping away,
but cannot resist.
meazy;
adj., Flawed to
the point of questionable respectability in matters of appearance and character.
(OE. maezey:
pockmarked or ruined by disease)
meeching;
adj. Irritatingly
supplicant; never satisfied with just treatment; whining with an obsequious
manner.
(Meech Lake,
the site of an abortive 1990s Canadian provincial premiers meeting..)
melcid;
n., The method of
study and explanation preventing understanding. Also melcidy, melcidious.
(Old Fr. melcoux:
a thickened mead)
mephite;
n., A harmless but
annoying person. Also mephitious.
(Geol. a common
sulfer bearing mineral which stinks when warmed or wetted)
metabund;
n., Any middle management
structure which has attained responsiblity for the performance of the greater
organizatin without commensurate compensation.
(Ger. meta +
bund: middle government)
metadigm;
n. A broadened or
relaxed form of a policy or regulation; a rule modified so as not to offend
any group or person.
(Gr. meta +deigma:
middle path; literally middle-of-the-road)
mett, metting;
miasmismistic;
adj. pertaining
to or derived from Miasmism, the pantheistic animist variant which regards
ground fog as its supreme entity. Also miasmist.
(Gr. miasma;
fog)
miclus;
n., A moderate volume
of documentaion, appropriately thorough and submitted in a timely fashion.
(Gr. miklos:
a sturdy raft)
mimple;
n., An addendum
to a document in the form of a small scrap of paper poorly secured to a
document.
(comb. memo +
pimple)
mismic;
adj., Redundant
to the point of rundancy. n., A series of synonyms intended to foreclose
loopholes. A diagram which although complete, accurate, and relevant, does
not facilitate interpretation or understanding.
(Sp. misma: same;
similar)
misphonesis;
n., deliberate mispronunciation
intended to gall the hearer or as a form of mumfery. Not to be confused
with dysphonesis.
(Gr. mis phono:
erroneous sound)
mitilary;
n., A memo routed
to a person on vacation, such that by the time it is passed on, it is pointless.
Any time-value information which gets lost in internal transit.
(L. mittere:
to send)
mnae;
n., the antithesis
of nmemonic; a word or name which defies all attempts at commitment to
memory.
(L. amnae: forgotten
things)
modren;
adj., having lost
novelty before having attained it.
(Archit. Tecta
Modre: an extreme form of structural streamlining which never caught on,
but rather, gave rise to the Art Deco style.)
molamolate;
adj., Streamlined
or simplified to a point approaching uselessness. v., To oversimplify an
object or process; to inadequately paraphrase.
(zool. Mola mola:
an oceanic sunfish species)
multicivity;
n., the inescapable
outcome of institutional oolvo.
(L. multi + civitas:
many societies)
mumfer;
v. To purposely
mispeak or speak poorly, in order to lower an adversary's guard.
also mumfery.
(OE mumfer: the
muttering of woodsprites )
muraphitic;
adj., Pertaining
to or resembling a meditative form comprised of the walking of a proscribed
route and the use of small metal bells, as practiced by Muraphite monks.
Mindlessly walking a beat or route. Pacing while jingling keys or pocket
change.
(Byz. Muraphi:
a fifth century mystic from what is now Iran)
mysotic;
adj., One pretending
disotism for the sole purpose of malevalent obstruction.
(Gr. mys + oto:
evil eared)
nabrous;
adj. willfully insulting
by exploitation of cultural ignorance. Also nabrousness, nabric.
(Arabic. n'abr:
the left-handed greeting)
nagitant;
adj., The false
contrapositive of natigent.
(orig.
uncert.)
nalocation;
n., Projection or
prediction of shortfall. A veiled threat of downsizing. Usually part of
a gutch presentation.
(combinative
of null + allocation)
nalwit;
n., a person that
chronicly forgets punchlines in the telling of jokes, but persists in taking
the stage at every opportunity.
(corrupted combinative:
null + wit)
narlo;
n., The hidden agent
of stasis. adv., narlous adj., narlic.
(Fr. N'Arles
l'eaux, water from that river used to treat emisis.)
narst;
n., Angst, frustration,
and paranoia generated by obvious disregard for obvious, sensible and efficient
solutions to problems.
Nass, Hollis B.,
(1889-1950)
US Senator
(indep.)
Indiana, 1922-1934. Considered the father of Nassism, i.e., the practice
of punitive dissemination of information, practiced mainly within large
bureaucracies. Also nassic, Nassism, Nassist.
nassism;
n., the practice
of punitive dissemination of information, practiced mainly within large
bureaucracies. Also nassic, Nassism, Nassist.
(see Nass, Hollis
B.)
natalize;
v., To run around ineffectually as a response to hysterication.
(Ital. anat al capit: like a duck with it's head cut off)
natigent;
adj., The false
contrapositive of nagitant.
(orig.
uncert.)
navin;
n., An innocent
in the ways of political survival; usually a guileless intern.
(Hebr. navin:
an orphaned lamb)
neroic;
adj. Willing to sacrifice coworkers for keeping one's position
in the hierarchy; treacherous in the face of adversity.
(der. The Emporer Nero of burning Rome)
neuroic;
adj., Risky; inciteful; heedless of consequence. "Curt was neuroic,
and proceeded in his telling of the disgusting joke, despite the presence
of HR's Appropriate Behavior Specialist."
(Gr. neuro: nerve)
nevotiate;
v., To go through the motions of a bargaining between equals, while
holding all of the power.
(L. Ne votare
tenetas: literally, "You haven't got a prayer!")
nevial;
adj., Obscuring
of percerption detail; verbal flocculence. colloq: deceitful. Also neviant,
nevious.
(L. neivo: to
snow)
nire;
n., An occupational
limbo; a position determined by the intersection of cinchion and anorchistry.
(Archit.: nire:
a small waiting room purposely segregated from the public view)
nimbulate;
n., Clouded or obscure
by design or overdesign. v., To encrypt by use of nevial use of xygent
flarbage.
(L. nimbus: cloud)
njidvaark,
(Lavoris oblagatis);
n., A shy, marsupial
denizen of Namibian swamps and fens, resembling a wrinkled, hairless housecat
with outsized ears and prominent elbows. A public servant who contrives
to avoid contact with the public as a matter of course.
(Afrikaans: njid
vaark: sickly piglet)
noba;
n., Any element in a list with the sole purpose
of adding definition to that list. A word or phrase used to disclaim.
(acronym: Not Only But Also)
nodcue;
n., A subtle, prearranged signal between conspirators
for use in the presence of their intended victims.
(Auctioneering. nodding cue: the least movement
of one's head that will be interpretted as a bid.)
noloic;
adv., Deflecting
or meant to deflect assignments or blame.
