Rod Brock's definitions

iron chink

An automated device once used in processing fish, particularly salmon. The term derives from the fact that in the early history of the U.S. fishing industry, individuals of Chinese extraction were often employed in fish canneries. The "iron chink" displaced many Chinese workers.

There's an iron chink on display at the Museum of History and Industry.

by Rod Brock July 24, 2006

sty

Inflammation of the sebaceous gland of they eyelid. Folklore held that one got a sty from urinating upon a public roadway.

My brother was always getting a sty on one or the other of his eyes, but he swore he never peed along the roadside when he was walking home from school.

by Rod Brock July 24, 2006

number cruncher

One whose primary vocation is dealing with numeric data. Examples of professions that might be referred to as number crunchers are accountant, data processor, statistician, mathemetician, etc.

I'm so glad I'm not a number cruncher like those poor bastards in the statistics division.

by Rod Brock May 22, 2006

wallflower

Perennial plant native to southern Europe, bearing fragrant yellow and orange flowers. The name is derived from the fact that the plant, when naturalized to a region, is often found growing out of the nooks and crannies in an old wall, or a cliff. The natural tendency for this plant to separate itself from the other denizens of a formal garden, and grow in isolated locations, doubtless led to the use of the term "wallflower" to describe an anti-social, or shy individual, who lingers in the background, against the wall, as it were, at social occasions.

The heady fragrance of wallflowers growing on the embankment wafted up to me.

by Rod Brock July 24, 2006

March Hare

A term employed to state that someone is crazy, e.g., "mad as a March Hare." Derives from the March Hare which Alice pursues down the rabbit hole in Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland."

He's crazier than a March hare, and needs to be locked up.

by Rod Brock July 30, 2006

jeep

A fictional animal with magical powers, from the old Popeye cartoons. The one most commonly featured was named "Eugene, the Magical Jeep." Magical jeeps make a "jeep-jeep" sound.

Oh, my gosh, Eugene the Magical Jeep was run over by a steamroller!

by Rod Brock July 29, 2006

schweinstock

German. Literally, "pig stick." Utilized in the movie "Young Frankenstein" to allude to the penis. Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is discussing how all the parts of the monster would need to be to "artificially or congenitally englarged." Inga (Teri Garr), the doctor's assistant, gets a strange look on her face and says, "oof...he would have an enormous schweinstock!" To which the Doctor replies with, "Well, that goes without saying..."

"He's going to be very popular," pipes in Igor (Marty Feldman).

What a schweinstock that guy has - he must have to tuck it into his sock!

by Rod Brock July 29, 2006