JROB's definitions

ransom factor

The tendency for one party in a civil case to settle out of court to avoid the potentially high cost of fighting the case.

Newspaper publishers, when faced with a potential libel case, often try to settle out of court by paying a ransom factor rather than take their chances with a jury trial.

by JRob November 3, 2005

tarantism

(TAR-uhn-tiz-uhm)- An uncontrollable urge to dance - After Taranto, a town in southern Italy where this phenomenon was experienced during the 15-17th centuries. It's not clear whether tarantism was the symptom of a spider's bite or its cure, or it may have been just a pretext to dodge a
prohibition against dancing. The names of the dance tarantella and the spider tarantula are both derived from the same place.

"The director is in a wild delirium, spinning in circles as though stricken with tarantism, his whirring camera held at arm's length, panning, tilting, arcing and oscillating and making other moves that have no name."

by JRob August 25, 2006

midair passenger exchange

Seen on blogs, this is grim air-traffic-controller speak for a head-on collision. Midair passenger exchanges are quickly followed by "aluminum rain".

Controller 1: Man, THAT was a close call!
Controller 2: Yeah - we almost had a midair passenger exchange!

by JRob January 1, 2012

Supermarionation

Supermarionation (a portmanteau of "super", "marionette" and "animation") is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds. The term was coined by Gerry Anderson, possibly in imitation of Ray Harryhausen's stop motion technique.

Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation".

by JRob April 15, 2007

spalker

A car that follows you in the parking lot hoping to get your space. Most usually at Wal-Mart, but also happens at upper class joints.

Him: Don't look back, man - we've got a spalker behind us!

Her: Shut up and take these bags so I can get the keys out of my purse.

by JRob August 22, 2005

coin-operated employee

An employee brought in for a particular project or set time period.

Management is not sure if we are over the hump yet, so they are brining in some coin-operated employees to help with this project.

by JRob January 8, 2010

robustious

(roh-BUHS-chuhs)- Boisterous; vigorous - Coarse; rough; crude.

When the meaning of the disturbance became clear to him he placed a hand beside his mouth and shouted: "Hey! Frank!" in such a robustious voice that the feeble clamor of the natives was drowned and silenced.
-- O. Henry, Cabbages and Kings

by JRob August 25, 2006