(L. me nolo:
not I)
Nordmann's Precept;
New ideas have old
weaknesses.
(Eric Nordmann,
1928-1991, author of Organizational Horticulture)
nubilate;
n., Glowing enthusiasm
inspired solely by the newness of a project, assignment, or program; A
transient rejuvenation or restoration of faith in the system.
(It. nubila:
a young bride for an old man)
nucular;
adj., Of mythic
or mystical proportion in the eyes of the ignorant.
(L. nucul: a
genie)
nuguency;
n., The art of nothingspeak;
verbal jogging in place.
(L. nugueo: to beat a rhythm)
nullidism;
n., A form of passive loyalty to an organization arising from apathy
and lack of alternatives; the voluntary suppression of personality and
creativity as a survival strategy.
(Gr. null idio: nothing of self)
oabi;
n., An intern or
assistant hired or retained for the sole purpose of spuctancy scapegoating
or other abusive purposes.
(Swhili. oabi:
a captive)
obfuscape;
v., To defend oneself
by confusing one's adversary.
(Eng. comb: obfuscate+escape
)
obious;
adj., Arousing unfounded
suspicion; seemingly to good to be true.
(L. obi iter
rerum hoc: who brings this thing )
obsequophant;
n., Someone who
ass-crawls his way to a higher position in a company.
(comb: Obsequious
+ sycophantic)
obsevation;
n., Speech that will not be stopped or quieted. Loudness of speech
for the sakeof overcoming real or perceived background noise. Inappropriately
loud speech, often associated with public cell phone usage.
(L. orato obtsusa persevera: to speak over)
obticular;
adj., of narrow
but relevant pertinence.
(L. ob: of +
ticula: detail)
obtun;
n., An obstacle which must be accommodated
in place, often passed off as an intentional element.
(Afghani. obtun: a boulder which a
road or path detours around.)
occuracy;
n., Accidental accuracy, as described
in the adage, “Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.”
(comb: occur + accuracy)
odtaa;
n., The litany of
complaint describing a run of bad luck.
(Lakota. Odta-a:
a mourning chant)
odward;
adv., In the direction
of absurdity.
(OE odward: weird)
officient;
oliviolity;
n., A mental condition that is characterized
by hodgepodge of random actions which lack seriousness and purpose, unaccompanied
by awareness of those actions. This condition is either endearing
or annoying to those not affected. Those affected do not give a rip.
Also: oliviolite, oliviolism.
(OF. O'livre: childlike)
omnifligate;
v., To waste or
misuse rapidly and without purpose. adj., The character of a program nearing
the end of its funding cycle; rampantly imbulent.
(L. omni: all
+ fligate: consuming dispersal.)
omnix;
n., A dilemna based
on all answers being wrong or all options unworkable; none of the above.
(L. omni: all
+ Ger.[Yid.] nichts, nix: nothing)
oolvo;
n., Mental porosity;
the extreme philosophical outcome of universal acceptance. “The
party faithful failed to recognize their standard bearer's slide into a
state of oolvo, dooming the election.”
(Norw. oolvo:
senile dementia)
orlute;
adj., Extended and
tedius oration., Circular argument used for filibuster, often triggered
by opposition larification.
(Finn. Orlaa:
a crude circular track or racecourse)
orphange;
n., a collection of potentially useful
items which have a very low probability of ever being used; a misplaced
horde or cache.
(Fr. orfange: armory)
orsh;
orthodigm;
n., Any test applied to a purported paradigm
shift, which reveals the shift to be of only a cosmetic or reactionary
nature.
(Gr. ortho + deigma: to show
the true pattern) see also metadigm
ospullorum;
n., An element inserted
into a project or plan in order to sabotage the project and discredit those
involved.
(L. os pullorum:
a chicken bone)
outernal;
otarism;
n., A remark or
statement purposely made just below hearing, such that the intended audience
will be tempted to ask that it be repeated. The use of overdramatic pauses
or inflections in order to inflate the credibility of a spoken message.
Also otaric, otarist, otarismic
(Gr. oto: ear)
pacoot;
A pointless but required series of hurdles to be overcome in order
to perform an ordinary assignment. "Jim faced this new pacoot with
a sigh, and began filling out the travel approval request. It didn't
matter that his job with Human Resources required Jim to travel on a weekly
basis, the pacoot would be served."
(Hinduism: Pacoot,
the god of obstacles)
padon;
n., A bogus expense
added to a business travel budget as insurance against expension.
(Eng. contraction:
to pad on)
palce;
A structure, physical or organizational,
which has fallen into ruin or disorder, but still shows evidence of former
grand state.
(from Palce Abbey, a ruin near
Spentcroft Heath in England, where in the eleventh century the monks massacred
the local population and ate the dead before expiring themselves
-- presumably suffering from a scapie variant contracted from
local sheep.)
panaroid;
adj., Frenetic from
fear of public failure or judgement.
(Gr. pan arios:
everywhere at once)
pandrigo;
n., A hasty solution
to a problem which brings unforeseen disastrous consequences; a failed
quastic. Also pandrigous.
(Latvian. pandrigo:
ambush)
Pangst;
n., The feelings
engendered by the payment of taxes or fees to an unworthy government
body.
(comb. pay + angst)
parabund;
adj., Describing
legislative paralysis in a bicameral elected body which derives from internal
whirling. Parallel to the condition of agorophobic inertia in individuals.
(Gr. parabund:
self bound)
paracilic;
n., A haughty and
abusive assistant deriving immunity from direct reprisal through connection
to a powerful person.
(Gr. para: in
place of + L. super cilius: [literally] highbrow)
parasil;
n., A filigree of
interconnected bureaucracies where although boundaries exist, there is
no succinct definition.
(Gr. para silla:
with tangles)
parasillic;
adj., Pertaining
to, or resembling a bedreaded xygency of interconnected and interdependent
organizational structures. Also parasil, parasillicism.
(Gr. para silla:
with tangles)
paravate;
v., To purposefully
assign only incompetents to a team, in order that they might collectively
fail more spectacularly than any individual might, and therefore doom the
team leader's career.
(L. para vatam:
with a shackle)
paribant;
adj., Too obvious.
(Gr. para bant:
like a duck)
partular;
adj., Incomplete
or inaccurate through poor translation or summary.
(L. partulae
particulae: a fragment of a fragment)
patetic;
adj. well thought
out although seemingly chaotic. "Horner's ramblings often led to
brilliancies, but their patetic nature invariably vexed his audience.
(Gr. patesis:
wandering)
patomorph;
adj., An obvious
problem which no one will face or acknowledge. An object of mass denial.
