Dinobot

A member of a (non-combining) Autobot team consisting of Grimlock, Sludge, Slag, Snarl and Swoop. These robots transformed respectively into a T-Rex, a brontosaurus/apatosaurus, a triceratops, a stegosaurus and a pterodactyl/pteranodon.

They were adapted as toys from the Diaclone range, and had the cockpits to show it. All five were released in the US and Japan, but Swoop was not available in the UK.

In the TV series, the Dinobots were portrayed as stupid, speaking in a dumbed-down dialect ("Me Grimlock, not like you"; "Me Slag want to hear story"; "Me Sludge not do what you say"). The story was that they were created on earth by Wheeljack, and were switched off after going berserk. They are exceptionally strong in the cartoon, able to easily dispose of regular Decepticons. They were regular features of stories such as "Desertion of the Dinobots", "Dinobot Island" and "Grimlock's New Brain".

In the comic, they were activated early, hence their being modelled on dinosaurs. Again, they appeared regularly, with one storyline devoted to an attempt to round up the Dinobots after they went berserk.

There is also an individual character in Beast Wars who goes by the name of Dinobot; he turns into a velociraptor.

by Andy July 22, 2004

gherao

Indian name for a cacelorazo or "noisy protest". The specific Indian variant involves noisily confronting and "mobbing" a political or administrative figure. Used mainly as a verb.

Protesters gheraoed the chief minister at his home yesterday in ongoing agitation over the privatisation of local services.

by Andy February 7, 2005

Vanyar

In JRR Tolkien's Silmarillion, the Vanyar or High-Elves are a clan of elves who remain in Valinor when the Noldor return to Middle-Earth. They are described as the most beautiful of the Elves and the closest to the Valar.

The Vanyar return to Middle Earth only once, when they join the Valar in the battle which finally defeats Morgoth.

by Andy April 25, 2004

cervical mulligan

Termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival. (informal)

That bitch didn't mean to get knocked up, so she decided to take a cervical mulligan.

by Andy July 4, 2003

wan

The number which has replaced "one" in the slang used by telephone service operators and telephone dialup service machines.

If you want to review an existing account, press wan or say wan after the tone.

by Andy May 28, 2004

hulking

when stevo begins to get mad and starts to transform into hulk form

uh-oh stevo is mad he has started his hulking transformation

by Andy March 15, 2005

Durenor

A kingdom in the far north-east of Magnamund, separated from its close ally, Sommerlund, by the Wildlands and accessible mainly by sea. The Sommerswerd is stashed in Durenor, having been entrusted of old to the King of Durenor by the King of Sommerlund, and Lone Wolf has to travel to Durenor to retrieve the artefact in Lone Wolf 2: Fire on the Water. The capital of Durenor is Hammerdal, a city surrounded entirely by mountains and accessible only through mountain passes - making it very hard to invade. The Durenese always fight on the side of good. Durenor is the home of the mighty physician Madin Rendalim, and of the Knights of the White Mountain.

When Lone Wolf travelled to Durenor, he was ambushed by Helghast.

Durenor is prominent among the Freelands in resisting the Darklords.

by Andy April 19, 2004