12 definitions by old radio collector

To fix, repair, repaint, shine or do other things to something that isn't worthy - but you have to do it for one reason or another. Because the basic fact is no matter what you do to a turd - polish it, paint it, give it bling - it's still a turd, and there is nothing you can do about that underlying fact.

This is often encountered for people who restore antiques, or who work in older buildings or on old machines. It may not be practical to replace a piece of crap, and polishing a turd may be all you can do.

Polishing A Turd is different from nigger-rigging because nigger-rigging is just to get something operational with little regard to how it looks or runs in the long term. Polishing A Turd involves making something look and operate as best as it can, although both may be major problems because it was a piece of crap to begin with. A Rolls Royce can be nigger-rigged, but you would not call it polishing a turd (unless it is a real ghetto cruiser). Putting new tires on a Yugo and filling its gas tank is polishing a turd.
The 1942 Philco record changers were so bad, restoring them is only polishing a turd.

My friend is polishing a turd - he's rebuilding the engine in his 1976 Vega.

The elevator was constantly breaking down in the last place I worked. It was old and beat up, and repairs were no better than polishing a turd.

"You're just polishing a turd fixing that Pinto."
"More like jack up the horn and stick a car under it!"
by old radio collector June 3, 2007
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Parts made by an outside firm to replace OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) parts. Commonly used in automotive purposes, but the aftermarket exists in virtually every industry.

In other words, these are NOT "Genuine <fill in name of manufacturer> parts." The quality of aftermarket parts can vary widely, some engineered to be better than the originals, some poorly fitting and otherwise inferior crap. Caveat Emptor when buying aftermarket parts! But sometimes when the original parts are discontinued or the manufacturer has gone out of business, the aftermarket may be your only choice.

NAPA and J.C. Whitney are two of the larger aftermarket auto parts suppliers.

Quality Discount Press Parts and AAA Press are pretty much the only aftermarket suppliers of note in the flexo printing industry.
by old radio collector May 23, 2007
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Announcements (primarily on Facebook) that "so and so has reached level 75 on Farmville, (or Cafe World, Mafia Wars or whatever game) and they want you to share the prize". To fellow game players they give you a chance to pick up special items for free, but to non-gamers they only litter someone's home page and give you page after page of announcements that you don't care about. These announcements are usually created automatically by the application.

It is simple to block the announcements from any given application, but many people take the easy way out and unfriend the game player, thereby missing out on other worthwhile items the game player may post.
Joe, did you unfriend me on Facebook?

Yeah, I was getting sick of all that game spam.

You know you can turn it off!

----------------------------------------------
I have no desire to play Mafia Wars, so I blocked the game spam from it.
by old radio collector December 25, 2010
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A Detroit area rock band, formed in 1971 - several years before Elton John's hit of the same name. Lead guitarist / singer goes by the stage name of Ben E. Jets, other personel have changed over the years. They have opened for many big name acts, and are a regular fixture in the Detriot music scene.
Benny And The Jets play all over the city.
by old radio collector October 12, 2006
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Automotive: A tool commonly used for breaking the tapers loose on ball joints and tie rod ends. Sometimes called an olive fork. They are correctly called a "Ball Joint Separator" or "Tie Rod Separator" but have gained the name from their resemblence to the long, skinny forks used to remove pickles (or olives) from a jar.

The term can be used for a variety of items, anything much longer than it is wide, with two prongs on one end and some sort of handle on the other.

"I need to replace a tie rod end on my car but I don't have a pickle fork. "

or

"Any ideas how I can separate these flanges?"

"Have you tried a pickle fork?"

"No, great idea!"
by old radio collector September 30, 2006
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