(Sp. pato + morfo:
in the shape of a duck, e.g. "if it walks like a duck ...")
pean;
v., to repeat a
request constantly in an effort to where down the resistance of the potential
grantor.
(alt. peen: a
rounded hammer for shaping metals)
percule, perculation;
n., The gem or kernel of wisdom in a statement which is not recognised
in time to be of value.
(orig. uncert.)
peccarious;
adj., A broadly
trumpeted conclusion later proven false. Describing or pertaining to, or
being an important discovery which turns out to be a pig, either figuratively
or literally, as in the case of "Nebraska Man," a purported human ancestor
elaborated from what turned out to be a single tooth from a wild pig.
(Eng. peccary:
a wild or feral pig)
pectative;
adj., In a state
of overpreparedness for an event which will not occur; all pumped up with
nothing to lift.
(L. pectoris:
chest)
Pelonia;
n., One country
under discussion, whose name is arbitrary or not important. Also Pelonian.
see frabney, Elmonia.
(Heb. ploni elmoni:
such and such)
percede;
v., To capitulate
to mediocrity; to continue after burnout to collect a paycheck for going
through the motions.
(L. per cessere:
after defeat)
percuption;
n., An affliction
sometimes mistaken for caffeinism, wherein the sufferer is morbidly cheerful.
Some children's televion show hosts exhibit advanced stages of chronic
percuption.
(L. percuptatis
saccharinis: sweetened vomit)
perdormance;
n., A presentation
given with all the animation and personality of a frozen barnacle.
(L. per dormare:
to sleepwalk)
periaddititive;
Alteration of a
word ending in order to increase its gravity.
(L. peri additio:
to add around)
perifeasance:
Chronic underperformance
of official duties at a level immediately above actionable. Laziness
masquerading as incompetence.
(L. peri + feaso:
to slide past)
perfenestric;
adj. Reduced to
farce through laziness; fraudulent; fabricated. "McKeemaugh's reports were
perfenestric -- pure fabrications."
(L. per fenestra:
through a window)
perfession;
perposit, perposition;
v., To forward an
idea or scheme by unwitting proxy. To implant an idea in another's
mind, while convincing that person that the idea is their own and worthy
of active pursuit.
(L. per positare:
passing through)
persent;
v., To give, under
duress, a presentation of someone else's ideas, with which one internally
disagrees. Also Persentation.
(L. per sento:
to push through, as an awl through leather)
perspection;
n., Presentation
of "big picture" concepts without sufficient attention to feasibility of
details.
(L. per specto:
to see around)
persume;
pezentation;
n., A well rehearsed
argument or pitch used to persuade superiors of the worthiness of a project;
smooth mendacity in support of any cause.
(Alb. pzenta:
a dense, bland barley cake eaten in late winter when stored food begins
to run out)
philosophize;
v., To codify
an incomplete or irrational set of beliefs into an organized political
or social movement.
(corruption:
philosophy)
phisolophy;
phlystre;
n., Enhancement
of dry written material with florid or grandiose language which is not
meant to obscure or alter content; verbal ornamentation.
(Gr. Phlystra,
goddess of color)
picthylogical;
adj., Prohensile
reasoning; a fishy argument.
(hellatine combinative
L. pisces: fish + Gr. ichthys: fish)
picne;
n., The condition
of multiple mimples on a single document.
(Creole slang.
li' picne: bastard children of many mothers generally ascribed to the same
father)
pirority;
pisanya;
n., A universal
word of dismissal.
(short. Lith.
Pisanyatkis: Get lost!)
pisceant;
adj., Suspect or
questionable in motive or intent.
(L. pisceantus:
fishy; slimy)
piscog;
n., a sporadically
functional cog or mechanical linkage which is left unreplaced owing to
the difficulty of the process necessary to access it. v., to vindictively
stymie a process. adj. obtuse but necessary.
(OE watchmaking
term)
pitio;
n., A person beneath
scorn or contempt; a consummate loser.
(L. non pitio
tui: not to spit upon)
plenumary;
adj., Alternate offerings at a conference of no value other than to
entertain those that were late and found no seat at the coveted presentation..
(L. plenum: extra)
plinchin;
n., An bureaucrat
that invariably requires additional but irrelevant information or detail
on every plan or proposal submitted.
(cockney slang.
plinch: flea)
plitical;
adj. Expedient but
temporarily without stated justification. "The firing of the entire
sales department was plitical. Discussions about what to tell the
stockholders continued for the next two days."
(surgical medicine.
plitics: articulated tweezers used to tied sutures behind obstacles.)
pochean;
adj., Accidentally
revealing of deeper feelings. "A sudden silence in the boardroom highlighted
the pochean nature of Bascombe's statement regaring The Chief's pet project."
(Ire. pocheen:
extremely potent home-made whiskey.)
podical;
adj., Having the
necessary political leverage to sustain balance under pressure.
(L. podicula:
having a big first toe.)
poeae;
n., An individual
suffering the delusion that their worth has been unjustly unnoticed, ignored
or unrewarded. A whining incompetent.
(Gr.poea: one
camped outside the gate)
poliferation;
Excessive diversification
of ideas, assets, or duties.
(L. pollos: chickens
+ Gr. fero: to carry)
polodamy;
n., The expedient
yet unlikely union of disparate political or cultural beliefs, as in the
formation of a minority government by a coalition; the activities of strange
bedfellows. Also polodamous.
(Gr. polodon:
uncertain + damos: motherhood)
polycusal;
adj., In a state
of paranoid desperation.
(G. poly: many
+ cusos: to blame)
polyotic;
adj., Oversensitive.
(G. poly: many
+ otos: ears)
ponderful;
adj. Stunningly
conplex.
(comb. var. wonder/ponder)
Pomwoma;
n., A person widely
known for being true to their word; a person or group whose public statements
are supported by their actions.
(Namerashwa:
a legendary female chieftain, granted immortality for her absolute honesty)
poptic;
adj. Any statement,
action or object causing a sudden, negative visceral reaction; gut wrenching.
Also stereopoptic.
(opthal.
acronym: pre-ocular prolapse)
postulanimous;
adj., In negative
judgement of one's peers, after the fact, after establishing distance from
whatever failure is under discussion. "Frank's comments were postulanimous
but tactful. There was none of the usual tone of superiority."
(L. post ulanandum:
after survival)
potilic;
adj. Salvagable,
with careful work..
(Sp. aguas potillas:
drinking water)
postulational;
practile;
adj., Proven by
use, and improved by stress. "New employees never recognize how practile
the Wyman Wheel is. They always come up with something they are sure
is better, only to abandon it when things get hairy."
