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Who will watch the watchmen? 

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"Who will watch the watchmen?" is a translation of the phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" made famous by the Roman Poet Juvenal in his satires.

Contextually it referred to the notion that male guards should not guard women against sexual assault as they themselves are capable of committing such crimes, the only solution would be to have the women guarded by eunuchs.

Generally though it is considered the embodiment of the philosophical question as to where ultimate power should reside. It can be attributed as the basis, or at least the summarization, of the United States' concept of division of political power. At any given moment a watchman is watched by two watchmen thus eliminating the possibility of corruption.

The phrase is also well known as the basis for the graphic novel, and film, Watchmen.

Synonymous phrases include:
Who will guard the guards?
Who will protect the protectors?
Who will police the police?
"Privacy is a farce, if you have done nothing wrong then you have nothing to hide. Surveillance is the only way to assure that no crime goes unpunished."

"But who will watch the watchmen? Themselves?"

watchmen 

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The best fucking comic ever made. written by alan moore and illustrated by dave gibbons in 1985-86
i ead watchmen, and i hpoe they make it into a movie that doesn't suck
watchmen by Dave Evans July 20, 2003

Watchmen Future Planet 

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A handheld game for the Nintendo DS that takes place after the events of the critically acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The story is set on a far off planet where Dr. Manhattan has fulfilled his promise to create new life. The planet is occupied by lazer gun toting cowboys and newly created counterparts to our planets heroes. The Various missions include getting Rorschach's Vegas wedding annulled, walking a circus tightrope, and defending a brothel from a hoard of corrupt cowboys. The game received so many negative reviews that the publishers tried to disavow the games existence to the extent of erasing it from the internet.
Person 1: I just tried to look the game up. Watchmen Future Planet must be one of those games that was so bad they erased it from existence.

Person 2: That's gotta be it.

Watchmengate

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"Watergate" parody term referring to the high-stakes legal battle between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. regarding the rights to the movie Watchmen.
"I'm a huge fan of Watchmen, but I hope this whole Watchmengate thing doesn't get the movie cancelled."
Watchmengate by BlackDoomShadow January 9, 2009

watchamacallit 

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A word used to replace a word that you don't know. "Doohickey" and "thingamajig" are equivalents.
You just push the button on the watchamacallit, then it's ready!
watchamacallit by th100 May 27, 2010

The Watchmaker (from the legend of 11:11) 

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The watchmaker was a man who treated his creations like children. When he was too old to work, he told his “children” and they gave him immortality. Now he magically mends clocks and is like the “mailman” for good wishes. When a person makes good wishes on 11:11 a.m. or p.m., he delivers the “good news” if the wish is granted.
The Watchmaker (from the legend of 11:11) is from the book, "The Wishing Year, a legend for most ages" by Crystal

pagesbycrystal.weebly.com
More from Urban Dictionary

Overstand 

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To understand a topic or statement to the highest extent.
Leroy, after being told the tenth time by his sister, did overstand her idea of robbing the 7-11.
Overstand by Elf Eater March 23, 2003
Word of the Day on August 20, 2026

minimap 

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A map that mostly tells you where everything is
Friend 1: Follow me there is a player nearby
Friend 2: How do you know?
Friend 1: Minimap
minimap by LeWord January 13, 2015
Word of the Day on August 19, 2026

Pink Cloud

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12 step recovery jargon referring to someone new who talks about how great life is, now that they're sober. Usually meaning that the person is out of touch with reality.
The new guy seems pretty happy for a dude who has no job, no money and no family. He must be on a pink cloud.
Pink Cloud by toniwithaneye November 24, 2006
Word of the Day on August 18, 2026

Dotard 

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An aging individual who has long lost the ability to make rational sense.
That dotard is going to get us all blown up, if he doesn't calm down .
Dotard by anonymous September 22, 2017
Word of the Day on August 17, 2026

Chancla

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The deadliest weapon known to a Latin kid; a flying slipper/ flip-flop.
My mom hit me with a chancla.
Chancla by TardisBae October 31, 2014
Word of the Day on August 16, 2026

Striver 

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The striver is an interesting phenomenon that is seen across college campuses. In essence, the striver is an over-achiever who comes from a working or middle class family. He may be an immigrant. He may have been a slacker in HS who was "born again" into an academic wunderkind. Or he may just be an over-achiever who is keeping at it.

The striver is willing to sacrifice his social life at the expense of Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. The striver is the guy who stays at the library long after you are gone. The striver is the guy who takes 30 credits/semester and considers anything below an A/4.0 failure. The striver doesn't work on campus, he is too busy finding ways to pad his resume instead of working retail or workstudy. The striver lets his grades pay his education by applying to ten scholarships a year.

The striver is a future Soros/Fullbright/Rhodes/Gates/Marshall/etc. fellow. The striver lives to study. For the striver, their fun comes from the rewards they expect to receive in return for their diligence. Be it Law School, B-School, academia, or politics. The striver seeks to find the American Dream through academic success.
Anthony was a striver. He transfered from a TTT to an IVY and graduated in 2 years. He studied his ass off and went to Penn Law. He got a Biglaw offer. But lost it all because of an unmoderated mesasgeboard.

Successful strivers:
- Barack Obama
- Harold Koh
Striver by URM Striver January 3, 2009
Word of the Day on August 15, 2026
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