al-in-chgo's definitions
Pronounced roughly "Ah-YEEEEEE!," this highly useful word not only lets you scream in Italian, but in most other major Romance languages and, because of its onomatopoetic (sound-into-printed word) quality, is pretty well understood around the world.
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by al-in-chgo May 18, 2010
Get the aiieee! mug.A term of utter contempt for a worthless, meretricious person, a no-account, with the implication that s/he is of low moral character.
A "bum" has long been an Americanism for a tramp, vagabond or homeless person (and lacking in the "backside" meaning as in the U.K.). The "crumb" may come from the irritating or useless character of bread crumbs or toaster crumbs, but it is possible (despite the spelling) that the first syllable derives from "crummy" as in worthless, detestable. The internal rhyme solidifies the expression.
A "bum" has long been an Americanism for a tramp, vagabond or homeless person (and lacking in the "backside" meaning as in the U.K.). The "crumb" may come from the irritating or useless character of bread crumbs or toaster crumbs, but it is possible (despite the spelling) that the first syllable derives from "crummy" as in worthless, detestable. The internal rhyme solidifies the expression.
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"I have no use for my daughter's ex-husband. Ever since the divorce he drifts from job to job and is always behind on child-support payments. He doesn't even send his child a birthday card! As far as I'm concerned, he's a complete crumb-bum."
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"I have no use for my daughter's ex-husband. Ever since the divorce he drifts from job to job and is always behind on child-support payments. He doesn't even send his child a birthday card! As far as I'm concerned, he's a complete crumb-bum."
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by al-in-chgo August 18, 2010
Get the crumb-bum mug."I got so mad I wanted to kick him right in the husballs. But then I realized there'd be nothing to do that evening."
by al-in-chgo February 4, 2013
Get the husballs mug.Graduate of one of the United States' military service academies, which operate as collegiate institutions.
Use of term is said to be especially prominent among graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland).
Use of term is said to be especially prominent among graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland).
Among U.S. military officers, they're known as "ring knockers" because they proudly wear the big, gold class rings they earned when they graduated from one of America's military academies. (TIME magazine, April 2001)
by al-in-chgo June 15, 2013
Get the ring knocker mug.Metaphor describing a phenomenon that is inherently painful or repulsive, but from which the spectator can't turn away -- it's as compelling as sucking a tooth socket that recently had a tooth in it.
"Worst. Play. Ever."
"Why did you stay?"
"It was a like sucking a tooth that had just been removed -- I knew it was awful and would stay awful, but I just couldn't stop watching."
"Why did you stay?"
"It was a like sucking a tooth that had just been removed -- I knew it was awful and would stay awful, but I just couldn't stop watching."
by al-in-chgo July 7, 2014
Get the sucking a tooth mug.A term preferred by some writers in preference to using "homosexual" as a noun.
In a newsmagazine cover article on Gore Vidal in the late 1970s, the celebrated author and essayist explained that, since "homosexual" is used as an adjective ("homosexual fantasy"), the noun form needed something more, well, distinctive and substantive: he used "homosexualist" to describe someone who is gay in practice, or as a state of being.
One doesn't argue lightly with Gore Vidal but there are precedents either way in forming nouns. "Alcoholic drink" / "Joe's an alcoholic," uses "alcoholic" first as an adjective, then as a noun. Similarly, "Green politics" / "Cary has become a Green."
OTOH a medical practitioner of psychiatry is not a "psychiatric" (better used as an adjective = "psychiatric evaluation"), but a "psychiatrist," a description of a person, not a field. One who enjoys sensual things is a "sensualist" but has an appreciation of the sensual.
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In a newsmagazine cover article on Gore Vidal in the late 1970s, the celebrated author and essayist explained that, since "homosexual" is used as an adjective ("homosexual fantasy"), the noun form needed something more, well, distinctive and substantive: he used "homosexualist" to describe someone who is gay in practice, or as a state of being.
One doesn't argue lightly with Gore Vidal but there are precedents either way in forming nouns. "Alcoholic drink" / "Joe's an alcoholic," uses "alcoholic" first as an adjective, then as a noun. Similarly, "Green politics" / "Cary has become a Green."
OTOH a medical practitioner of psychiatry is not a "psychiatric" (better used as an adjective = "psychiatric evaluation"), but a "psychiatrist," a description of a person, not a field. One who enjoys sensual things is a "sensualist" but has an appreciation of the sensual.
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"John is an out-of-the-closet homosexual"; OR
"John is an out-of-the-closet homosexualist."
BUT ALSO: "John is a homosexual," OR
"John is homosexual." -- BUT NOT:
"John is homosexualist."
It is much to be hoped that the definitions above of "same-sex love" or "practitioner of same-sex love" will stand, despite the fact that many right-wingers use it almost as a slur (it can get clinical) and avoid "gay" as a neologism. Don't think it isn't political, either.
GAY: Current idiom in casual speech would have it
"John is gay." Note that "a gay" commodifies John just a little.
See Gay.
"John's love life has been exclusively homosexual since 1993."
"John has an active homosexual love life."
"John is the kind of homosexualist other homosexualists can be proud of."
"John is an out-of-the-closet homosexualist."
BUT ALSO: "John is a homosexual," OR
"John is homosexual." -- BUT NOT:
"John is homosexualist."
It is much to be hoped that the definitions above of "same-sex love" or "practitioner of same-sex love" will stand, despite the fact that many right-wingers use it almost as a slur (it can get clinical) and avoid "gay" as a neologism. Don't think it isn't political, either.
GAY: Current idiom in casual speech would have it
"John is gay." Note that "a gay" commodifies John just a little.
See Gay.
"John's love life has been exclusively homosexual since 1993."
"John has an active homosexual love life."
"John is the kind of homosexualist other homosexualists can be proud of."
by al-in-chgo February 27, 2010
Get the homosexualist mug.The urban practice wherein a man strolls the streets, fully clothed and in a belted trench coat, and slowly but covertly, though a side pocket, masturbates himself in the presence of fellow pedestrians and pasers-by. The benefit of the act is sometimes claimed to be expediency, but more likely is the ability to "get away with it," especially when ejacualation is achieved but not revealed.
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"Why do you say Geoff's a wanker?" -- "I mean, literally, man. I ran into him on Halsted and he had just done a complete London Flog."
"How could you tell?" -- "Well, partly by the refreshed happy-ending look on his face, but mostly by the stain he had made on his trench coat below the buckle."
"Ewww . . . well, at least he kept it in his pants."
"How could you tell?" -- "Well, partly by the refreshed happy-ending look on his face, but mostly by the stain he had made on his trench coat below the buckle."
"Ewww . . . well, at least he kept it in his pants."
by al-in-chgo March 20, 2011
Get the London Flog mug.