Derived from the latin term "terrere" meaning 'to fill with fear' its meaning refers to the "potential" or "ability" to blunder or make mistakes frequently or to be terrible often with long-lasting results. Commonly utilised as an adjective or descriptive noun in a title, it is a linguistic cousin to ‘terrible’. E.g: Ivan the Terrability
Its origin can be indelibly traced back to the 12th century in Europe, although the exact instance and location is not certain, it is widely regarded to be first expressed in Petwēd (now Gjirokastër) Albania. Notable contemporary uses of the term on record are featured in Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares S05, E10 and Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Uknown S11 E06.
The terrability of the Greek empire subsequent to the death of Alexander the Great (June 323 BC) resulted in the demise of world domination by Greece.
Greg, your elbow broke again? Sheesh, un-litty my dawg you and your terrabilities.
Nickname given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes. Origin is reportedly from members of the US Coast Guard in the area of Southern Florida.
A sunburn or suntan focused on the left arm. It is caused by the left side of the body being the only half that gets exposed to sunlight while driving. Presumably, it would be located on the right side of the body in countries where they drive on the left side of the road.
I had a trucker's tan after driving for 10 straight hours on a sunny day.
British slang for a scientist or technical expert, esp . when the speaker is not certain of the expert’s specific field of study. Not necessarily derogatory, but typically used by persons without a technical background. In the US, the equivalent would be “egghead”, “squint”, or “geek.”
Origin of the word is unknown. Started sometime in World War 2. Given the typical evolution of British slang, could easily have started because what these experts did was confusing or “baffling” to the common person.