(L. practare:
simplify)
preactive, preactivity
modeling;
prefuse;
v., Colial addition
of prefix upon prefix in an attempt to make one word fit anothers definition.
(comb. prefix
+ profuse)
prehand;
v. To gain advantage
by use of illicit prior knowledge.
(poker. prehand:
any device employed to see the faces of cards as they are dealt)
prestant;
adj., Foregone or
predetermined, irrespective of process.
(L. pre stantum:
known ahead )
prevaricosis;
n., Organizational gridlock brought on
by excessive, far-flung prevarication.
(Psych. compulsive lying)
preversion;
n., An outcome suggested
in the wording of an assignment, making clear that autonomy and interpretation
are not options.
(L. pre+versa:
before the writing)
prevolute;
n., An idea before
it has been tested by specious reasoning. Adj., The status of a committee
or project before any actual work has been attempted.
(L. pre: as before
+ volute: spiralling ellipsis.)
prioritorize;
v., To consign documents
or ideas to a prioritory.
(L. prior retorio:
waiting room )
prioritory;
n., A place of endless
review, such as a committee which cannot or will not reach concensus; politcal
limbo.
(L. prior retorio:
waiting room )
prite;
proctal;
n.,(logic)
A spurious argument pursued, ad absurdam. Adj., Proceeding toward pointlessness
or absurdity. Also proctile.
(Gr. proctos:
anal)
proficianato;
profinity;
prohensile;
adj., With a foregone
conclusion or hidden agenda built in.
(L. pro hensa:
to reach around)
prokaktic;
adj., bringing or
promising to bring failure. n., A bad influence or contaminant. A fatal
flaw. Also prokakism, prokakist.
(L. pro: toward
+ Gr. kakostos: a worsening)
proll;
n., A openly speculative
statement, meant to subtly taint or influence outcome, akin to witness
tampering. Also Prolly.
(L. pro lollere:
to bend toward)
proose;
v., to carefully critique a proposal that
will negatively effect one's own work, with the clear knowledge that one's
comments will not even be read; to be on the record.
(Yemeni. pr'aoosah maamnah: to polish
bullets for one's own firing squad)
proot;
n., a ficticious
element in a resume or oral history which goes unchallenged and is innocently
perpetuated by others.
(hort: the viable
portion of a weed root remaining in the ground when the plant is pulled
up.)
propspective;
n., A presentation
crafted to allow a single predeterrmined conclusion. "Al Gore's movie
was a well crafted propspective."
(Cinema/stage:
intentional placement of backdrops and props )
protomnemic;
adj., Evading recall
or memory. Rendered mentally irretrievable by the attempt to remember.
Also protomneme.
(Gr. proto: before
or ahead of +mnemon: memory)
psintue;
v., to knowingly
pursue a lost cause out of spite or frustration, without regard to eventual
cost or harm.
(orig.
uncert.)
psodic;
n., The unthinking
multiple repition of an action or statement out of fear or ignorance. adj.,
Having or giving the appearance of a psodic. Also psodica, psodism
(Gr. psodos:
stammering)
Psodos, The;
n., The ritualized
penitentiary chant used to retrain unsatisfactory members of a dramatic
chorus; failure to complete The Psodos led to involuntary lifetime exclusion
from the artistic community. Any penance designed to either redeem completely
or condemn absolutely. Also Psodomize
(Gr. psodokoi:
the stammerers)
psychotomy;
n., Any situation
which puts one in the state of “being of two minds”
about it.
(Gr. Psycho +
tomy: to divide the mind)
pullic;
n., By association,
the lowest possible level to which a document can be dumbed down.
(Engl. mis-enunciation:
public)
punct;
n., Someone who
always comes too early AND wears inappropriate jewelry
(Gr. puncto:
pointy )
pundant;
n., A self-proclaimed
expert discredited due to blatant incompetency. adj. language, written
or spoken, where veracity, content and accuracy are sacrificed in the showcasing
of the author's wit. "Eileen's pundant rants unexpectedly increased
sales -- meetings became less well attended, with staff prefering field
work to the meeting environment."
(orig.
uncert.)
punnistry;
n., The cultivated
practice of habitual punning which pervades all conversation of the practioner,
irrespective of topic or setting. "The deacon's well-known penchant
for punnistry kept the congregants in thrall throughout the funeral service
-- even the deceased seemed braced for the next groaner."
(L. lex punitas:
the whipped word)
purplier;
purvay;
n., A damning report
submitted by the person whose job it might cost.
(OE. purvay:
the cart carrying the condemned to the gallows )
quasm;
n., A cough or subtle
gesture meant as a signal of dismissal.
(Sipanyi, q'asma:
the single-syllable prayer for a soldier departing for battle.)
quastic;
adj., seeming to
fit the situation at hand; workable but untested. n., A stopgap measure,
once taken.
(Orig.
uncert.)
queery;
v., To harshly judge
a list based on prejudice; to find meaning and hidden significance where
there is none.
(comb. queer
+ query )
quithant;
adj., Approaching
or working toward a state of apathetic inertia; weary. Also exquithant.
(Turk. qitta:
cold ashes)
raiant;
adj., Whining; meaching;
full of inconsequential complaints; peevish. Also: raiancy.
(Sp. rajantar:
to snivel)
rasore;
rebort;
v., To continue
fruitless attempts at damage control.
(Eng. comb.:
re-abort)
rebute;
v., To fall back
to a dogmatic but irrelevant position in the face of logic during an argument.
"Once Bob reached for his pocket Bible, everyone knew he'd rebute, and
the debate was over."
recomember;
v., To change one's
story to fit the desired result or fit in with the majority.
recomemory;
n., Altered or invented
memories which have been repeated frequently enough to displace reality.
rediction;
n., verbal backpedaling.
Steve's presentations always raised questions from the Chief. The
subsequent rediction could be counted upon to push aside all other agenda
items." (also redict)
regusting;
adj., Universally
revolting, without possibility of habituation.
(re+disgust)
relevate;
repelsive;
repticle;
The workspace cubicle
occupied by the strange co-worker most likely to make the evening news
in a violent or gruesome way.
(Gr. reptos:
creepy)
reptilinear;
adj. Words or actions
denoting a rapid and methodical retreat.
(zool. the predicted
path of a snake under a given set of terrain features)
repulent;
n. One who is the
last forced to leave a squatters encampment. Within a bureaucracy, the
position of maintaining a presence in a moribund program.
(Fr. pule'en
nais: the last vagabond chased with torches from a camp.)
rerefy;
v., to create a
permanent structure or process by the continuous ammendment; to correspond
in an email conversation without changing the subject line when the subject
itself has shifted.
