Buce's definitions

EBITDA

In finance, "earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization," sometimes "EBIT-DA." In accounting, a way-station in the slow morph from "conceptual" to "pure cash flow" reporting. Compare "EBAWDWTCAE"--"earnings before anything we don't want to count as expenses."

The net is negative but the EBITDA is sensational.

by Buce July 11, 2005

rounding off money

In high school math, the stuff after the zero. In high society, a sum, no matter how large, too small to impress the person you want to impress. Cf. chump change.

He left her with $5 million, but in their crowd, that is just rounding off money.

by Buce September 25, 2005

helicopter parent

The bane of the dean's existence. The parent who hovers and flaps his wings while the kid lives in his shadow. Particularly prevalent at high-priced colleges, where parents feel obliged (or entitled) to intervene on issues down to the candlepower of the lightbulbs.

Yes, helicopter parent, your intentions are good, but that rotor of yours is causing a din.--Felix Carroll, Albany Times Union, January 27, 2005

by Buce September 5, 2005

You want room?

Pacific Northwest localism for: do you want room for cream in your coffee? Unaccountably, it seems not (as of this writing) to have spread down into Northern California.

I'd rather say 'you want room?' than 'you want fries with that?'

by Buce August 9, 2005