Official Dictionary of Unofficial English-Grant-Barrett-0071458042

hyzer

ground. A disc which is held flat has no hyzer. 1993 David Oberhelman Chicago Tribune (Aug. 20) “Disc Golf Tries to Put a Spin on Leisure Time,” p. 4 ! As precision and confidence increase, expand your arsenal to discs that angle right (in the lingo, a “hyzer” for a right-handed thrower) and left, and a putter. 2004 News-Herald

(Southgate, Mich.) (Aug. 4) “Spin: Learn the Lingo” (Int.) ! Hyzer: When using a backhand throw, the disc’s flight arc, which causes it to fall in the direction opposite of the throwing arm. For a right-handed player a backhand hyzer shot fades to the left, a sidearm shot fades right.

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I

IDP n. a person who is a refugee or (forced) migrant within his or her own nation (or region). Acronym. Jargon. Politics. [internally displaced person(s) or people]

1994 Mark Dodd (Reuters) (May 4) “Cambodian Fighting Closes in on Key Northwestern Town” ! There’s 30 to 40,000 internally displaced in Battambang—it’s the largest IDP (internally displaced people) prob-

Davin A. Hutchins Egypt Today (Cairo) (May)

! Many scrape by in Jabal Ulia, Jabaronna or Wad Al-Bashir—government-run camps for internally displaced per- sons—IDPs, in refugee argot—on the outskirts of Khartoum.

i18n n. internationalization. Technology. [The “18” replaces the middle 18 letters in the word internationalization.] This term usually is used in the localization of software, in which all text is translated into other foreign languages. It is sometimes written as il8n, where the second letter is a lowercase L, rather than a numeral 1. It is usually not capitalized to avoid confusion between an uppercase I and the second letter. A similar word is l10n ‘localization.’

1991 Usenet: rec.guns (May 7) “Buy American?” [in “from” field]

! I’ve got an I18N hat on this week. 1998 Karl Mamer Toronto Sun

(Can.) (Mar. 1) “Unicode Brings Together World’s Alphabets” ! A big part of i18n is incorporating a new character code that can comfortably represent every alphabet in the world. 2005 [cobrabyte] Slashdot

(June 23) “How Are You Accomplishing Your i18n?” (Int.) ! My team has recently been given the task of implementing internationalization (i18n) in our MySQL databases (PHP-interfaced).

I love me wall n. a public display of awards, certificates, plaques, and photographs with or from celebrities, etc.; a brag wall. Also me wall, love me wall.

1989 Tom Clancy Clear and Present Danger

(Aug. 1), p. 112 ! The wall on the left was liberally covered with plaques of the ships he’d served on, and enough signed photographs for a Hollywood agent’s office. Naval officers call this phenomenon the I LOVE ME! wall, and

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impact incarceration

while most of them have one, they usually keep it at home. 1991

Mary G. Gotschall @ Beverly Hills, Calif. Regardie’s (Washington, D.C.) (Jan. 1) “The Machine Behind Michael Milken,” vol. 11, no. 5, p. 58

! His office boasts a “me wall” that would be the envy of any Washington lobbyist; it’s full of autographed photos of himself with Ronnie and Nancy and George and Barbara. It spells access. 1992 Ted Bryant

Oregonian (Portland) (Apr. 23) “From Russia, with Love,” p. 1 ! Citations and certificates filled what he smiling calls “my Wonderful-Me wall.” 1994 Raymond Smith Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) (Feb.

24) “Firefighter’s Enthusiasm Is Unquenchable,” p. B1 ! Then there is what Hendershot calls the “I Love Me Wall.” A dozen plaques from over the years attest to his and his wife’s community service. 1995

Ron Dalrymple The Feeding (Jan. 1), pp. 74-75 ! Schizm’s office was posh, with glass bookcases, photographs of the great man receiving awards, and an array of degrees and fellowships on the walls. O’Murphy said, “That’s a great I LOVE ME WALL.” 2005 Alexandra Jacobs

N.Y. Times (June 26) “ ‘The Washingtonienne’: D.C. Horizontal” (Int.)

! It’s amusing to see Washington fixed by such a vodka-gimlet eye; we can all recognize the type of government geek who refuses to remove his security badge—“how canine,” sniffs Jackie—or posts photos of himself taken with famous politicians on a “Me Wall.”

impact incarceration n. jail or prison time structured with discipline and drills similar to a military boot camp. Also high-impact incarceration. Crime & Prisons. Jargon. United States.