(L. res rerum
re!: "the thing of the thing is the thing!")
rerereorg;
n., The rerefied
process of organizational restructuring.
(contraction,
addititive form: reorganization)
resprat;
v., to perform one
edit too many; to sacrifice critical content for word count. Also
respratory
(L. sprato, spratere:
to starve oneself)
restraction;
n., A recalculation,
which employs newly minted variables to achieve the predetermined result;
mathematical extrapulation.
(L. res ex tracto:
things pulled out )
restigious;
adj., Someone who could be successful
if they could only be set in motion, in a direction, any direction.
(Latvian. restigi: waiting)
retulate;
v., to define a
truth by retulation; the valid use of ontology. adj., proven by recursive
definition. n., a singularly terradent terradence.
(L. retulo: a
form of acrobatic onanist ritual performed by the ancient Sybarites)
revalent;
adj., Having accidental
or unintended profundity.
(L. res valoris:
a brave thing)
revute;
n., Legislation
which intentionally or accidentally defeats the intent of an ordinance
or statute while leaving said statute on the books.
(contraction/mid-reduction:
REVised statUTE)
rhencile;
adj., Familiar yet
unfamiliar, in a mildly unpleasant way; a sort of deja vu noir.
(Old Ger. gherheunchenschlaagenschelz:
bunion)
rodate;
adj. Comfortable
in an unproductive state.
(botany: having
sterile flowers)
ructive;
adj., Unsettled
or unstable.
(L. ructo: to
belch)
rudger;
n., A person seeming
too fit or physically active for their years.
(Icelandic, rudj:
made of leather )
rundant;
n., a self arresting
or self defeating action. adv., with decreasing efficacy. Also rundancy.
(OE. roundel:
to be wound around a capstan)
rupulant;
adj. The emotions
of awe to nausea felt from observing overripe tree fruit falling.
(Dutch. ru'paul:
the largest slow ripened fruit offered prisoners condemned to die.)
ruttate;
v., To attempt to
stall a process by harassment or constant demand; to distract or create
a diversion. Also irruttate. adj., thusly stalled.
(Tamil. iruttu-tal:
to detain)
ruzzy;
adj., Having some
indefinite flaw detected only by gut feeling
(OE. ruzzy: a
form of metal decay also known as tin pest)
sahaf;
n., one that is
delusional with unwarranted optimism, or in complete denial of reality.
(Iraqi. sahaf:
ostrich)
sallpant;
adj., Unabashedly
ambitious while without real prospects for success; free from talent or
self-knowledge.
(Gr. salpa: several
species of transparent tunicate fish common in temperate waters, easily
caught and of marginal value)
salment;
n., An idea subliminally
planted in a person's mind by another. v., to plant a suggestion
in someone else's mind without their awareness. Also salmentation.
(L. sal mentis:
salt of mind)
scinscion;
n., An imbedded
or implical public official; a tenured incompetent; a bouscent sinecure.
(orig.
uncert.)
scrotoid;
adj., Offering incomplete
or insufficient protection proportional to the value of goods protected;
poorly designed.
(L. scrotum:
bag of jewels)
scuibic;
adj., A word or
phrase bearing an obscure or propietary second meaning or reference. Forming
an inside joke by nature of jargon or usage.
(L. scuibit:
a giggle)
scurt;
n., A cautious and
non-commital reply, usually monosyllabic, which signals that the listener
may have reservations about the topic at hand.
(Scot. scurt:
to tip one's hand at cards)
secondive;
n., A damning
confirmation, often made immediately after a bizarre claim, of the speaker's
unabashed disconnection from reality.
(L. secondus:
the next)
sembule;
n., a spontaneous
small gathering of people, for no apparent reason, usually in a constricted,
high traffic area.
(Gr. semblos:
a ravening mob)
semperate;
v., To make legislation immortal by inclusion of a renewable porkbarrell
or untouchable sacred cow."
(L. semper: always, forever)
septiganda;
n., Helpful, accurate,
and timely information, usually pertaining but not limited to septic system
design and maintenance, disseminated before it has been approved by higher
management; any information which is permenantly restricted as a result
of such dissemination.
(comb. septic
+ propaganda)
seriosity;
n., A measure of
specolation; the growing number and volume of imagined consequences driving
a decision or demand for hasty action.
(L. et serio
extra: and another thing)
sessment;
n., the final document
which closes a project or extinguishes a proposed project.
(L. sesso, sessare:
to settle [to the bottom]; to come to rest, as a sunken ship)
shredvictim;
n., An object or
document damaged (or corrupted), but recognizable, which might be redeemable
by very careful action.
shump;
v., to erase or
overstrike, such that noticeable damage to the paper on which a document
is printed or written occurs. Also shumpart.
(Orig.
uncert.)
shumpart;
n., an overcorrection
of an insignificant or nonexistent error; an erasure or overstrike which
noticeably damages the paper on which a document is printed or written.
Also shump.
(Orig.
uncert.)
sigature;
n., verbal approval
accompanied by a false promise of written approval to follow.
(Jap. shii gata:
a rope of insufficient length)
simplitive;
n., An utterance
which only the speaker thinks is profound. "The bishop's address
was a tiresome collection of wilkered simplitives."
(L. simplitii:
the ten axiomatic foundations of discourse)
sinjency;
n., A sincere remark
which utterly fails to address the point at hand.
(corr. Engl "sinjen"
the British pronunciation of the surname St. John, thence from Sir Hector
Albert "Pompy" St. John, Fourth Earl of Slappingham, a Torey Member of
the House of Lords, 1888-1912)
sitch;
n., A position or
circumstance understood to be instantly and serially obsolete, from moment
to moment. "The cases were coming in so fast that even the sitch
reporting was suspended.
(slang contraction:
situation)
situal;
adj., Altered or
interpreted so as to skirt conscience or technical infraction.
(contraction:
situational, as in situational ethics)
slean;
v., To incite fools to foolishness, in order to deflect scrutiny away
from oneself."
(medicine, covalent twin: conjoined twins sharing an arm or hand)
slickerish;
adj., too good to
be true; with an air of disingenuity; of dubious or unproven character.
(slang: slicker;
city slicker)
slivel;
n., The portion
of a text that, by subtle implication, lays blame at the feet of someone
other than the author or publishing agency. "The reference to the
draft Federal guidelines was purest slivel. It would be years, if ever,
before adoption in any form."
smackerel;
smackle;
n., A hastily convened
lunch or dinner meeting, with no other agenda than good company and good
conversation.
(Finn. smas akkell:
midwinter gathering)
snaphter;
n., Spontaneous
and unguarded group expression of amusement in less than appropriate circumstances.
