Morbid irrational fear of biotechnology and/or its products. Endlessly incited by born-again hippie fundamentalists, who would prefer us all to live like Freddie Flintstone. From Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (an endlessly quoted popular reference) and the suffix -phobia.
Morning Flower is spreading her Frankenphobia around again, telling everyone genetically modified tomatoes are bad for their children.
When are these very very trendy people going to accept that Frankenphobia is soooooo yesterday?
When are these very very trendy people going to accept that Frankenphobia is soooooo yesterday?
by Fearman December 16, 2007
Practice used in televised sessions in the UK's House of Commons (and other places) of surrounding the speaker at any one time with a coterie of camp followers who would yell "hear hear" and other such things. This would hopefully work to distract the cameraman's attention from the facts that firstly, most of the seats in the chamber would be empty, and secondly most of the remainder would be occupied by MPs who were filling in crosswords, sleeping, or otherwise unengaged in parliamentary business.
by Fearman November 18, 2007
The sort of intelligence possessed by narcissists who spend half the time guffing about how mentally developed they are and spend the other half making the same stupid mistakes ... again and again and again. From the so-called Law of Infinitesimals followed in preparing homeopathic doses, which alleges that the more medicine there is in the medicine, the less medicine there is in the medicine, and vice versa.
Sarah told me how stupid all her classmates are, and then went off to shell out for another month of mildew under her cowboy landlord. She has plenty of intelligence, does ol' Sarah, but I'm afraid it's mostly homeopathic intelligence.
by Fearman April 10, 2008
Expression first popularised by Jack Nicholson in the character of Col. Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men (1992, dir. Rob Reiner), when he blows up in court in Tom Cruise's face. Handy exclamation to direct at the computer screen when somebody votes down an eminently rational definition on urbandictionary. Parodied by Sideshow Bob in an episode of The Simpsons ("Pish! I deride your truth-handling abilities!").
by Fearman April 14, 2008
Morbid or irrational fear of pink elephants. A motivating factor in many Prohibitionist or Temperance movements.
by Fearman March 06, 2008
Psychological effect noted by psychologist Bertram R. Forer in 1948, under which any fairly large and diverse group of people may come to believe that a tenuously balanced personality reading (especially one which, for the purpose of the test, is copied and handed out for them to ponder individually) applies strongly to each of them as individuals. Later studies have shown that the effect tends to be strongest when the recipient is given to understand that the reading has supposedly been tailored to them as an individual, that the person making the propositions is an authority they feel they can trust, and/or that most or all of the personality traits listed are positive ones, in other words flattering. The Forer effect may be of import in understanding the popularity of such pseudosciences as fortune telling or astrology.
Personality reading used to illuminate the Forer effect (thanks to Wikipedia):
You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.
Now ... how does this apply to YOU?
You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.
Now ... how does this apply to YOU?
by Fearman March 11, 2008
Very self-righteous vegetarian. Incisor-bearing organism in serious denial. Thinks all meat-eaters are scum and constantly refers to various forms of repast as "dead pig", "dead cow", "dead shrimp", and so on. Typically (and fittingly) weedy as hell. Likely to tell you that "you are what you eat" ... so, where do they store their chlorophyll?
A: It's not all a kooky cult, you know, many famous people down through history have been vegetarians ...,
B: Name one.
A: Ummmm ...,
A: How about Adolf Hitler? He was a veget-type Aryan, wasn't he?
B: Name one.
A: Ummmm ...,
A: How about Adolf Hitler? He was a veget-type Aryan, wasn't he?
by Fearman August 03, 2007