The Logical Fallacy's definitions

Schrödinger's Douchebag

A guy who says offensive things and decides whether he was joking based on the reaction of people around him.

Any website that lacks effective moderation and allows some level of anonymity will, to varying degrees, approxomate 4chan, and be overrun with Schrödinger's Douchebags. Now this type of person defends, for instance, rape-jokes by saying "all humor is inherently punching down because there must be a butt to every joke." He hasn't thought about it. he assumes it's true because he figures "(he's) a smart guy, and whatever (he) assumes is probably right", but he's unfazed if you prove otherwise. There's no shortage of dodgy reasons he might be right and you wrong. He'll just pick another one. What matters is the game continues.

-- Innuendo Studios example of Schrödinger's Douchebag, "The Alt-Right Playbook: The Card Says Moops"

by The Logical Fallacy February 3, 2019

Aligherian

An adjective that applies to ironic punishment, often one that fits the crime or foible they are being punished for.

Named after Dante Alighieri, who's epic poem "Inferno" made the punishments of the damned ironic to the sins they were being tortured for.

So the guy who beat dogs in life is being torn apart by hellhounds for eternity? How Aligherian.

by The Logical Fallacy February 19, 2024

Playing Hot Potato with a Pineapple

Desperately trying to ditch an object that harms its holder.

In the Ready Player One movie, the High Five were passing along Chucky the Living doll in hopes of not getting stabbed. They were Playing Hot Potato with a Pineapple. ...get it? Li-like a grenade?

by The Logical Fallacy May 29, 2018

soft power

The use of slow, pacifistic persuasion to de-escalate a problem, created from a moral righteousness through leadership. Contrast with hard power.

"Andrew Garfield however, offers a 'soft power' version of Spider-Man - he's constantly trying to persuade his enemies to stop their nonsense."
-- The Philosophy of Spider-Man – Wisecrack Edition

by The Logical Fallacy January 7, 2018

Koumpounophilia

An affection and/or love of buttons. Those that have this usually enjoy collecting buttons, using them in crafts and projects and even identify with them in some manner.

More extreme cases lead to a sexual arousal at the sight or mention of them.

"Yeah, uhuh, sure. Hey, where did you get that shirt?"
"The department store across the street. Why?"
"Well, its just... so many buttons... buuuuuuuttooooons! GIVE ME THOSE BUTTONS! I MUST HAVE THEM!!!"
--Example of Koumpounophilia

by The Logical Fallacy December 18, 2015

Valley of Virility

When something is so straight in its manliness that it becomes incredibly gay in the process, usually displayed in a visual metaphor similar to the Uncanny Valley.

"Remember that 'Valley of Virility' thing I once mentioned ? That's where I feel 'Top Gun' lies. It is so straight that it's looped back around to gay."
-- Rantasmo, "Top Gun Needs More Gay"

by The Logical Fallacy November 4, 2017

Black Dynamite Deduction

Where one deduces a solution to a problem or mystery by taking one clue and bringing it to another in a long chain of paranoid connections until it leads to the conclusion. Named after the famous ''Anaconda Malt Liquor Conclusion Scene'' in Black Dynamite, where the titular character somehow realizes that Anaconda Malt liquor was the government's secret weapon after Bullhorn said "melt in your mouth", making several arbitrary connections until it led to the answer.

*Gasp* "Human being"? That word kind of sounds like "bean." Beans are legumes, "legumes" has the word "leg" in it. Ian's mom has really nice legs, and Ian's mom is so old she's practically dead, which can only mean one thing! Oh my Bieber! YOU'RE BECOMING A ZOMBIE!
--Anthony Padilla from Smosh using Black Dynamite Deduction to deduce that Ian Hecox is becoming a zombie

by The Logical Fallacy July 16, 2016