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Precautionary Principle

It is when a country attacks another country (or entity) that it fears may plan to attack it later. In other words, it takes action not because of factual threat but of mere potential risk. The precautionary principle is also applied when someone is detained or jailed not because of what he has actually done but because of what the government or police think he may potentially do.
The United States attacked and occupied Iraq using the Precautionary Principle. Nothing would prevent it to use the same principle to attack Iran.
by yoova October 4, 2006
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The idea that someone is guilty unless they can come up with another person who is either guilty or a strong suspect. The idea is usually based on an imprecise process of elimination.
Parent to child: Did you do it?
Child: No.
Parent: Well if you didn't do it, then who did?
Nearby observer: Ah ha, she's using the guilty until alternate suspect principle.
by BillyBuggy March 17, 2011
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Related Words

The Jorgensen Principle

The principle that drunk people go down, not up.
We have to get a room above the party floor because of The Jorgensen Principle.

We didn't have sex last night because my boyfriend was drunk (and fulfilled The Jorgensen Principle).
by AllieCat March 8, 2014
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Priscilla Presley

The gorgeous ex wife of Elvis Presley and mother of his only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.
Did you see that tramp with Elvis?
Yeah, that's his wife, Priscilla Presley.
by Lindsay MacLean January 22, 2009
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Tosh.0 Principle

The Tosh.0 Principle describes an increasingly common and rather infuriating occurrence in which an obscure joke, character, story, or other piece of media is referenced in mainstream media, causing everybody to think it originated from the latter.

Named after the TV show Tosh.0, which provides commentary on internet viral videos. Other notorious culprits include South Park, Family Guy, and rap music.
You: "Have you seen that video of the crazy Ugandan preacher talking about gay people?"

Your Friend: "You mean the one from Tosh.0?"

You: "The Tosh.0 Principle strikes again!"

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Your Friend: "Hey, turn it up. This is that MC Hammer song."

You: "This is Super Freak, you idiot."

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Your Friend: "What are you reading?"

You: "The Call of Cthulhu."

Your Friend: "Isn't that a Metallica song?"
by voltaire1994 November 13, 2010
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FM Principal

A term or phrase used to describe how a concept, idea, or equation operates. Heard most extensively from college students studying complex educational programs such as advanced mathematics or electro optics, the “F” stands for “F**king” and the “M” stands for “Magic”. The FM Principle can be used to describe: how a professor arrived at the answer to an equation, how a professor determined your grade for an assignment, or for instance, how to derive the transfer function of a 5th order chebyshev low pass filter.

When a concept or idea seems beyond the scope of reason or is considered unfathomable, it is often referred to as the "FM Principle".
College Student 1: How did the professor get that number?

College Student 2: Oh that? That's the FM Principal.

College Student 1: Huh?

College Student 2: The FM Principal... It's F**king Magic!
by Ydarb Smailliw February 19, 2009
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Haunted cities principle

The principle advanced by some parapsychologist that there are thousands of ghost that haunt the world's large cities because that is where the most people live and when they die some of them become earthbound and haunt the cities. And over the years those cities acumulate more and more ghost Also many ghost like to be around where there are a lot of people because they like the energy that comes off them and they can use that energy to remain earthbound.
So when you see a person on a street corner in a large city it is probably just another person but there is a chance it is not.
by Deep blue 2012 February 21, 2010
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