1990 Charles N. Wheeler III @ Springfield, Ill. Chicago Sun-Times (Apr. 7) “Boot Camp Proposed for Youthful Offenders,” p. 1 ! A prison work camp in southern Illinois will be turned into a militarystyle boot camp designed to shock youthful offenders out of a life of crime, Gov. Thompson announced Friday. The planned “impact incarceration” program could open this fall. 1990 James Barron N.Y. Times (Aug. 2) “Boot-Camp Jail to Begin in Fall at Rikers Island,” p. B2

! The New York City Correction Commissioner said yesterday that a “high impact incarceration plan”—similar in some ways to the state’s boot-camp program for prisoners—would begin at Rikers Island in September. 2004 James Washburn Lincoln Courier (Ill.) (June 19) “Guilty Plea Lets Lincoln Man, 25, Avoid Lengthy Prison Term” (Int.)

! A 25-year-old Lincoln man pleaded guilty Friday to unlawful criminal drug conspiracy, a Class II felony, and was sentenced to four years in prison with a recommendation for impact incarceration, also known as boot camp.

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interview without coffee

inter view without coffee n. a formal disciplinary meeting or official reprimand; a dressing-down. Military. United Kingdom.

1990 John Goodbody Times (London, Eng.) (Apr. 2) “Greater Communication Urged to Fight Drugs” ! Mahony said that the final interview by the IOC Medical Commission “was one of the most unpleasant, intimidating experiences of my life. After two carefree days, with a medal burning a hole in my pocket, it was an interview without coffee. It was not a pleasant experience.” 1999 Usenet: uk.people.exforces (Apr. 30) “Re: Off Topic Fried Bread” ! “ ‘Stern’ warning, does that mean ‘Off Caps’ at Defaulters on the QD?” “An interview without coffee?” 2000 Belfast News Letter (Ireland) (Sept. 16) “RIR Officer

! The first step will be a formal reprimand by a senior officer, who could even be the Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Command, General Sir Mike Jackson. The procedure is known in the Army as “an interview without coffee.” The outcome will be reflected in his service record. 2000 Usenet: alt.military.army-cadet (Jan. 27) “Re: What Would You Do?” ! A definite Commandant’s “IWOC” (as we used to say in the Regulars...an “Interview without Coffee”) and serious disciplinary sanction. (Demotion? Transfer?) 2001 Matthew Hickley Hobart Mercury (Australia) (Dec. 1) “Daring Raid Fails to Nab bin Laden” ! Eighteen Taliban were killed and dozens wounded and taken prisoner. I imagine they will be given a fair but tough interro- gation—what the lads call interview without coffee. 2004 Robert Fox

Evening Standard (U.K.) (Jan. 19) “Troops Face an Unacceptable Level of Risk,” p. 2 ! The meeting between Geoff Hoon and Samantha, the widow of Sergeant Steve Roberts, shot after he had handed back his body armour in Iraq, will be something of an interview without cof- fee—military jargon for a commander’s dressing-down of a subordinate. 2004 James Kirkup, Gethin Chamberlain Scotsman (July 22) “Commanders Warn All Ranks to Silence Dissent in Public,” p. 2 !

Punishments could include “administrative action and a nasty letter or interview without coffee,” a reference to a formal disciplinary meeting with superior officers. 2005 Ireland On-Line (Jan. 21) “Officer Not Punished over Iraqi Crackdown Order” (Int.) ! The order by Major Dan Taylor breached the Geneva Convention and the crackdown which followed at an aid camp near Basra led to three soldiers being charged with abusing civilians. But Maj. Taylor was only dealt with at “summary level,” which means he was spoken to by senior officers—a process known in Army slang as “interview without coffee.” The officers concluded that he was guilty of no more than “misguided zeal,” the court heard today.

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iron ride

iron ride n. a roller coaster or similar railor track-based amusement. Entertainment.

1972 Horace Sutton Washington Post, Times Herald (July 16) “Coney Island of the West,” p. K5 ! Some of the old iron rides in new dress, of course, have been revived. Perhaps they are even more devilish than they were in the old days. A twin-track roller coaster has been built and two sets of cars soar down the speedways racing each other at 60 miles an hour. 1986 Bruce Horovitz L.A. Times (Mar. 25) “Two New Disneyland Attractions Will Be Months Late,” p. 7 ! Industry officials say this type of entertainment attraction—with video screens, flashing lights and popular rock music—is quickly replacing costly iron and steel rides. “They can get more bang for their buck with things like these,” said Harmon, the consultant. “I’m not sure the big iron ride makes sense anymore.” 1990 Pam Sherbourne et al. Amusement Business (Mar. 26) “Texas: An Amusement Business Special Section,” p. 17 ! Attraction to state’s traditional iron ride parks not fading.... Where the Texas pride shines the brightest is in the state’s outdoor, traditional iron ride parks. The Iron Parks. With an attendance in excess of 2.5 million, Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, leads all Texas parks in attendance. 2001 Harold Goldberg CNN.com

