Lexical Compendium
Wait... what is this? Sometimes I come across a word, phrase, idiom, quote, reference, bit of slang, person of interest, etc that either I don't know or I find amusing, interesting, etc. This is a collection of those items so that I can refer back to them in emails, texts, etc.
Recent Entries:
- 17 Jul 2025: Streisand Effect
- 13 Jul 2025: borked
- 08 Jul 2025: Engels' Pause
"I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal, you sockdologizing old man-trap."
"I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal, you sockdologizing old man-trap" was delivered just before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 in the play Our American Cousin. The audience’s laughter at the joke provided the cover John Wilkes Booth needed to fire his shot.
Sockdologizing is 19th-century slang for something decisive, final, or conclusive, often referring to a telling blow in an argument or a finishing move.
The humor in the line comes from its exaggerated insult, aimed at a male character but framed in absurdly feminizing terms, culminating in man-trap, a term for a woman who ensnares men. To a 19th-century audience, this mix of ridicule and bombast landed as a sharp comedic moment.
I came upon this line while watching Manhunt.
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References:
- The context behind the fatal punchline that obscured the Lincoln assassination - Washington Post Op-ed
- Definition: sockdologer
- IMDB: Manhunt
Date Added: Unknown
Date Modified: 08 Jul 2025
86
I think that, to most people, to 86 someone means to eject them or refuse them service. I've heard this term and seen it employed many a time at dive bars.
According to Merriam-Webster and also the OED, it's original origins were likely from Cockney rhyming slang where 86 rhymes with nix.
In the early 20th century, the term was used by cafes and bars to denote when they were out of something and was part of a whole system of numeric codes.
In recent years, the slang "86" has taken on political overtones. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the phrase "86 45" emerged as a form of protest—most notably when Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appeared on Meet the Press wearing a pin that read "8645." The slogan persisted into Joe Biden’s presidency with "86 46," and now, in 2025, it has resurfaced again as "86 47."
In May 2025, former FBI chief James Comey was questioned by the Secret Service after sharing an image on social media that showed seashells arranged to spell out "86 47." Comey later deleted the post after people, including President Trump himself, alleged that it was some sort of call for violence.
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References:
- Definition: eighty-six
- Wikipedia: 86 (term)
- The Guardian: Comey says ‘8647’ post that caused Trump firestorm was totally innocent
- NYT: Secret Service Is Asking Comey About a Photo of Seashells Spelling ‘86 47’
- Detroit Free Press: What is '8645'? Whitmer's pin an anti-Trump message using restaurant industry slang
Date Added: 24 May 2025
Christian Zionism
An ideology that, in a Christian context, supports the concepts of Zionism (Jewish people returning to the "Holy Land").
Joe Biden considers himself a Zionist.
Mike Huckabee (nominated in Nov 2024 as the US Ambassador to Israel by the forming Trump administration) considers himself to be an "unapologetic, unreformed Zionist."
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References:
- Wikipedia: Christian Zionism
- 'I am a Zionist': How Joe Biden's lifelong bond with Israel shapes war policy - A Reuters article from shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.
- The Times of Israel: Biden stands by identification as a Zionist
- Aljazeera: Who is Mike Huckabee, the US evangelical, pro-settlement envoy to Israel?
Date Added: Unknown
Date Modified: 08 Jul 2025
Findlandization
Findlandization is the process by which a country maintains its formal independence while being heavily influenced or constrained by the policies of a more powerful neighboring state, especially in its foreign policy.
The name comes from Finland's relationship with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, where Finland avoided antagonizing the USSR to preserve its sovereignty.
The term is used pejoratively.
I first heard this term in an interview President Biden gave to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell in which Biden recalled a conversation with Putin in which Putin was predicting the Findlandization of Europe.
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References:
- Definition: Finlandization
- Wikipedia: Finlandization
- The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, 16 Jan 2025 - Biden shares 'serious concern' for U.S. democracy in Oval Office interview with Lawrence O'Donnell
Date Added: 21 Jan 2025
IEEPA
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA, pronounced "eye-EE-puh") is a U.S. federal law enacted in 1977 that grants the President broad authority to regulate commerce and impose economic sanctions during a declared national emergency related to external threats.