(reduct. comb.
snicker + snap + laughter )
snave;
n., A fixer or insider;
one able to get things done, provided no questions are asked about the
means.
(OE. snaffle:
to obtain by devious or irregular means)
snick;
n., A person that
is clownishly obvious in their attempts to hide their errors and misdeeds
(corr. Eng. sneak)
Snow's Module;
n., Modular code embedded in software
which allows knowledgeable operators to discreetly trigger an error message.
The error message is invariably vague, and implies fault in, or the inappropriate
nature of, a customer request. Until inactivated, the module will
return the same message until the customer, superior, rival or other unworthy
client is dissuaded from making the request. (See also Cyclomethod)
sorgle;
n., simultaneous
submissions which are identical or nearly so. v., to submit multiple
variants on a theme. v., to say the same thing at the same time as
someone else.
(Etr. susor gor
chora: the accidental chorus of nature)
sorid;
adj., Bearing implied
apology. Beneath pity or contempt.
(Sp. sorado:
a hanged person)
spactical;
adj., Falsely represented
as pre-planned,usually pertaining to damage control or obstruction of justice.
(comb. tactical
+ spackle)
spage;
spalter;
v., To abuse a speaking
opportunity by ranting on a subject barely (if at all) related to the topic.
(OE spalt: a
stonemason's mis-strike, where the hammer, chisel, or a chip of stone becomes
a dangerous projectile)
spatial advisor;
n., An executive reassigned to a position
in which impractical decisions carry no weight; the business equivalent
of a sinecure.
(L. spatularia: elbow room)
specolate, specolation;
v., To pronounce
with the authority of fact opinions or predictions with no shred of basis
in probability or possibility.
(Ital. specola:
randomly placed lightning rods in some larger farm fields)
specular;
adj., having changeable
meanings; highly subjective; n., Any quotation, phrase, word or symbol
whose meaning changes significantly between the first and second references,
usually due to changes in related circumstances. Also infraspecular.
(L. specto eseculo:
a second glance)
spee;
spelch;
n., a contextually
incorrect though valid word left in a document by a spell-checking program;
also the word or words suggested as replacements by a spell-checking program
for a surname or proper noun, as in "Gallstone" for "Gilsen"; v., to proofread
or read in a hasty or inattentive way, as in "He spelched through the report
after lunch, but was unable to answer a single question about it at the
subsequent staff meeting."
(reduction from
comtemporary jargon: spell-check)
sphagule;
n., An epithet intended
as an insult, which fails for lack of imagination, content or relevance;
a pointless statement, often psodic in nature. Also sphagulent.
(Gr. sphagos:
an inedible dried moss found where stagnant water has retreated)
sphygmire;
n., a stifling situation;
a morass.
(comb. Gr. sphygmo:
the pulse + quagmire)
spinage;
n., Political analysis:
croquane explanations crafted to color statements or events.
Culinary: debris left in a salad spinner.
spolid;
adj., Corrupt to
the core.
(Ital. spolido:
a cheese gone horribly wrong in the aging process )
spoll, also spole;
v. To damp down
enthusiasm by use of grim reality.
(Ozark colloq.:
spoil)
sprike;
n., A obsessive
self doubt.
(OE. spryke:
a tiny nocturnal demon, often pictured or described astride a bedbug.)
spuce;
v., To delegate
or hand off an unpleasant task to an equal or subordinate, on the pretense
that the recipient is best fit for the responsibility. Also spucal, spucery,
spuctant.
(L. sputum: sputum)
spuche;
v., To flirt with
danger. n., A person who takes extreme risks for the thrill of it. "That
spuche Robert is going to get his ass fired if management ever finds out
he's been peeing in the potted ficuses."
(Gr. via Fr.
sporxo: to kiss asps)
spuctant;
n., Any task, project,
or responsibility which carries an overwhelming probability of failure.
adj., doomed; ill-fated; gerbate. Also spuce, spuctancy.
(L. sputum: sputum)
spush;
v., To extend discussion
of an agenda item in order to stall or avoid the next item.
(spush: a wad
of cloth or other padding used to push errant lobsters back into crates
by fishermen.)
squetile;
adj., meeching to
a point approaching raiancy.
(L. squetus:
yelp)
s'quidroi;
n., A workable solution
of dubious or unsanctioned source. Unauthorized fungibles. Also squidroy.
(Creole. esci
d'roi: from the use of multiple currencies in disputed colonial territories)
statutate;
nv, To employ a too-careful reading of
fine points and phraseology to try to carry the point of a debate, especially
when knowing full well that the preponderance of evidence supports a different
conclusion. This technique is used most frequently by those citing state
statutes or religious scriptures.
(Addiditive verb form. statute)
stepanya;
n., A treacherously
ambitious co-worker or ruthless tyro. One whose self esteem is fed only
by the demeaning of others.
(Estonian. stepaniya:
a local agressive strangleweed of the genus Convolvulus)
stereopoptic;
adj. Having the
appearance of a mixed blessing more negative than positive. Pertaining
to genre of humor characterized by the phrase, "I have good news and bad
news . . ." Also poptic.
(opthal: a simultaneous pre-ocular prolapse in both eyes)
stewant;
adj. Having the
ability to perform technical work under conditions of empirical separation
or distance and without the use conventional methods; such as the practice
of "windshield inspection" among some regulatory personnel, or the use
of calibrated pencils for laboratory data recording.
(Scot. stewan:
fortune teller)
stival;
adj., Politically
obnoxious; seeking to create controversy or dischord. n., a hatchet-man;
a doer of dirty work. Also stivalry.
(Slav. stivas:
thug)
stoolant;
adj., Capable of
production from a seated position; sedentary. Adapted to wheeled stools,
wheeled chairs, or wheelchairs, allowing movement within a space. In explicendum:
The stoolant nature of laboratory work often gives rise to the practice
known as "butt-wheeling."
(Engl. stool:
a portable seat)
stoon;
n., An intern whose
need for supervision far exceeds his or her usefulness. (pl. stoontz)
(Icel. stoonec:
hobble)
stottism;
n., The extreme
work ethic wherein one seeks out the riskiest or most unpleasant tasks
or assignments in order to curry favor or ensure retention. A flaunting
of appetite for challenge. Also stottic.
(Afrikaans: stott:
Leaping behavior exhibited by some antelope species while pursued or stalked
by predators; seemingly a taunt.)
straft;
n., Any first draft
better left unsubmitted, usually thrown together under deadline pressure
and/or destined for a hostile audience.
