speedog's definitions

Roman salute

Noun: a manner of military salutation allegedly peculiar to ancient Rome, in which the right arm and hand are extended and elevated in the direction of any superior officer, or in the absence of any such superior, in the geographical direction of Rome itself, accompanied by the Latin phrase "Ave Caesar" ("Hail Caesar").

"Immediately upon taking command of the Antonia fortress, the tribune Messala executed the Roman salute to the former fortress commandant."

by speedog May 2, 2010

getgone

Noun: an automobile or other motor vehicle, particularly (but not exclusively) one with the capability for high road speed.

"We'll use my getgone later to drive over to Jen's house."

by Speedog September 5, 2009

Let 'em have it

American military slang: to commence hostilities against an adversary.

After the enemy squad failed to halt their advance on our position, Lt. Johnson shouted "Let 'em have it", and we had to open fire.

by speedog June 23, 2010

slight the colors

Phrase (military parlance): to deliberately present a captured enemy flag or banner in an insulting manner, most usually by inclining the supporting staff downwards so that the flag or banner itself touches the ground.

Following the surrender of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad, the order was given by General Zhukov to slight the colors of the defeated German forces.

by speedog July 7, 2010

Mocha Dick

Noun: an albino male sperm whale known to inhabit the Pacific Ocean near Mocha Island in the early 19th century, credited with sinking several whaling ships which were in pursuit of members of his pod. Considered the inspiration for Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick, or The Whale", published in 1851.

As the harpoon boats approached, Mocha Dick played dead, evidently to lure them in closer, until he could counter-attack.

by speedog June 13, 2010

white dwarf

Noun (astrophysics term): the small, highly-dense stellar body remaining after the nova detonation of a "main sequence" star, typically Earth-sized in overall dimension, but displacing a gravitational mass equivalent to that of the Earth's Sun.

Astrophysicists now calculate that white dwarf stars may account for as much as 6% of all the known stars in our quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy.

by speedog July 13, 2010

boob smash

Noun (athletic slang): a wrestling technique in which an aggressor female thrusts her torso against the torso of her combatant, the object being to upset the balance of the combatant and thereby obtain confrontational advantage.

In the now-famous "Miller Lite Catfight" TV commercial, Tonya Ballinger uses the boob smash against her erstwhile opponent, Kitana Baker, in the cement mixing tray.

by speedog July 10, 2010