BillyBuggy's definitions

creeping rationalization

When a person is given permission to use something only in an emergency and their rationalization of what constitutes an "emergency" becomes laxer and laxer each time they want the thing.

I told Bob he could use my car only in an emergency but last night his creeping rationalization made him think that missing the basketball game was an emergency.

by BillyBuggy November 16, 2010

rounding for effect

Rounding a price downward if you want it to appear inexpensive, but upward if you want it to appear expensive.

Joe, you should buy one, they're only, like 2 bucks!
Joe: They're $2.99, what a major rounding for effect you just pulled!

by BillyBuggy September 8, 2018

electoral college paradox

People think that it is unbelievable if a presidential candidate wins in the electoral college but has 5 to 10 percent LESS popular vote. This definition shows an absurd and extreme, but illuminating example of how the loser in the presidential election can have an arbitrarily high percentage of the popular votes compared to the winner, i.e., way more then 5 or 10 percent.
Suppose there are 540 electoral votes. Divide the states into two groups, one having 271 votes, the other 269. Suppose in the "271" states, only 1 person in each state votes Democrat, 0 Republican. Suppose in the "269" states, 0 vote Democrat, millions Republican. Then by the electoral college majority, the democrats win but the Republicans have a million times more votes than the Democrats.

In the 2012 presidential election, it initially appeared that we might have an electoral college paradox. But the Democratic popular vote came back up and it was avoided.

by BillyBuggy November 9, 2012

His ship came in.

When someone receives something so valuable that it changes his life.

Look how Barry has been spending money since his inheritance. I guess his ship came in.

by BillyBuggy July 25, 2017

Bag it

To put a tedious or impossible hacking or repair project away for another day. The term probably comes from the idea of putting all the taken-apart pieces into a paper bag.

I've spent all day taking this apart and now I've had it; I'm just gonna bag it.

by BillyBuggy October 26, 2015

polltoral college

A way of predicting the winner by combining the results from each of the major polling sources.

Today's news predicted the presidential winner using what we might call the "polltoral college."

by BillyBuggy November 7, 2016

Guilty until alternate suspect principle

The idea that someone is guilty unless they can come up with another person who is either guilty or a strong suspect. The idea is usually based on an imprecise process of elimination.

Parent to child: Did you do it?
Child: No.
Parent: Well if you didn't do it, then who did?
Nearby observer: Ah ha, she's using the guilty until alternate suspect principle.

by BillyBuggy March 17, 2011