Ryan Thompson's definitions

Fifth

750 milliters of a liquid, the term is almost always used in reference to hard alcohol. (i.e. gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, triple sec, etc)

I have a fifth of Jack Daniels in the freezer. Its safe because the high alcohol content keeps it from freezing.

by Ryan Thompson July 6, 2004

greenback

A form of United States currency, specifically a Federal Reserve Note, which is the paper currency presently used by the United States. The ink on the reverse side of Federal Reserve Notes being green is what led to the nick name "greenback". To a lesser extent, Silver Certificates and United States Notes also had green backs, but the seal and serial numbers on the front were printed in blue instead of green ink. They were last issued in 1957 and 1966, respectively. Your parents probably remember them.

'Greenbacks' have been printed since before the turn of the 20th century, when the size of the paper currency was printed on was about 1/3 wider and 1/3 longer than its present size.

by Ryan Thompson January 4, 2004

civil union

A type of quasi-marriage some places (in the US) offer for gays and lesbians. Its marriage, but not quite marriage. It is like 'seperate but equal' in that it is inherently discriminatory.

One drinking fountain was for whites, the other was for blacks, but the one for blacks rarely worked right.

In most places in the United States only straight people can marry. For gay people, civil unions are the 'seperate but equal' answer.

by Ryan Thompson August 1, 2004

5 second rule

When one accidently drops food, not held in a container or wrapper, on the ground. The rule states that if you pick it up within 5 seconds, it won't be contaminated. There is also a '10 second rule' variation. Unfortunately, both rules are urban legends -- The speed with which you can pick the food article back up has no bearing on whether it may receive germs.

Person A: "Crap, dropped a cookie."
Person B: "5 second rule!!"
Person A scrambles to pick up food article

by Ryan Thompson July 9, 2004

seeing double

Hallucination. Your vision shows a double image, one slightly off center from the other. Sometimes associated with illness or drug use.

Jake has a disease that affects his balance. Sometimes he has to sit down until he stops seeing double and the spinning goes away.

by Ryan Thompson June 16, 2004

limousine

A luxury car with a division window between the front and back seat, which can be raised and lowered by the occupants.

In America, limousines originally rolled off the assembly line as complete cars. They weren't super-stretched monsters. Around the late-1970s, early-1980s, companies began taking pre-existing cars (Cadillacs and Lincolns being the most popular choice) and stretching them by cutting them from one side to the other, between the front and rear doors, and 'filling in' in the middle.

Cadillac's Fleetwood Series 75 model.

by Ryan Thompson January 10, 2005

NAMBLA

The National Man-Boy Love Association. They are a group of men, mostly over 30, who like to date/have sex with underage boys. They like to use historical "evidence" like how in ancient Greece, this sort of thing was tolerated, to try and support their movement. (They also like to take text from books, out of context, to support their movement, the author unaware of their doing so, thus making that author look bad.)

Many people don't even realize the group exists and assume it was something made up for that episode of "South Park", which unfortunately is false.

'Butterfly Kisses' is the lesser-known female equivalent of the group. It is based out of Sweden. Both groups make honest, lawful tax-paying gays and lesbians look really, really bad.

by Ryan Thompson June 21, 2004