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equivalent exchange
Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange.
"Alchemy: the science of understanding the structure of matter, breaking it down, then reconstructing it as something else. It can even make gold from lead. But alchemy is a science so it must follow the natural laws: to create, something of equal value must be lost. This is the principal of equivalent exchange. But I learned that night that some things cannot be measured on a simple scale. My brother and I knew the laws of science, of equivalent exchange. The game required sacrifice, that something had to be taken from us, but we thought there was nothing more we could loose....We were wrong."
~Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
~Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist)
equivalent exchange by one/and/only/truth December 20, 2010
Related Words
Equivalent exchange.
People cannot gain anything without sacrificing something. You must present something of equal value in order to gain something. That is the principle of equivalent exchange in alchemy.
Equivalent exchange. by The_Heartbreak_Kid June 13, 2005
Equivocado
Equivocado by Ari936 April 23, 2003
equivocate
equivocate by Larstait November 14, 2003
Equivalent
Person 1: Yo dude that joke straight up killed, I'm fucking dying on the floor
Person 2: Equivalent
Person 1: The fuck does that mean?
Person 2: Equivalent
Person 1: The fuck does that mean?
Equivalent by Mr. Vreys April 25, 2017
bullshit equivalent
Oh, would you look at that?
He's the bullshit equivalent of Leroy Brown!
What I need is the bullshit equivalent of a flux capacitor that will take me BACK to the place and time where that was last considered cool....
and REJECT IT on principal!
He's the bullshit equivalent of Leroy Brown!
What I need is the bullshit equivalent of a flux capacitor that will take me BACK to the place and time where that was last considered cool....
and REJECT IT on principal!
bullshit equivalent by Thygeekgoddess March 5, 2017
More from Urban Dictionary
Boffin
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.
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.
Pee Calculus
When you have to pee in a movie but don’t want to miss anything, and must do the following mental equation: will the amount I have to pee cause enough discomfort to diminish my attention capacity for the remainder of the movie to an extent which is greater than the amount of the movie I would miss by making a mad dash to the restroom.
Pee Calculus by anorlondo October 1, 2026
Word of the Day on October 2, 2026
Ajumma
Ajumma by aintnotinbutnice July 5, 2009
Word of the Day on September 30, 2026
Slop Grenade
When someone uses AI to generate a large document, slide deck, or piece of code/software and tosses it over the fence for you to deal with.
Chad: Hey Brent I sent you the new backend API change to review, it’s only 100 files changed.
Brent: he just tossed me a slop grenade
Brent: he just tossed me a slop grenade
Slop Grenade by Joe Squid September 28, 2026
Word of the Day on September 29, 2026