knee-jerk

A spontaneous, thoughless, predictable and stereotypical reaction to something, usually an opinion or a statement.

An entire culture of American neo-conservatives has seemed to build itself on a type of knee-jerk reaction to any kind of criticism of the Bush Administration or the loyal element of the Republican Party, even from fellow conservatives -- the kind of pseudo-patriotism discouraged by Theodore Roosevelt.

by LudwigVan November 10, 2003

Ludwig Van

Ludwig van Beethoven (German composer 1770-1827), as called in the film _A Clockwork Orange_ (Kubrick 1971).

"The glorious Ninth by Ludwig Van."

by LudwigVan November 11, 2003

mealy mouth

Someone who speaks indirectly and bowdlerizes. One who beats around the bush.

The opposite of a "mealy mouth" is a "smash mouth", someone who "tells it like it is".

by LudwigVan February 01, 2005

posse

Originally, a group of people (especially in the Old West) banded together for purposes of law enforement (and harassing Indians). From <i>posse comitatus</i>, Latin for "power of the county". Posse Comitatus is also the name of various white supremacist organizations that have appeared in the US over the years.

He's got the posse after him because he killed a man.

by LudwigVan December 12, 2003

iconoclast

One who attacks traditional or popular instutitions: an anti-establishment person. Also someone who destroys or defaces religious images or objects.

In the 1960s, a whole generation of iconoclasts transformed American society in ways never imagined by her Founders.

by LudwigVan November 10, 2003

Egyptian

1) A person or thing from the northeast African nation of Egypt. Refers to the ancient people of the lower Nile Valley (Kemet) and their modern-day descendents, the Copts. Also the Nubians of Middle Egypt, the Berbers of Siwa in the western part of the country, or the Arabs who colonized the country shortly after the birth of Islam.

2) Either the ancient language of Egypt and its hieroglyphic script and its deriatives, or its latest form, Coptic, or the Egyptian dialect of Arabic, which has 'g' instead of 'j' and a glottal stop instead of 'q'.

3) A very old but well-preserved person.

4) Someone from a very far away place. See BFE.

1) Tutankhamun and Muhammad Ali were two famous Egyptian leaders.

2) The inscription is in a later form of Egyptian, written in hieratic script, which is simplified hieroglyphs.

3) Dick Clark is such an Egyptian.

4) Dude, we're lost. The people here are such Egyptians.

by LudwigVan October 04, 2004

genius

1) A person of exceptional intellect and creativity. 2) A person with an IQ score of at least 140. 3) A special talent or skill, or someone with such an ability. 4) In Roman mythology, a spiritual being or tutelary deity that can have a strong influence over others, much like the jinni in Islamic folklore.

Maybe George W. Bush is secretly a genius, but he's only pretending to be an idiot.

by LudwigVan November 11, 2003