(contraction:
firST dRAFT)
strigulant;
adj., The shape
or form achieved by forceful tightening. n., An agent which severely constricts
and separates any body with elastic boundaries, such as a rope hung sack
of shit. Also strigulate.
(L. strigula:
corset) As used ca. 1488: Millwraithe's Heptad Elegy :
"Canto IV
The Faerie Earle
sit spuctant pline
Aye mistress haeck
a'sward too mete,
The Fayte revealed
nether limbs declyne,
'Neathe fleric strong
as verdante bough,
The proudest limbe
which he had stood,
Now heaveth strigulant
beneath his belly.
Canto V.
Lies Faerie Earle
in Summer's forge,
His past repast
would not forget.
Agonate rising of
the Gorge.
Unholy spryke without
relent
of Sleep in doubly
numbered nights,
Of aun and two and
two again rundant."
stuency;
n., The traits exhibited
by college students as they formalize their career goals as bureaucrats,
often triggered by stints as interns.
(It. stuenza:
the dole)
stuporfluous;
adj. An idiocy uttered
when the speaker wakes from a nap in a meeting.
(medicine.
stupor fluosis: an involuntary bowel movement resulting from a physical
or chemical insult to the brain)
subanthic;
adj., That which
settles a question or gives definitive evidence.
(L. subant hic:
the [pants] drop here. from the centurion's formal command to a soldier
suspected of theft to remove his clothing.)
subcede;
v., To lose by winning;
apparent gain negated by hidden cost. Avery subceded in her
promotion to vice-president -- the higher salary worked out to a much lower
hourly rate. Also subcess, subcession.
(L. sub cesso
ex tabula: off-the-books cost)
submiclus;
n., A raft of documentation,
put together with haste and poor attention to detail, usually offered at
or just after a deadline; a panic driven paper blizzard.
(comb.: submission
cluster)
substane;
v., To reveal the
ordinary; to strip away pretention. To tarnish an overvalued reputation.
(L. sub stannum:
under the tin)
substraction;
n., The purposeful
omission of data which fails to support or skews values away from a desired
result; see also Restraction.
(L. sub res tracto:
to put something under )
suffose;
v., Colial appending
of suffix upon suffix in order to change or evolve the part of speech of
a word, as in the orient(v.) to orientation(n.) and back to orientate(v.)
(Engl. multiply
suffixed)
superfious;
adj., Unique to
the point of negation or loss of credibility. Pertaining to an outlying
traitor talent. "Mr. Jeremy's engineering genius was superfious,
lost and mired in the impassable swamp of his personality defects."
(L. super fio
differendem: which does not fit)
supermiclus;
n., Any sizeable
report or project, brought in under budget, ahead of schedule and exceeding
performance expectations.
(contraction:
super miraculous)
supracociate;
adj., cleverness
taken too far, as in a Rube Golberg design. v., To complicate with cuteness.
(L. supra: too
+ cogere: clever)
surdice;
n., a single well-meant
amendment, rider, or other addendum which defeats the utility of the parent
document or article; usually appended by a person or subcommittee impervious
to veto. Not to be confused with a joker, which is purposely placed.
(L. sur, sub
+ dicere: below speaking)
surient;
adj., Having elevated
newsworthiness solely due to salacious, inflamatory or prurient content.
(L. ex cloacam
suriendam: rising from the sewer)
susquasyllabism;
n., The habitual
and incessant application of applicable and appropriate multisyllabic verbage
to the extant circumstance, inevitably culminating in misunderstanding
by the intended recipient of the communication..
(L. In nomen
plus sus qua syllabi: In the name of more explanation)
swonk;
takando;
n., A rundant koan;
instructions which lead away from understanding.
(Jap. takan-do:
with ankles bound)
tamian;
adj., With well-hidden
consequences; offered as tempting but poisoned bait.
(zool.: Tamia
tobiter, the Lesser Snapping Turtle)
tasami;
n., The art of twisting
the meaning of words and phrases, particularly in quotation.
(Jap. tasatsu
suru ami: murder of words )
tatular;
A patently inappropriate
person holding an honorary or advisory position of no power; an embarassing
figurehead. "Once Eileen became the tatular chair of the project,
all hope of funding was lost."
(word coined
by Sen Hollis Nasswhile vrenching in 1947: "Coolidge was the tatular head
of government; that is to say a potato could have done as well a job!"
tawkento;
n., A dumbed-down
method of addressing subordinate employees. Also tawkentoya.
(Jap. tawa kento:
peasant vernacular, literal: crude language )
temorary;
terce;
v., To compile computer
text in a proprietary way, so as to reduce comprehensibility through interpretation
by varying software types.
(Computer jargon:
Text Editor Rundant Charset. )
terradent;
adj., A statement
or action so intrinsicly true and relevant as to be obvious. Also terredence,
interredent.
(L. Terra: the
earth + dentum: teeth)
thalawag;
n., A lazy and opportunistic
scoundrel.
(comb. thalweg
[path of least resistance] + scalawag)
therapize;
v., To invoke the
status of patient upon an employee or coworker. The use of bureaucratic
ju-ju to stigmatize all interpretations of behavior or speech.
(Eng. [addititive
corruption]: therapy)
thinkular;
A concept posessing
plausibility equal to its implausibility.
(comb. think
+ peculiar)
tibus;
n., An artificial
impasse, implicitely agreed to by both sides of a public disagreement in
order to buy time or impress constituencies.
(L. tibus: an
aun)
titien;
n., A person who
seemingly must natter to remain conscious. Any generator of the verbal
equivalent of white noise.
(Fr. titein:
a small, clattering, ornamental garden whirlygig designed to drive away
gophers.)
tocovert;
v., The last desparate
stages of versure. That brief period prior to the physical or psychological
flight or abandonment of one's doomed position. Literally, to borrow in
order to pay interest.
(Gr. toco: to
pay interest + L. versura: to borrow)
toopid;
adj., Dumbed
down to an extreme.
(misphonesis:
stupid)
touron;
n., Any VIP being
squired through a workplace in order to impress, curry favor or otherwise
secure future resources. Generally, tourons serve no other function.
(Fr. touron:
wheelbarrow)
transipidate;
adj., Beyond stupidity;
completely bereft of intellectual content. v., to arrive at the least intelligent
conclusion possible. Also transipidal.
(L. trans: across
+ sipido: to stupefy)
triffic;
n., The array of
positive outcomes directly inspired by a single successful high risk presentation
(OE. triffel:
sweet cream )
trossum;
n., The lump in
one's throat as failure is realized by a superior and the unavoidable effect
on one's career is set in motion.
(Ger. trost:
without comfort)
troule;
n., An interim manager,
brought in to assess the viability of a work unit. Typically in place
fewer than ninety days, they rarely make changes beyond movement of furniture
and temporary suspension of leave.