(July 31) “Roller Coaster Designers Exploit Gravity” (Int.) ! Iron rides continue to chug along stronger than ever, bringing in more visitors and more money. “A new coaster can add up to 11 percent to a park’s revenue.” 2005 Richard Ruelas Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (Mar. 21) “Legend City Offers Lessons for New Amusement Park” (Int.) ! They brought in more “iron rides,” industry parlance for roller coasters and Ferris wheels.

isht n. a euphemistic misspelling of shit, with the same uses and meanings. Also ish. Hip-Hop. This term is also a part of spoken language and in both written and oral cases a form of tabooavoidance. An unreliable source reports this term originated in the obscuring of obscenities in hip-hop recordings by rearranging their syllables. In American communities with Scandinavian heritage (mainly in Minnesota and Wisconsin), the unrelated interjection ish, indicating disgust or dislike, can be found. According to the

Dictionary of American Regional English, it derives from the Norwegian isj and the Danish and Swedish isch.

1994 Usenet: alt.rap (Oct. 30) “Re: DP Blowout Comb Question” ! It didn’t seem like he did much on the last album, but he could still cut that isht up in concert. 1995 Usenet: alt.rap (Feb. 22) “Re: Scared the #@%$ Outta Me!” ! On Public Enemy’s Muse Sick in Hour Mess Age

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item girl

(the CD), if you reverse past the first track (about 1:25), there is Chuck D on the mike talking isht. 1995 Usenet: alt.rap (Mar. 21) “Biz, the Roots, O.C., and Group Home” ! While waiting for PR & CL they shot the isht around freestyle like behind the curtain. 1999

Usenet: rec.sport.pro-wrestling.fantasy (July 25) “Re: RSPWF Reeks of Shit” ! You’re full of ish, you ish head. Incidentally, I have a strange

question: are you aware that “ish” is the term used instead of “shit” in many rap songs so they can be played on the radio, etc.? 2000

Usenet: alt.religion.christian.adventist (Mar. 16) “Re: How Do You Join the Church” ! I don’t give a “ish” what you think of the SDA church. God saved my old man’s life. 2005 Des Life in Text Format (Detroit, Mich.) (Mar. 7) “Things I Hate About Work” (Int.) ! Got they’re hair and nails did while the kids lookin’ bombed out—running through the store tearing ish up & acting a fool.... A lot of these chicks see me as a potential implant in a ready made family. They kids lookin’ at me ’n ish like “Are you gonna be our new daddy?”...If I take her to dinner, she wanna take a doggybag home to them and all that other ish.

2005 [babigirllena (Salena)] Tha Lyfe of That One Babi Girl (Mass.) (Mar. 9) “Driving” (Int.) ! Now imagine me on tha road. holy isht. havin mad cars around me waitin for me to do this, to do that.

item girl n. in Indian cinema, a woman who appears in an item song; (hence) a female actress, singer, or dancer, esp. one who is poised to become a star. Entertainment. India. Music. An item song or item number is a musical performance that has little do with the film in which it appears, but is presented mainly to showcase beautiful dancing women, to promote a song, or to lend marketability to a film. Item numbers often have a life on stage long after a movie has left theaters. There appears to be some confluence with the term “it” girl, to signify someone who is much talked about or sought after.

2000 Lata Khubchandani Times of India (Oct. 29) “I Was Almost Finished” ! Shilpa Shetty tells Lata Khubchandani that she’s happy to have abandoned her “item song” reputation and rebuilt her career from scratch. The one-time “item” girl has suddenly become one of the most sought after actresses in Bollywood. 2002 Indian Express

(India) (Oct. 6) “Are You Mad About Antara Mali?” ! For instance, it is believed Varma is yet to recover from Bollywood’s applause for the bestowal from his stable—the redesigned Matondkar to item-girl Isha. 2004 Kerala News (India) (Oct. 4) “Bollywood Starlets Head for Nepal to Chill Out” (in Kathmandu, Nepal) (Int.) ! Upcoming performers who start their careers in the Hindi film industry by

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item girl

doing dance numbers in films or music videos—”item girls” in Bollywood parlance—are now becoming part of Kathmandu’s entertainment scenario as well. 2005 Jhumari Nigam Times of India (June 27) “Straight Answers” (Int.) ! We don’t have just “item girls” but “item boys” as well. And why not? After all, a star is a commodity that helps to sell a film.

