Skip to main content

al-in-chgo's definitions

Olympic Gay

The tendency of some American male Olympic hopefuls competing for medals in individual figure-skating to wear campy costumes (even more sequined than the Asian skaters'), or tight, self-designed get-ups in the most fashionable colors, usually showing a broader bodice with no chest hair, but more boob than the more run-of-the-mill glitzy skater's costume.

This tendency is sometimes accompanied by demands of the sort observed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, if not earlier, for special favors such as switching rooms in the athletes' dorm to bunk with a special friend. On the ice, when they perform well, they look fabulous and the viewer can feel the narcissism coming through the television; when they perform poorly, they look fabulous despite the gaffes and the viewer can nonetheless feel the nacissism coming through the television, often simultaneous with oblique on-air comment by the network's sports journalist referencing their "controversial" pre-rink behavior.
"Jeremy, I can't believe what I just saw! That American kid made such a poor showing. He fell on his ass and didn't even make the top fifteen. But he strutted off the ice, mugging for the cameras, and looking like he was about to burst the leather straps holding his vest together out of sheer pride or sheer gall."

"Chad," there just ain't no gay like USA Olympic Gay."
by al-in-chgo February 19, 2010
mugGet the Olympic Gaymug.

Verschlusspanik

Verschlusspanik (fair-SCHLOOSE-pah-neek) is a German word that literally means "closing panic." It refers to the rush of new investors (and new capital) into consumer investments like mutual funds that occurs when the sponsoring financial house announces that its fund will no longer accept new accounts beyond a certain date. That "last-minute" stampede is due to Verschlusspanik on the part of potential investors who do not want to be shut out of the fund.
.
"Go figure -- Fund XYZ announces that it won't open any new accounts past the end of this month, and all of a sudden there's a huge influx of new investors and their money."

"That's called 'Verschlusspanik'. It often happens when there's a deadline for new accounts imposed."

.
by al-in-chgo March 24, 2010
mugGet the Verschlusspanikmug.

The Valley

Abandoned prison restroom with long trough-style urinal off a low-traffic area, as described in John Cheever's 1977 novel FALCONER. To quote the author, this is where the inmates went after dinner "to fuck themselves." Themselves but not each other -- there were unwritten rules. Looking at other penises was okay, but not into another man's eyes. Touching another man was not allowed, except for the shoulder. A grim place, not gay by any definition, and certainly not the fantasy one-for-all tearoom scenes depicted in gay porn videos.

.
Since The Valley in Cheever's award-winning novel Falconer was located on an upper floor, the origin of its name was obscure. Perhaps the name was coined to reference the trench- or trough-shaped nature of the elderly urinal itself.

-- "Where's Harry?"

-- "He went to The Valley after dinner."

-- 'When do you think he'll be back in our wing?"

-- "As late as possible, if I know Harry."

.
by al-in-chgo February 25, 2010
mugGet the The Valleymug.

virgule

Typesetter's name for a "regular" (pre-computer-era) slash mark (/) that associates related terms. On computer QWERTY keyboards, commonly found to the right of the key for a period. The virgule key + shift indicates a question mark.
.
Here's one use of the virgule: Most of the audience found the play racy/dirty, not just racy.
by al-in-chgo March 3, 2010
mugGet the virgulemug.

hissy fit

A sudden but violent outburst of a person shouting, screaming recriminations and (possibly) wailing, generally short-lived but shocking.

"Hissy fit" used to describe an adult tantrum but now has become an equal opportunity description, young or old, male or female. What they all have in common is no matter how severe the (alleged) offense, there is always some wounded pride involved, and usually an audience of bystanders along with the culprit who allegedly triggered the hissy.

.
-- "When I told Sarah she couldn't have the doll, she broke down and pitched a major hissy fit. Right there in the toy department at Target!"

--"So when Joe got fired, all he did was throw a hissy fit out in the hall? Terrible. REAL men used to slug each other."

--"She freaked! She had a hissy! She thinks you're the cat's meow." 'Farmer Ted' (Anthony Michael Hall) in movie SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984), describing the Molly Ringwald character's sudden infatuation with a boy two years her senior.

.
by al-in-chgo February 25, 2010
mugGet the hissy fitmug.

roughousing

Alternate spelling of "roughhousing" with one "h" omitted. Compare thresh-hold, threshold.

Means mock-fighting or wrestling, grabassing, or physical fooling around, usually between boys of similar age.

See also fooling around.
.
"Don't put the twins together in the back seat or they'll be roughousing all the way to the mall."
by al-in-chgo August 18, 2010
mugGet the roughousingmug.

haul water

To perform menial or trivial services for one's superiors, with the implication that the agent is capable of doing nothing more significant.
Alderman "X" does not seem concerned with his constituents; what he does best is haul water for the administration.
by al-in-chgo July 23, 2016
mugGet the haul watermug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email