speedog's definitions

Essex

Noun: a 238-ton whaling ship, based out of Nantucket Island (USA), famously sunk on November 20, 1820 in an encounter with "Mocha Dick", an albino sperm whale defending his pod against human predation. Incident widely acknowledged as the direct inspiration for Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick, or The Whale".

"Following the second hull strike by Mocha Dick, the Essex crew had only minutes to provision the surviving boats and cast-off before the ship sank."

by speedog June 16, 2010

bed wrecker

A female whose physical activities during sexual relations are particularly energetic, or who evidences a propensity for female ejaculation.

"You should have told me Jill was a bed wrecker. Now I have to do an extra load of laundry".

by Speedog September 15, 2009

self destruct

Verb: to voluntarily destroy oneself, and/or any property under ones control, in order to deny any advantage to ones enemy(ies).

"As the Soviet Army surrounded the Stalingrad bunker, Hitler gave the order to Field Marshall von Paulus to self destruct, which he disobeyed."

by speedog May 3, 2010

Roman handshake

Noun: a manner of shaking hands peculiar to ancient Rome, in which the parties grasp each others right wrist.

"The Roman handshake was the accepted practice of greeting among gentlemen in the Western world from the beginning of the 1st century BC until the end of the 5th century AD."

by speedog April 30, 2010

tortoise

Noun (ancient Roman military term): a battle tactic in which a squad of soldiers close ranks into a tight square and link their shields over their heads and at their sides all around, creating a nearly impenetrable formation which can advance and engage enemy positions at close range without taking heavy casualties.

During the battle at the Moon Gate in Alexandria, Caesar ordered the deployment of the tortoise formation to neutralize the enemy ballistas.

by speedog July 27, 2010