Amateur radio (ham radio) morse code abbreviation for wife.
Hams call any (assumed) single female ham radio operator a YL or "young lady". A ham radio operator's wife is often called an XYL or "ex-young lady" even if she is a ham. Male operators are always called OM or "old man". There is an obvious double standard for women.
It's impossible to tell whether a person sending morse code is a man or a woman. Still, it was the custom for a long time to greet any operator on morse code as OM. Thankfully that custom is dying out. Now no gender assumption is made.
Some women ham radio operators find XYL offensive. These operators prefer that hams refer to all women as YLs. The term XYL is still used frequently on the air however. Perhaps this is because the vast majority of ham radio operators are men and apathetic about the feelings of women operators.
I agree with women operators that advocate for the universal use of YL especially since it is no longer customary to greet every ham on morse with OM. The universal use of YL also removes a double standard.
Hams call any (assumed) single female ham radio operator a YL or "young lady". A ham radio operator's wife is often called an XYL or "ex-young lady" even if she is a ham. Male operators are always called OM or "old man". There is an obvious double standard for women.
It's impossible to tell whether a person sending morse code is a man or a woman. Still, it was the custom for a long time to greet any operator on morse code as OM. Thankfully that custom is dying out. Now no gender assumption is made.
Some women ham radio operators find XYL offensive. These operators prefer that hams refer to all women as YLs. The term XYL is still used frequently on the air however. Perhaps this is because the vast majority of ham radio operators are men and apathetic about the feelings of women operators.
I agree with women operators that advocate for the universal use of YL especially since it is no longer customary to greet every ham on morse with OM. The universal use of YL also removes a double standard.
by poorbrokegradstudent September 02, 2010
Brutal Spanish dictator (1947-1975) that ran a fascist nightmare police state. Also known as Generalissimo or El Caduillo (The Leader). Admirer of Hitler and Mussolini.
Also: Darling of the hyper-right Catholic Traditionalist or Integrist set. Franco was a great patron of the Roman Catholic Church. Some extreme fundamentalist Catholics candy coat Franco's regime as a Catholic monarchical paradise on earth, when in fact it was just another example of a soul and life crushing totalitarian state.
Also: Darling of the hyper-right Catholic Traditionalist or Integrist set. Franco was a great patron of the Roman Catholic Church. Some extreme fundamentalist Catholics candy coat Franco's regime as a Catholic monarchical paradise on earth, when in fact it was just another example of a soul and life crushing totalitarian state.
Catholic fundie: Generalissimo Francisco Franco's reign was a great example of a Catholic Monarchy! Democracy is selfish since most people vote for their depraved self-interests. A benevolent Catholic king will create a moral state!
Sane agnostic: (sarcasm) Yeah! A murderous secret police, extreme censorship, death camps, arbitrary imprisonment and execution, and a megalomaniacal despot! Yep, sure beats free speech, freedom of religious assembly, and due process any day!
Sane agnostic: (sarcasm) Yeah! A murderous secret police, extreme censorship, death camps, arbitrary imprisonment and execution, and a megalomaniacal despot! Yep, sure beats free speech, freedom of religious assembly, and due process any day!
by poorbrokegradstudent August 15, 2010
Before 15 February 1971, the British pound was divided this way:
12d (pence) = 1s (shilling)
20s = one pound.
"penny" is the singular of "pence", as today. There were 240 pennies in a pound.
Why 'd'? One penny (1d) was formally called a 'denarius' after the Roman coin. This term was never used in popular language.
Sums below one pound (and sometimes over) were written s/d, such as 12/6 (said: twelve and six) or 5/- (said: five shillings).
There were a whole slew of interesting coins, including:
1/4d = farthing (from Anglo-Saxon, 'a fourth')
1/2d = ha'penny (half a penny)
3d = thruppence (a fourth of a shilling)
6d = sixpence (half a shilling)
2s = florin ("two bob bit"). A tenth of a pound.
2/6 = half crown ("two and six"). An eighth of a pound.
At the time of conversion, one shilling equaled 5p and one florin (two shillings) equaled 10p. A shilling in 1970 had approximately the value of 84p or $1.25 today.
The old pounds, shillings, pence system was a remnant of the early Middle Ages and Charlemagne! Continental Europe was all decimal coinage by the end of the 19th century. Tradition-bound Britain soldiered on until the beginning of the 70s.
12d (pence) = 1s (shilling)
20s = one pound.
"penny" is the singular of "pence", as today. There were 240 pennies in a pound.
Why 'd'? One penny (1d) was formally called a 'denarius' after the Roman coin. This term was never used in popular language.
Sums below one pound (and sometimes over) were written s/d, such as 12/6 (said: twelve and six) or 5/- (said: five shillings).
