anonymus bosch's definitions

Red-shirt guy

A character in fiction (usually TV or movies) that will meet their demise almost immediately at the beginning of the story. Can also be a real person that is clearly going to fail at the onset. Derived from the original Star Trek TV series in which unimportant characters (wearing red shirts) would accompany the main characters on an adventure and get killed before the first commercial break.

(pointing at TV screen) "See that ditzy chick with the radio? Red-shirt guy!"

"Manfred wants to play darts with them."
"Red-shirt guy."
"Yeah."

by Anonymus Bosch January 7, 2006

fingering

To accuse someone of a misdeed to an authority (as in pointing your finger at someone).

"They found the broken window and asked John about it. He started fingering Manfred right away, so they let him go and hauled Manfred in to talk about it."

by Anonymus Bosch January 11, 2006

flan

Short for flannel, the comfy wintertime fabric.

"Matilda sure looked hot in her new flan jammies, 'specially 'cause she forgot the pants."

by Anonymus Bosch January 12, 2006

pathos

Source of the word "pathetic." An almost predetermined likelihood that events will play out in a certain way. Resistance is futile (pathetic)... the 'stupidity' of trying to change things that are obviously going to go in a certain direction.

Manfred was overcome by the pathos in Hamlet.

Jimmy saw the oil all over the road right in front of his car, so he stomped on the brakes and turned the wheel to avoid the concrete wall on the other side. How pathetic.

by Anonymus Bosch September 4, 2008

Called in slack

To phone or email your place of work with an obvious fabrication, saying you can't come in.

Hey, Manfred called in slack. He said his garage burned down again ...I heard empty beer cans knocked over in the background while he mumbled.

by Anonymus Bosch June 28, 2006

cube horizon

In a vast cubicle office environment, when one stands up in one's own cube and looks along the tops of the many cube walls stretching out to the horizon. The cube horizon can be interrupted by the heads of people walking around. And by many heads at once if there is a loud, unexplained noise in the area. This can result in a phenomenom called prairie-dogging: many people stand up and look around like prairie dogs coming out of their holes.

I first came across "cube horizon" in James Hynes' novel "Kings of Infinite Space."

Having decided to sneak out early, Manfred casually stood up and surveyed the cube horizon for those that might spot him.

by Anonymus Bosch June 30, 2006

prairie-dogging

A phenomenon where, in a landscape of office cubicles, a number of people stand up to look around over the tops of the cube walls. Usually an unexpected/loud noise or verbal exchange will cause the curious to rise like prairie dogs out of their holes. The people will scan the cube horizon and soon sit back down.

The white noise system was going nuts and making crazy barking sounds--nobody could get much done because of all the prairie-dogging.

by Anonymus Bosch June 30, 2006