(Belgian. troule:
trowel)
truncular;
adj., shaped by
reduced expectations. "Marketing had a truncular version ready in
case revenue forecasts were down."
(Gael.
tudge: a semi-liquid mass of incompletely formed peat)
tudge;
n. A person cursed
or blessed with the ability to stultify any proceeding merely by joing
it..
(opthal.
acronym: pre-ocular prolapse)
turputation;
n. Thought or contemplation
on disturbing or perturbatious issues.
(L. turbare:
confuse + putare: think; consider)
ulpism;
n., A broach of
etiquette resulting from lack of syntax. Adj., ulpismic, when speech is
dystetic; so without syntax that its use is socially harmful.
(Swed. Öelup:
speak with one lip)
unindate, unindation;
v., to completely
expunge, such that all references are also deleted. "The Legal Department
did not just redact the file before the press got it. The unindation
was so complete, it was as if Edwards had never been born, let alone worked
for the company."
unnerate;
v., To make less
of a policy or idea; to tear down rather than to build up. When an idea
or policy is unnerated the effect on employees is a weakening effect or
to ennerate.
(L. ablusa nerro:
to pour down the drain )
upgrate;
v., To damage or
degrade under the guise of improvement.
(Technical term
for system bypass which release raw sewage to receiving waters)
uplog;
n., A missent memo
or e-mail which contains damaging material. v., To missend e-mail, usually
via group broadcast.
(computer programming
jargon: a damaging file which cannot be deleted )
uprootless;
adj., without valid
claim or even remote connection to offense, injury or injustice, but vocally
offended nonetheless.
"The uprootless
protesters were there for the slogan shouting and window smashing.
It was their sick idea of a block party born of petulence and boredom."
(Engl. without
having been uprooted)
urgonomics;
n. The study of
fads.
(comb.: urge
+ economics)
varnable;
adj., Able to present
oneself as being of a different social class.
(Sanskrit. varnah:
color, depiction, social class, or caste)
venoment, venomentary;
adj., poisonous,
as in a poisoned pill. Elements within a proposal or offer which
make acceptance dangerous or too expensive.
(Arch. pharm.,
venoment: a drug intended for euthanasia offered as medicinal.)
verkle;
n., A position paper
that presents its case from numerous points of view.
(Ivan Verkelovich,
an obscure mid-19th century Russian author, whose novels were even more
tedious than those of most contemporaries.)
versatality;
n., The condition
of appearing too useful; too perfect. "Everett's job as a security
guard belied the versatality of his resume. As a secondive, he blamed
his condition on a government conspiracy."
Operating
within more than one system of accountability, such as jerrynomics and
lasbinomics.
vert;
v., To buy time
in the face of iminent failure or discovery. Literally, to borrow money
to pay off a debt. Also versure, tocoversure.
(L. versura:
to borrow)
viriscent;
adj., Clearly dangerous
or threatening; intentionally threatening. Mimicking a dangerous object
or condition, especially as a defense mechanism. Also viriscence.
(L. corruption
of Aracauna: uwa-iri: rainbow death frog)
vouelle;
n., The corrupted
form of a word, wherein vowels have been inserted or appended in order
to add glamor, quaintness or mystique to the word in question.
(Flemish. vouel:
embellishment)
vrench;
v., involuntary verbal, often explosive,
venting, characterized by a complete lack of political and social correctness;
an irrepressible mental sneeze.
(onomatopoeic transcription)
waabric;
n., Any arbitrary
dictum made without warning, explanation, or apology by a person in authority.
Any action where sufficient justification is offered simply as: "Because."
(Bedouin: waabi:
chief + Gr. rubric: rules)
wapple;
v., to predict events
with only enough precision and accuracy as to inspire uncertainty.
(Gael. whar pole:
a diving device employed by druids at the death of a chieftain)
wasle;
n., A test or assignment
wherein the goal and the proscribed means of achievement are mutually exclusive;
any legal result obtained by illegal means.
(orig.
uncert.).
wegid;
adj., Self-neutralized
by scandal or revealing gaff.
(Pol. wdgja:
strangled)
werdna;
n., A bitter cruciform
vegetable resembling kale used medicinally on the steppes of Eastern Europe
as a purgative or tapeworm remedy. Any bitter medicine of questionable
efficacy.
(Magyar. werdna:
road cabbage, ditch leaf)
wherce;
The temporal source or origin of
something. "We knew from whence but not wherse came he. He
might have been in our midst a day or a lifetime unseen." -- 25:11, Book
of Bonab.
(archaic: wherce: when)
widgetier;
n., A person that
must have the newest technology, useful or not.
(Fr. wigettier:
tinkerer, inventor)
Wigshiften;
adj., Disoriented due to unnoticed
minor changes to one's surroundings; ineffective due to required multi-tasking.
(Old High German [w=v, accent
on second syllable] visited by Wige a demi-godess of disorder)
wilker;
v., To overdramatize
excessively; compulsive embellishment, particularly by dramatic pauses
and alteration of voice or inflection.
(OE. Wilker:
to tamper with scales; to defraud)
williada;
n., A memo or written
warning broadcast given with the intent to flush out the guilty by their
hasty reaction to it.
(Gr. williad:
the oracle of justice)
wundercrat;
n., An imported
executive, whose glowing reputation strains credibility.
(Ger. wunder
+ Gr. crassos: a miracle worker)
xygent;
adj., Causing fulminant
interconnectivity; rendered ineffective by proliferation of internal detail.
n., Any official plan, policy, or mandate which fosters xygency. A person
promoting xygency.
(Gr. xyges: placenta)
yaddage;
n., Fluff or filler;
mindless chatter.
(Hebr. inedible
chaff of botanical origin resembling manna)
yebo;
n., An assignment
that most be carried out, and cannot be avoided. Duty driven drudgery.
(siSwati. yebo
baba: yes sir, right away, sir)
yeullage;
n., that material
which builds up on any spinning or reciprocating shaft; tainted lubricant.
(Low Ger. jelleg
deschelct geschafttenolestra: bonus oil)
zaph;
n., the distance
between the eyes; the narrowest part of the bridge of the nose. Also azaphic.
(Gr. zaphos:
pinch)
zostral;
adj., Potentially
unstable or disastrous.
(Urdu. Zossat:
quicksand)
zyxism;
n., The neurotic
or self-aggrandizing need or desire to be last. Also zyxic, zyxism, as
in, "Don't wait for that zyxic bitch, she'd arrange to be a half hour late
for her own funeral!"
(Gr. zyxon: the
theoretical last moment of the end of time)