Bill Peters's definitions

short

Military and prison adjective for describing someone nearing the end of their tour of duty, enlistment or incarceration. A short-timer is someone who has less then 90 days to serve. A Korean War veteran told me these terms were in wide use in the late 1940s; they have been in continuous wide use in the military since then.

Sargeant: "Get you head out of your ass -- make something of yourself soldier."
Private (to self): "I'm short . . . I don't give a fuck."

by Bill Peters August 22, 2006

blue vein society

See also brown bag test
A group of African Americans which limits its membership to "blue veins" or light skinned black people. During the turn of the century there were self-proclaimed Blue Vein Societies in dozens of US cities representing the miniscule Black upper and upper-middle classes. The societies aped partician white "Blue Blood Socieities" (satirzed by Edith Wharton) and their cheif purpose seems to have been to sponsor balls as meeting places for elgible "blue veined" youth.

The African American write Charles W. Chestnutt describes the origin of the term in the quote below when talking about the Cleveland Blue Vein Society.

"Some envious outsider made the suggestion that no one was eligible for membership who was not white enough to show blue veins. The suggestion was readily adopted by those who were not of the favored few, and since that time the society, though possessing a longer and more pretentious name, had been known far and wide as the "Blue Vein Society," and its members as the "Blue Veins." "
-- Charles W. Chesnutt, "The Wife of His Youth", 1898

by Bill Peters August 19, 2006

Boricua

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AMAZING -- A definition that isn't racist !
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(n) Appellation many Puerto Ricans prefer as a matter of ethnic pride. “Boricua” was the name Puerto Rico’s indigenous Indians, the Taino, gave to their island. The term means “valiant people.” (The Puerto Rican national anthem is "La Borinqueña." Other spellings are: Boriquén, Borinquen, or Borinquén).

Boricua College is a non-traditional four year institution started in New York in 1973. The college has 1200 mostly low income students on its campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

by Bill Peters November 30, 2006

amp up

(vb) To turn up the volume or intensity.

The basketball team needs to amp up its defense.

His Math SAT is just 520. He better amp up 30 decibels to get into M.I.T.

Can't hear you dog. Amp it up, will you?

by Bill Peters October 9, 2006

turtle suit

Kelvar vest or body armor

GIs often don't want to wear turtle suits because it restricts their moblity and range of motion, but it has proven to have saved hundreds of lives.

by Bill Peters October 12, 2006

Ali Baba

Unfortunate term among Iraq War GIs to describe any Iraqi bad guy: looter, thief, insurgent, terrorist, or suspect.

The use of "Ali Baba" is probably not helping us win the war for Hearts and Minds in Iraq.

by Bill Peters October 9, 2006

krunk

This one comes from the south and was part of "Bama Talk." It means to have a HELL OF A GOOD TIME. Often, but not always, it is understood that booze is involved.

"Let's go down to Stagga Lee's and get krunked tonight."

by Bill Peters July 13, 2006