Glossary

Triple Ls

Liberal minded friends who gather for lunch
monthly for open and friendly discussion

Liberal : A person whose political philosophy is based on the belief in progress, the essential goodness of man, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties.
Mirriam Webster Dictionary (11th Edition). Thank you Lynn


	About Triple Ls Guide to the Website Current Topics Current Action Items Calendar Notes from the Members Topics History and Archives
			Glossary By GRANT BARRETT Back to index The concerns and interests of the nation are reflected in the words and expressions that flit to the fore. Here are just a few of the terms that became prominent or first appeared last year. anchor baby: a derogatory term for a child born in the United States to an immigrant. Since these children automatically qualify as American citizens, they can later act as a sponsor for other family members. digiroid: a test photograph taken with a cheap digital camera before a more expensive or complicated one is used. From digital plus Polaroid. frequent flier: a repeat offender; a recidivist; generally, a person who regularly or habitually uses or takes advantage of a service. From the airline industry term but now widely used in hospitals and by police officials. Fox lips: lips colored and lined with makeup to seem more prominent, said of female anchors on Fox News. God wink: something taken as evidence that a higher power is at work; a coincidence. Popularized by Squire Rushnell in his 2003 book, “When God Winks,” and in later books. A similar term is God breeze, a commonplace epiphany or revelation. hubby-sitter: a man hired to keep a woman’s husband out of trouble. Hummer house: an overly large single-family residence. Synonyms from earlier years are starter castle, faux chateau and McMansion. Internet courage: boldness of character that comes from the anonymity and distance inherent in Internet communication. jet people: asylum-seekers, refugees or immigrants who relocate by airplane. Constructed along the lines of boat people. Johnny Jihad: a Muslim or Muslim combatant. Although this term dates to 1996 or earlier, its heaviest usage by far has occurred since 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq. Katrina brain: forgetfulness, lack of concentration and failure to follow through on activities, characteristic of the post-traumatic stress of Hurricane Katrina. never event: a serious or life-endangering medical error. puppet mouth: a mouth framed by a deep fold running from below the nostrils to the mouth corners. Term used by cosmetic surgeons. seven-thousand-mile screwdriver: micromanagement of a situation from afar. Lately used to describe the difficulties of managing the war in Iraq. sneeze: a television advertisement shorter than 15 seconds. spaghetti bowl: the interconnected and tangled economic relationships of a group of nations. subzero: a size of clothing smaller than zero, same as size 00. sudden jihad syndrome: an outburst of violence from a seemingly stable and normal Muslim. vice mail: voice-mail messages disguised as confidential stock tips left on the wrong answering machine, a form of the pump-and-dump scam. zeteophobia: a fear of career-planning. Coined by John Krumboltz, a Stanford University professor. Grant Barrett is co-host of the KPBS radio program in San Diego “A Way With Words” and editor of the Double-Tongued Dictionary Website. Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company Back to index