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Fearman's definitions

Humpty Dumpty word

Word used to mean whatever the speaker wants it to mean at the time, usually without further elucidation. From the character of Humpty Dumpty in Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson).

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone,' it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.' ...
- Through the Looking Glass
Here come the right-wingers to this referendum. Expect to hear a lot about natural laws, family values and other Humpty Dumpty words.
by Fearman December 23, 2007
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Drowns Syndrome

Urban myth that blames drowning incidents on swimmers entering the water too soon after a meal; supposedly you get cramps and go kerplunk to the bottom. Used by lazy parents who want to get some decent shut-eye after a picnic. Some adults go on actually believing it too. In fact, cramps can affect you at any time and not particularly after a meal; if they hit you in the water they will not adversely affect your buoyancy nor even do too much damage to your swimming skills. If you are in water where, perhaps due to currents, this affliction would likely make the difference between life and death, you shouldn't be there, cramps or no cramps.

Just ask yourself; what do you think the odds would be if you went up to a coroner or pathologist and asked them if they had ever filed a cause of someone's death as "swimming on a full stomach?" No, I didn't think so.
Jimmy was screaming and running along the water's edge and his mum was too fat and lazy to watch out for her kids like she ought to, so she invoked Drowns Syndrome.
by Fearman December 15, 2008
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damn with faint praise

To imply condemnation of someone by praising them for utterly unimportant details. From Alexander Pope's Epistle to Doctor Arbuthnot (1733): "Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer."
Damn with faint praise:

One thing you can say for the force that invaded Iraq, at least they kept their uniforms clean.

Among statesmen of the twentieth century, Joseph Stalin truly and undeniably knew how to trim his moustache.

The Creationist propaganda movie was recorded on what were physically some of the finest rolls of film I've ever watched. As for the arguments and evidence recorded on them, well ...,

From Batman (1989):
On the other hand he had a tremendous singing voice.
by Fearman March 4, 2008
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Pope

Currently an exile from his home on the fourth moon of the planet Zeta Reticuli f. Incidentally an atheist. Just think about it, if you were such a character and you wanted to hide on this planet, who would YOU pretend to be?
by Fearman February 22, 2008
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Dead Pixel

A pixel on an LCD screen that stays a single bright colour irrespective of the surrounding background. Can be at least partly toned out by stroking the relevant area of the screen.
There were a couple of dead pixels on my screen last night.
by Fearman November 25, 2007
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affluent

1. Wealthy.

2. Drunk, as in under the affluence of inkahol. (Meaning the influence of alcohol, as might be mispronounced when inebriated.) Also associated with the other meaning because either condition (ought to) make your troubles float away.
Give him five shots of whiskey and he's affluent.
by Fearman August 7, 2007
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speciesist

Derogatory term for someone who regards our fellow humans as more worthy of our care and attention than other forms of life, used by the kind of person who wants everyone to be eaten by lions on the Serengheti.
I'm a human, I'm a speciesist and I'm proud of it.
by Fearman September 5, 2007
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