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J

jackass v. to do something by brute force or by human power; to travel a circuitous route or itinerary.

1930 Ralph J. Fairbanks Touring Topics (June) “My 73 Years on Southwestern Deserts,” no. 22, pp. 24-25 in Death Valley & the Amargosa (1986) Richard E. Lingenfelter, p. 409 ! In 1916 I made the strike that I’d been jack-assing for thirty-five years trying to locate.

*1938-39 R. Pecheur, machinist, 147 Grand St.; Fearing LOTJ “Machinists” ! Jackass, jackassing—to move by manpower a tool ordinarily machine-powered. Manpower in general. 1939 Maddin Malone L.A. Times (June 25) “The Drummer Still Drums in Los Angeles,” p. H19

! Mr. Brooker is such a good drummer that he doesn’t have to go “jackassing.” “Jackassing” is the trade term for taking samples to customers instead of having the customers come to the hotel to see the samples. 1955 John Hart Carpenter (Sept.) “All About Francis,” no. 75, pp. 29 31 in Calf’s Head & Union Tale (Oct. 1, 1996) Archie Green,

p. 134 ! Davis and Francis were jackassing the chute into place when in walks the architect. 1993 Carol Higgins Clark Decked (Aug. 1), p. 6

! Mrs. Watkin’s eyes grew heavy as Gavin helped her stagger to her

penthouse. I’ve got some job, he thought wistfully, jackassing people around the ship. 1999 Rob Kean The Pledge (Aug. 1), p. 544 ! He

knew enough about killing to know that it should be carried out quickly and cleanly or not carried out at all, and that jackassing all over campus in search of his target was just plain foolish. 2003

William J. Veigele Sea Bag of Memories (May 15), p. 15 ! There was a time when everything you owned had to fit in your Sea Bag.... You warped your spine jackassing the goofy thing through a bus or train station. 2005 Linda Fairstein Entombed (Jan. 4), p. 276 ! We’ve been jackassing all over the place since we left Manhattan.

janky adj. inferior, bad, weird. Also jinky, jainky, jankie, jankey.

Slang. United States. The connection between janky and jinky is uncertain, but as their usage seems interchangeable, I am defining them as a single term.

1993 Usenet: soc.culture.iranian (Apr. 19) “Leave My Login Alone!”

! You understand what I am saying? Stupid and your shers are very janky, just like you. 1994 Usenet: soc.penpals (Apr. 10) “4 All U Guys Out There” ! For those of you who get off on posting weird or Jinky

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Ja well no fine

letters go ahead do It. 1995 Usenet: rec.games.miniatures (Feb. 2) “Re: GW: Paints” ! Yep, wade in amongst the tired looking housewives wearing those janky looking jumpsuits buying neat little craft crap for christmas presents. 1995 Usenet: alt.society.generation-x (Feb. 4) “Re: Repubs 0, Demos 0—EVERYBODY Gets a Big Fat Zero...” ! When society gets really jinky about some stupid “claim,” I think it is entirely proper for individuals to kick society in the pants rather than give in.

1996 Usenet: alt.rap (Apr. 16) “Re: White Rappers” ! Jankie has two meanings. In most areas, jankie means flawed, bad, “booty” as you put it. : ) In Southern Cali, it does mean dope. 1997 Usenet: alt.fan.tank-girl (Mar. 6) “Re: TG Look...What Do YOU Do?” ! I posted a note that was witty and cute and informative in response to this posting. However, it got lost when my fucking server went jinky. 1997

Usenet:rec.games.trading-cards.magic.misc (Aug. 2) “Re: Whatever Happened to the Slang Dictionary” ! I believed it got 187ed when john tried to get al fruity-assed with weedwhacker. Kinda jankey if you ask me. 1997 Usenet: alt.comp.sys.palmtops.pilot (Sept. 10) “Re: Reseating Stylus in PalmPro Turns It Off” ! I got this yesterday, I thought it was just me. Except that the screen went all jinky and I had to do a soft reset. Very strange. 2000 Cintra Wilson A Massive Swelling (July 13), p. 101 ! Twenty-eight girls, most of whom were nervous and janky and fell down once or twice, slunk off to joylessly watch their bad numbers roll up on the screen. 2000 William Shaw Westside: Young Men and Hip Hop in L.A. (Apr. 12), p. 322 ! “That janky-ass bitch?” Janky is Rah’s favorite word these days. Anything below par is janky.

