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david lincoln brooks's definitions

gateway fragrance

Taken from the world of commercial perfume sales, a gateway fragrance is a perfume or cologne which is inexpensive and often cheap-smelling, which serves to introduce a novice fragrance wearer to the wider world of fine-- and more expensive-- fragrances. The idea is that the "gateway fragrance" will intrigue the wearer into purchasing a more sophisticated, expensive fragrance the next time they shop.
"I bought my teenage sister some Britney Spears CURIOUS for her birthday... Someday she may wear CHANEL No.5, but this will be a good gateway fragrance for her."

"Sure, JEAN NATÉ is inexpensive. But it smells good, and it's a great gateway fragrance."
by david lincoln brooks November 30, 2006
mugGet the gateway fragrancemug.

Take the Mickey out of

This phrase is not new; the full phrase is "to take the Mickey (out of someone)"
Britons have been using this figure of speech for decades, if not centuries. A "Mickey" of course, is a "Mick": a pejorative, racist term for an Irishman (so nicknamed because so many Irish surnames begin with Mc- or Mac-) It is a common stereotype, in both the UK and USA, that Irish men have volatile tempers, like to brawl, and make good boxers. So, To "take the Mickey (out of someone)" means to take the fight, the vigor, the gravity, the self-importance out of them, by mocking them, usually in a very subtle way.
Headmaster: "...so I expect you boys to comport yourself with the full dignity befitting students of this establishment of secondary learning."

Student: "Oh yes, we will sir. We'll even wear our school blazers to bed."

Headmaster: "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to take the Mickey out of me!"
by david lincoln brooks September 28, 2006
mugGet the Take the Mickey out ofmug.

'splainin' to do

A direct allusion to the 1950's American sitcom, I LOVE LUCY. In the show, the American protagonist (Lucille Ball) has a husband (Desi Arnaz) who is Cuban-born, and who occasionally makes some unintentionally humorous gaffes with English. One of these is his curious pronunciation of the word "explaining", which he always pronounces "'splainin'".
A frequent theme on the show was his discovering an entangled deception of his wife's, whereupon he'd intone sternly to her: "Lucy, I think you've got some 'splainin' to do."

Today people use the phrase both as a fond allusion to a cherished TV show, but as a way to imply that another person is at fault with something and needs to come clean.
Example 1. When the rock group successfully showed that their record company had not promoted their poorly-selling album sufficiently, the suits at the company had some serious 'spainin' to do.

Example 2. My Rolex, my computer and my car are all gone... and you've got a bad heroin problem? I'd say you have some 'splainin' to do!
by david lincoln brooks August 5, 2008
mugGet the 'splainin' to domug.

smaak

(South African surfer's English. Derived from Afrikaans.)

To like or prefer someone or something. Rhymes with "smock". Literally means "to taste".
Ag, nought, man, I don't smaak that ouk, ek se.

"Oh, no, man, I don't like that dude, I have to say."
by david lincoln brooks November 15, 2010
mugGet the smaakmug.

headshoppy

From the world of international perfumery. This word is used to describe perfumes which remind one of the sort of scented body oils one typically finds for sale at a head shop. Which is to say: potent, dark, synthetic, somewhat inelegant and indelicate, or blended to have a cloying, stale or lurid heaviness.
Perfumista #1: Have you tried that new perfume called DUNGEON?

Perfumista #2: Yes... it's really not my style. Too headshoppy. I prefer fragrances which are light, fresh and natural.
by david lincoln brooks May 12, 2011
mugGet the headshoppymug.

rotsa ruck

Besides an un-PC imitation of an Asian's speech accent, rotsa ruck is a backhanded rejoinder: It is a way of sarcastically saying: "You'll never be successful at doing that." OR "That's a near-impossible task."

Probably originated on American college campuses of the 1960's.
Man #1: I'm studying political science and world religions, so I can finally bring peace between the Jews and Muslims on the Gaza Strip.

Man #2: Rotsa ruck on THAT one.

OR:

Woman: I'm meeting with the Texas PTA tonight to convince teachers to discuss GLBT issues with their sixth-graders.

Man: Hey, rotsa ruck on that.
by david lincoln brooks April 30, 2014
mugGet the rotsa ruckmug.

T and A

Yes, it does in fact mean "tits and ass", but it rarely is referring to the anatomy of just one female. It is used more in a descriptive generality... usually used to characterize a particular genre of entertainment, e.g. movies, TV, pop music, etc. It is often used pejoratively.
Wow, MTV used to be so cool. Now, it's all rappers and T and A.

Have you seen the amount of T and A that has crept into video games these days?
by david lincoln brooks December 28, 2005
mugGet the T and Amug.

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