There were a whole slew of interesting coins, including:
1/4d = farthing (from Anglo-Saxon, 'a fourth')
1/2d = ha'penny (half a penny)
3d = thruppence (a fourth of a shilling)
6d = sixpence (half a shilling)
2s = florin ("two bob bit"). A tenth of a pound.
2/6 = half crown ("two and six"). An eighth of a pound.
At the time of conversion, one shilling equaled 5p and one florin (two shillings) equaled 10p. A shilling in 1970 had approximately the value of 84p or $1.25 today.
The old pounds, shillings, pence system was a remnant of the early Middle Ages and Charlemagne! Continental Europe was all decimal coinage by the end of the 19th century. Tradition-bound Britain soldiered on until the beginning of the 70s.
Shopkeeper, 1965: The Help! album costs thirty-two and six.
American in London, 1955: the British pound is so confusing! Better just put the coins on my palm and have the shopkeeper take the right amount. Hope I don't get swindled.
American in London, 1955: the British pound is so confusing! Better just put the coins on my palm and have the shopkeeper take the right amount. Hope I don't get swindled.
by poorbrokegradstudent August 21, 2010
Currently, the world's favorite Linux distribution. Ubuntu is a free distribution developed and managed by Canonical. There are many different Ubuntu packages that are customized for PC or server use, different microprocessors, RAM levels, hard drive space, and video. Ubuntu is a derivative of the Debian distribution of Linux. It uses the Debian package system (*.deb, dpkg) and repository system (apt-get, aptitude).
Ubuntu is the most viable open source competitor against Windows and Mac OSX to date. Sure, 31337 #4XX0rZ might compile a Linux kernel from scratch or custom configure their own Debian system. A Ubuntu distribution offers a one-stop installation that can be later customized according to user preferences or used as is. Almost everything can be done through the graphical interface rather than through text commands. Ubuntu can be a non-intimidating graphical GUI for casual computer users or a robust Debian-based distribution for computer nerds.
Ubuntu is the most viable open source competitor against Windows and Mac OSX to date. Sure, 31337 #4XX0rZ might compile a Linux kernel from scratch or custom configure their own Debian system. A Ubuntu distribution offers a one-stop installation that can be later customized according to user preferences or used as is. Almost everything can be done through the graphical interface rather than through text commands. Ubuntu can be a non-intimidating graphical GUI for casual computer users or a robust Debian-based distribution for computer nerds.
I've been programming computers for twenty years. I use Ubuntu on all of my computers because it's easy to install, easy to customize, and has great user forum support.
If you're tired of Windows viruses, crashes, and slowdowns, try Ubuntu. It has the same look and feel of Windows, but is more resistant to buggy programs.
If you're tired of Windows viruses, crashes, and slowdowns, try Ubuntu. It has the same look and feel of Windows, but is more resistant to buggy programs.
by poorbrokegradstudent December 26, 2010
The supposed "commoner name" of the reigning Monarch of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Commonwealth Realms.
People who call Queen Elizabeth II "Betty Windsor" are either anti-monarchy, small-r republican, apathetic, or satirists.
People who call Queen Elizabeth II "Betty Windsor" are either anti-monarchy, small-r republican, apathetic, or satirists.
English monarchist: Her Royal Highness will visit this august country of Canada in a fortnight.
American: Dude, I just go to school here. I'm not Canadian. Why should I care anyway? Betty Windsor's just a person, like anyone else.
English monarchist: How dare you sully our most Serene and Exalted Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms with a made-up commoner name!
American: Let's get real. She eats out of Tupperware every morning at breakfast.
American: Dude, I just go to school here. I'm not Canadian. Why should I care anyway? Betty Windsor's just a person, like anyone else.
English monarchist: How dare you sully our most Serene and Exalted Monarch of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms with a made-up commoner name!
American: Let's get real. She eats out of Tupperware every morning at breakfast.
by poorbrokegradstudent December 23, 2011
Ubiquitous 1990's late night TV infomercial phenomenon. PSN was a 1 900 number psychic service that charged astronomical per minute charges. Instead of merely hiring an actor to pose as a psychic and hawk services directly to a camera (see Miss Cleo), PSN employed past their prime entertainment personalities to "host" a casual roundtable discussion that persistently extolled the proficiency of the network psychics. PSN also used phone testimonials from shills to enhance a not so subtle peer pressure to dial the phone.
PSN's infomercial model proved very successful. Like Home Shopping Network and QVC, the creation of an artificial peer group to sell almost anything attracted many people with few social outlets.
PSN's infomercial model proved very successful. Like Home Shopping Network and QVC, the creation of an artificial peer group to sell almost anything attracted many people with few social outlets.
Back in 1993, Melvyn's mom racked up $10,000 in phone bills from watching Psychic Friends Network late at night. After the auto accident, she had nothing to do but lie in her full body cast and endlessly call for her horoscope.
by poorbrokegradstudent August 20, 2010