Lexical Compendium

Stochastic parrot is a term coined by Emily M. Bender, Timnit Gebru, et al. in a 2021 paper on the ethical risks of large language models called "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? 🦜."

It refers to how large language models generate text by probabilistically predicting the next word based on patterns learned from massive datasets, rather than understanding or reasoning like a human. The metaphor highlights how such systems mimic language without genuine comprehension.

In December 2022, shortly after ChatGPT was released, Sam Altman of OpenAI tweeted, "i am a stochastic parrot, and so r u."

Stochastic parrot was a 2023 American Dialect Society "Word of the Year."

Tactical frivolity is a form of political protest that uses humor and absurdity as deliberate tactics to undermine authority, defuse tension, and attract public attention.

The term dates back to the 1990s with movements like Reclaim the Streets ^[1] in the UK and groups like the Pink Fairies who protested the 27th G8 summit in Genoa.

In October 2025, the term is also being used to describe protests directed toward ICE in Portland with some protesters dressing in costumes.

A trial balloon is a metaphorical term describing a tentative action or statement meant to test reactions or explore possibilities before committing to a course of action. It's often used in diplomacy, politics, and awkward social situations, where one wants to gauge sentiment or diffuse tension without directly confronting the issue.

The phrase originates from the early days of hot-air ballooning in the late 18th century. British aeronauts would send up small, unmanned balloons as trial balloons to assess weather conditions, wind direction, and other factors before launching a manned flight. By the mid-19th century, the term was being used figuratively, particularly in politics, where governments or individuals would "float" proposals through unofficial channels to gauge public opinion before formally committing. Over time, it came to describe any cautious, preliminary step taken to assess outcomes.

I first heard this term in an interview with Bill Hader on the Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes) podcast. Hader shared a story about embarrassing himself by badmouthing a movie to someone who starred in it. To mend the social faux pas, he waited an hour and floated a trial balloon by saying, "Um, hey, they’re grilling some chicken over there."

He shared this awkward story with Larry David, who, of course, loved it -- particularly the hilariously ineffectual nature of the "trial balloon" attempt -- and encouraged him to repeat it often.

Tribology is the scientific study of friction, lubrication, and wear between interacting surfaces in relative motion. It blends principles from mechanical engineering, materials science, chemistry, and physics.

The word was coined in 1966 by British mechanical engineer Peter Jost in a report to the UK government titled "Lubrication (Tribology) - A Report on the Present Position and Industry’s Needs". The word is formed from the Greek root tribos meaning rubbing.

During a trip with my brother, he told me about a tribological analysis his firm performed along with a write-up they published and this is how I was introduced to the term.

While looking up the origins of the word tribology, I thought it would fit perfect in an episode of Archer. The characters often use absurdly niche references followed by incredulity when nobody knows the reference.

[Scene: ISIS HQ hallway, someone slips slightly on a recently waxed floor]

Lana: Whoa -- can we not buff the floors like an Olympic luge track?

Archer: Who are you, Peter Jost?

Lana: Who?

Archer: Peter Jost? The father of tribology??

[Everyone stares blankly]

Archer (muttering): Seriously guys, read a book! Well, actually an obscure UK lubrication report from 1966.

Trust, but verify is a maxim popularized by US President Ronald Reagon during the Cold War in the 1980s. It's US-origin comes from the Russian proverb, "doveryai, no proveryai." Reagon repeated this frequently during meetings leading up to the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

More recently the phrase has evolved to never trust, always verify (i.e. "Zero Trust") in cybersecurity circles, due to increased risks. ^[2]

In February of 2026, on the subject of Iran nuclear treaties, Netanyahu gave the message to Trump: "Distrust. Distrust, and always verify." ^[3]