Athene Airheart's definitions

mayday

Some people may be wondering why anybody would yell "May Day" when they are in trouble. Here is why:

It derives from the French "m'aidez", pronounced "mayDAY," and means literally "help me."

If you are in distress while flying an airplane, calling "Mayday mayday mayday" over the radio will give you top priority and any help people on the ground or in the air can offer.

by Athene Airheart May 2, 2004

Pile-it

The assistant to the Goo-Chief at the Olympic Flight Museum and elsewhere.

The Pile-it is in charge of picking things up and piling them.

The name comes from "pilot" who is the natural counterpart of a Crew Chief. Except, in this case, the Goo Chief has more rank than the Pile-it, which is opposite to how the original positions are.

The Goo Chief is going to need the Pile-it's help to clean up after that party...

by Athene Airheart March 20, 2004

fallacy

An untruth. An untrue statement. A wrong idea.

That which is fallacious.

The idea that the word "fallacy" has anything to do with sex is itself a fallacy.

by Athene Airheart May 15, 2004

benchmarks

1. A reference mark that something is measured against. The original benchmarks are places on the workbench used to measure common lengths of material, such as lumber.

2. In surveying, a "bench mark" (two words) is a post or other permanent mark established at a known elevation that is used as the basis for measuring the elevation of other topographical points.

In computer and Internet technology, the term may have any of these meanings:

1) A set of conditions against which a product or system is measured. PC magazine laboratories frequently test and compare several new computers or computer devices against the same set of application programs, user interactions, and contextual situations. The total context against which all products are measured and compared is referred to as the benchmark.

2) A program that is specially designed to provide measurements for a particular operating system or application.

3) A known product with which users are familiar or accustomed to that other newer products can be compared to.

4) A set of performance criteria which a product is expected to meet.

Laboratory benchmarks sometimes fail to reflect real-world product use. For this reason, Eric Raymond defines a benchmark as "an inaccurate measure of computer performance" and cites the "old hacker's saying" that "In the computer industry, there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and benchmarks."

Still, benchmarks can be useful and some companies offer benchmark programs for downloading or a benchmark testing service on their own site.

by Athene Airheart March 18, 2004

schlamazel

One who is always getting the soup spilled on him by the schlemiel.

Sometimes Bob can also be a schlemiel, when he's not being a schlamazel.

by Athene Airheart March 17, 2004

comestibles

Items of food. Something you consume. Often associated with potables.

Joe likes to masticate his comestibles.

by Athene Airheart March 21, 2004

hold your horses

Another way of saying "slow down" or "stop." Usually used when someone is being hasty about something and a wiser person says "Hold your horses!" to make them stop and think. Encourages someone to have caution.

Based on the times when people used wagons or carriages, and when they needed to keep them under control they would need to literally hold the horses back from running.

"Hold your horses," said Joe, "you don't know when the movie even starts."

by Athene Airheart March 30, 2004