2003 Bill Fitzhugh Heart Seizure (Mar. 4), p. 217 ! That janky-ass cameo boy got some shit on the side of my ride? 2003

Kitchen Sink (Oakland, Calif.) (Oct. 31) “There Goes the Neighborhood,” vol. 2, no. 1, p. 72 ! The two artists wear white, “janky-ass Tyvek” painter’s suits; they move quickly, transferring wooden panels and cement legs to the curb beneath the AC Transit sign. Within minutes, they are assembling the bench. 2003 [Zachary James] The Mofluff Confessional (Dec. 16) “To His Coy Mistress” (Int.)

! Nine more of these jainky little definitions and I’m home free.

Ja well no fine other a noncommittal expression of unconcern, indifference, apathy, or ambivalence. Colloquial. South Africa.

1991 John MacLennan Sunday Star (Johannesburg, S. Africa) (July 7) “The ANC Could Take a Tip or Two from the NP,” p. 14 ! The question was put directly to new secretary-general Cyril Ramaphosa this week and his inconclusive reply can best be described as a diplomatic “Ja, well, no fine.” 1994 James Flannery @ Johannesburg, South Africa (Reuters) (Apr. 14) “Paradoxes Abound in S. Africa’s March to Democracy” ! A casual conversation includes the benediction: “Ja well, no

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jitterbug

fine,” meaning: “How interesting, do go on” or “I’ve had enough, go away.” 2000 Kurt Shillinger @ Johannesburg, South Africa Boston Globe (Oct. 22) “Letter from South Africa: Blend of Languages Hard to Digest,” p. A17 ! Consider the local expression, “Ja, well, no fine.”...Is it one word? Does it have commas? Even the Dictionary of South African English stumbles: “to explain this to a non-South African is a challenge.” A few years ago, the former radio broadcaster RJB Wilson, who coined the expression back in 1978, tried to explain it. “My youngest brother,” he wrote, “was in the habit of saying ‘no fine’ to everything that really required a ‘c’est la vie’ or ‘that’s the way the cookie crumbles.’ It had a nice South African feel to it. I added ‘Ja, well...’ to it to reinforce the South Africanism.” 2002 Jean-Marie Dru

Beyond Disruption: Changing the Rules in the Marketplace (Apr. 12), p. 93 ! Because “ja well no fine” makes sense to us. 2004 [Marcia Klein]

Sunday Times (S. Africa) (May 2) “Grapevine: Casualties of Jargon” (Int.) ! The blurb reads: “The intention is to pilot various healthcare models to focus on cost-effective and quality healthcare delivery that is comprehensively measured by clinical outcomes.” Ja-well-no-fine.

Jesus year n. a person’s 33rd year of life. [From the age that Jesus is said to have been when he died] A similar term is Elvis year ‘a person’s 42nd year of life; the year at which a person or thing peaks in popularity.’

1995 Usenet: rec.music.ambient (June 8) “Old Gits” ! Greetings from another oldster! Just hitting my Jesus year (33). 1996 Dave Hoekstra

Chicago Sun-Times (Feb. 28) “For Morris, the Beat Influence Goes On,” p. 30 ! Especially in Nashville, I don’t talk about it. I will say I’ve done my Jesus year (he’s past 33, but he has yet to hit his Elvis year, 42). 2005 Hank Stuever @ L.A. Washington Post (Mar. 14) “Late Night Raises the Burr” (Int.) ! The show leaps at you—at 12:35 a.m., an ungodly hour for anyone past their Jesus year, age 33.

jitterbug n. a gang member; a juvenile delinquent. Crime & Prisons. Slang. United States.

[1941 Bosley Growther N.Y. Times (Jan. 25) “ ‘High Sierra’ at the Strand, Considers the Tragic Plight of the Last Gangster,” p. 11 ! The big holdup job gets messed up by a couple of “jitterbugs” who are assisting on it, the girl turns out a great disappointment, the gunman is rendered a fugitive with a moll and a dog who love him.] [1963

Russell Baker N.Y. Times (Dec. 29) “Observer,” p. 106 ! Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogar and James Cagney in the movies, “Gangbusters” on radio, bubblegum “war cards” depicting atrocities, and “zoot suit” riots among the jitterbug set were widely deplored as symptoms of national sickness.] 1993 Renee Graham Boston Globe

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