Spinningtabletop's definitions
A brand of bicycle intended for off-road use on dirt or gravel trails. There is no limit to how much you can spend on them. Some of the best ones are amazingly beautiful works of high-performance technology that are also tougher than nails.
Most mountain bikes, though, are bought for fairly cheap, sometimes under $100, at department stores under brands such as Mongoose, Schwinn, or Magna. These "mountain bikes" are covered with fancy graphics, lots of gears, and suspension, but actually work very poorly:
1) The components are all bottom-of-the line, even if they have good names such as Shimano. They are heavy, poorly machined, and wear out or break quickly. The gears will usually grind and skip no matter how well you adjust them. Rims are often steel, which quickly rusts and bends out of round, is very heavy, and is never seen on decent wheels.
2) They are no fun to ride. Most of them weight at least 31-35 pounds, and the full-suspension models weigh around 45! Try riding up a hill on one of these. Most people just ride them around the streets, and the knobby tires soak up so much energy you can actually hear it. Full suspension will completely absorb any power you put out. It feels like riding through mud.
Mountain bikes are extremely popular, though, accounting for over 90% of all bikes on the average college campus. They are easier to ride than road bikes, but will prevent you from ever enjoying bike riding. If they are used for off-road use, they simply become a toy like dirt bikes that you can't use for everyday transportation. Overall, I think they are a backwards development in cycling technology.
Most mountain bikes, though, are bought for fairly cheap, sometimes under $100, at department stores under brands such as Mongoose, Schwinn, or Magna. These "mountain bikes" are covered with fancy graphics, lots of gears, and suspension, but actually work very poorly:
1) The components are all bottom-of-the line, even if they have good names such as Shimano. They are heavy, poorly machined, and wear out or break quickly. The gears will usually grind and skip no matter how well you adjust them. Rims are often steel, which quickly rusts and bends out of round, is very heavy, and is never seen on decent wheels.
2) They are no fun to ride. Most of them weight at least 31-35 pounds, and the full-suspension models weigh around 45! Try riding up a hill on one of these. Most people just ride them around the streets, and the knobby tires soak up so much energy you can actually hear it. Full suspension will completely absorb any power you put out. It feels like riding through mud.
Mountain bikes are extremely popular, though, accounting for over 90% of all bikes on the average college campus. They are easier to ride than road bikes, but will prevent you from ever enjoying bike riding. If they are used for off-road use, they simply become a toy like dirt bikes that you can't use for everyday transportation. Overall, I think they are a backwards development in cycling technology.
"Did you see my new mountain bike? It's loaded! It has full suspension, 24 gears, chrome rims..."
"Dude-do yourself a service and buy a road bike like mine. Then see if you can keep up with me on the road."
"Dude-do yourself a service and buy a road bike like mine. Then see if you can keep up with me on the road."
by spinningtabletop February 1, 2009
Get the mountain bike mug.Technically, either Johann Strauss the Waltz King or Richard Strauss, the more serious composer who wrote tone poems and operas. Among real musicians, though, 'Strauss' almost invariably refers to Richard Strauss. You are a total noob if you think music festivals and professional orchestras program silly waltzes all the time when you see Strauss in their repertoire.
"Hey, wanna come to my concert tonight? The conductor's amazing, and we're playing Strauss."
"Uhh...I don't know if I care to hear Emperor Waltz or the Blue Danube again."
"Aww come on- we're talking 'Death and Transfiguration' here!"
"Uhh...I don't know if I care to hear Emperor Waltz or the Blue Danube again."
"Aww come on- we're talking 'Death and Transfiguration' here!"
by spinningtabletop January 15, 2009
Get the strauss mug.What people who either can't write or are too lazy do whenever a paper is due. Any usage of someone else's writing as one's own is plagiarism, no matter how cleverly disguised (or not) it is.
Perhaps the most common way is to search for or download existing papers, cut and paste, change the wording superficially and scramble it a little, and turn it in as your own. Other common methods are to simply copy other students' work in one's class, changing it superficially, or to download or even buy papers online.
Any way you do it, it's a reprehensible practice that can, and should get you in big trouble. There are known cases where students have been held back a year, or even expelled. Unfortunately, plagiarism still seems to be a growing problem, and students usually get away with it.
(note: this entry written by a student)
Perhaps the most common way is to search for or download existing papers, cut and paste, change the wording superficially and scramble it a little, and turn it in as your own. Other common methods are to simply copy other students' work in one's class, changing it superficially, or to download or even buy papers online.
Any way you do it, it's a reprehensible practice that can, and should get you in big trouble. There are known cases where students have been held back a year, or even expelled. Unfortunately, plagiarism still seems to be a growing problem, and students usually get away with it.
(note: this entry written by a student)
Student: Why am I getting an A- for this paper?
Teacher: Because it matches three other students' as well as wikipedia.
Student: No way! I didn't do it!
Student: And you didn't prohibit it in the syllabus!
Teacher: sighs I ought to make you rewrite it, but-
Student: I'll sue you!
plagiarism
Teacher: Because it matches three other students' as well as wikipedia.
Student: No way! I didn't do it!
Student: And you didn't prohibit it in the syllabus!
Teacher: sighs I ought to make you rewrite it, but-
Student: I'll sue you!
plagiarism
by spinningtabletop May 23, 2008
Get the plagiarism mug.An analogue to the Freudian slip that involves a physical action. This action must be indicative of a subconscious preoccupation or habit.
Fabio and Felipe were hanging out. Fabio was eating an apple when all of a sudden the core slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. Felipe thus inferred a subconscious propensity of Fabio to litter on his own floor, creating a literal Caleian slip.
Named after the first man to observe and recognize one such "slip".
Named after the first man to observe and recognize one such "slip".
by spinningtabletop November 16, 2010
Get the Caleian slip mug.A person who is always at work and accomplishes everything by brute force. Typically this refers to nerdy, square, uncool people in school.
"Did you see Robert's schedule this year? He's taking 6 AP classes!"
"Yeah, he never sleeps or goes out or does anything extracurricular."
"What a grind."
"Yeah, he never sleeps or goes out or does anything extracurricular."
"What a grind."
by spinningtabletop February 12, 2009
Get the grind mug.Pathetic attempt at the simple word 'raise.' Heard in southern california. Actually used by adults, if you can believe it.
by spinningtabletop May 17, 2010
Get the higher mug.I was like, "I need to define this term", but my brother was, like, "no, everyone knows it already," but I was, like, "hey, I have nothing better to do."
by spinningtabletop May 21, 2009
Get the was like mug.