LudwigVan's definitions

Wahhabi

A religious puritan or fundamentalist. The Islamic counterpart of a Christian Reconstructionist.

Named after Muhammad 'Abd ulWahhab, who sought to 'purify' Islam of all intellectual, philosophical and cultural elements he considered bid'ah (innovation); he promoted a literalist interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah while rejecting the traditional schools of Sharia (jurisprudence). He also considered Shi'as and Sufis to be apostates.

by LudwigVan July 29, 2004

klingon

An alien life form from the Star Trek books, television series and movies, origially the enemies of the Federation. Also the Klingon language, tlhIngan Hol, a constructed language (conlang) invented by Mark Okrand especially for the Star Trek movies of the 1980s and Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series.

Qapla' is how you say "goodbye" (literally "success!") in Klingon.

by LudwigVan December 19, 2003

STFU or GTFO

Shut The Fuck Up or Get The Fuck Out.

Wise words, Ludwig.

by LudwigVan March 12, 2004

scurvy dog

Term used by sea pirates for insubordinates.

Avast, ye scurvy dogs!

by LudwigVan November 11, 2003

nu-

A prefix applied to various styles of music since the mid or late 1990s. Especially found in "nu-metal" and "nu-rock": KoRn, Staind, Linkin Park and Disturbed are examples.

From a phonetic/perverted spelling of "new".

by LudwigVan December 19, 2003

Shiite

More appropriately, Shi'a or Shi'i. The second largest sect of Islam, founded by followers of Ali, the fourth Sunni caliph (successor to Prophet Muhammad) who married the Prophet's daughter Fatima. About ten percent of the world's Muslims are Shi'a, and prefer to call themselves Ahl ul-Bayt (the 'People of the House', i.e. family of Muhammad). The largest Shi'a denomination believe in twelve imams, Ali being the first, and the last, al-Mahdi, is in hiding and expected to return to prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The differences between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims have more to do with politics and culture than faith and religion.

Shi'ism is most prevalent on either side of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the modern nations of Iran and Iraq (more in the southern part of the latter). The Shi'as of Iraq suffered great persecution under the nominal Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. Currently, a young Shi'a cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, is leading a powerful resistance against the American and allied occupation forces from the holy city of Najaf.

by LudwigVan August 23, 2004

Zion curtain

The part of the western USA where the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is most prevalent, especially the states of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. Taken from the term "Iron Curtain" coined by Winston Church to describe the formerly communist Eastern European nations.

Though it's deep behind the Zion Curtain, Salt Lake City is a relatively progressive city.

by LudwigVan February 22, 2004