johnmburt1960's definitions

Twonky

A new technology which is highly disruptive to established ways of doing things. Named after a device from the future in Henry Kuttner's 1942 short story "The Twonky", which upsets the life of a man who comes into possession of it.

This 3D printer isn't just a toy, it makes things I can really use around the house. That's a real twonky as far as shopping goes.

by johnmburt1960 May 14, 2018

whale dynamite

Trying something which has failed spectacularly in the past, the way that Oregon authorities tried to remove a rotting whale carcass from a beach with dynamite, apparently thinking it would vanish in a fireball rather than being spread over a wide area in the form of chunks of rancid whale blubber -- and then thirty years later tried to do the same thing.

Cutting rich people's taxes in order to stimulate the economy is nothing but whale dynamite.

by johnmburt1960 July 19, 2017

Humansplain

To explain to someone who has engaged in mansplaining, whitesplaining, richsplaining, &c., the error they have fallen into due to their privileged position.

He said he had trouble finding comfortable shoes for the office, too, and I humansplained to him that there is no shoe made for men which was anything like as uncomfortable as the two-inch heel minimum required by the company dress code.

by johnmburt1960 August 2, 2017

WW55

Driving at 55 mph in a car old enough to have wind wings on the front windows, as an alternative to air conditioning.

After work, let's go cruise on Circle Boulevard, WW55.

by johnmburt1960 August 7, 2006

wolfling

A person, minority group or country seen as getting "uppity" for wanting to be accepted as an equal, in spite of not having a conventional background.

From Gordon R. Dickson's novel "Wolfling", and much used by author David Brin.

"Iraq was seen by Western nations as a wolfling country, daring to rise out of the Third World with things like modern infrastructure, manufacturing and even a space program."

by johnmburt1960 April 26, 2014

fruad

Fruad (froo-AHD), n.: A person of the highest moral caliber, esp. one who is cheated out of a job which goes to someone grossly inferior

"Hillary Clinton was a fruad!!!"

by johnmburt1960 December 14, 2016

October 4

A good day to be born, since the "4th of October" is also known as "Ten-Four", which means "Everything's Fine", so if you're born on "October 4th", you're sure to be good news for the world.

They're the coolest quartet from Archangelsk, the "October 4", they formed on "October 4", 2014.

by johnmburt1960 August 16, 2020