IEEPA was signed into law by President Carter as a response to the Iran Hostage Crisis.
The act is frequently used to enforce sanctions against foreign governments, organizations, and individuals involved in terrorism, cyber threats, or other destabilizing activities.
In January 2025, President Trump used these powers to enact tariffs on Canada and Mexico using the external threat of illegal immigration and drug trade (specifically fentanyl).
Update: on 02 April 2025, President Trump declared another national emergency in order to use his IEEPA powers. This time the emergency was posed by the large and persistent trade deficit that is driven by the absence of reciprocity in our trade relationships and other harmful policies like currency manipulation and exorbitant value-added taxes (VAT) perpetuated by other countries. This emergency was used to implement broad and sweeping tariffs against most contries. (See White House "fact sheet")
Update: on 28 May 2025 judges ruled that Trump's usage of IEEPA exceeds what the Constitution permits. Obviously this will be appealed.
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References:
- NYT: What Is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act?
- US Code: Title 50; Chapter 35 - WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWERS
- Wikipedia: International Emergency Economic Powers Act
- The American Presidency Project - Executive Order—Imposing Duties to Address the Situation at Our Southern Border
- Cafe: ‘No Reason for Disturbance’: The Birth of IEEPA and President Carter’s Asset Freeze on Iran
- White House: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic S
- Letters from an American: May 28, 2025
Date Added: 03 Feb 2025
Date Modified: 30 May 2025
Overton window
The Overton window is the range of topics that are considered acceptable or "mainstream" at a point in time. The term is used in political discourse and it implies that politicians can only advocate for policies within this window without risking their careers.
The window can shift: ideas that were once fringe (i.e. like women’s suffrage) can move into the window as social norms evolve. Conversely, ideas that were once mainstream can fall out of favor and become politically toxic.
The term is named after Joseph Overton, a vice president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (1992-2003). To help with his fund-raising duties he designed a brochure describing what eventually became known as the Overton window. His view was that think tanks should be pushing policies that fall outside the window and help to shift the window.
When listening to policy wonks debate politics, this term seems to come up quite a bit.
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References:
- Wikipedia: Overton window
- Wikipedia: Joseph Overton
- Mackinac Center Blog: What is the Overton Window?
- Tweet: @elonmusk 20 Mar 2025 - That fresh breeze you feel is the wide open Overton Window
Date Added: 01 Jun 2025
Date Modified: 08 Jul 2025
Streisand Effect
The Streisand Effect is the phenomenon where the harder someone tries to suppress information, the more attention it ends up getting. The term originated in early internet culture after Barbra Streisand attempted to suppress photographs of her Malibu home in 2003 by suing a photographer. Before the lawsuit, the photo had been downloaded exactly six times. After the lawsuit became public? Over 400,000 views in a single month.4 What was meant to be hidden instead became famous.
In July 2025, The Epstein Files consumed much of the news cycle. Donald Trump and his administration had campaigned on the promise of releasing these files to the public. But Trump seemingly flip-flopped on the issue, instead urging his followers to simply "move on." The result: a rift in the MAGA world. Far-right activist Laura Loomer remarked, "The more Truth Social posts that are posted about this are going to create a Streisand effect."
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References:
- Definition: Streisand Effect
- Wikipedia: Streisand effect
- Politico: Playbook: Trump world searches for off-ramp on Epstein
- Techdirt: Turns Out Barbra Streisand Is Aware Of The Streisand Effect, But Seems Confused About It
- Independent: Fox & Friends does just what Trump wants – they pretend the Epstein fiasco doesn’t exist
Date Added: 17 Jul 2025
argy-bargy
Argy-bargy is British slang for the kind of back-and-forth that accompanies a vigorous argument.
When my brother and I discuss politics, there's always a bit of argy-bargy.
Argy-bargy and the similar argle-bargle appear to have originated in Scottish slang. One can clearly see that the first part of the rhyming pair is formed from the word argue and the second is nonsense... or mumbo-jumbo. This type of word is what's known as a rhyming reduplication (other examples are mumbo-jumbo or okey-dokey).
I first encountered this term while listening to the Aussie host of the podcast Risky Business (#758).
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References:
- The Atlantic: The Brouhaha Behind 'Argle Bargle': A Linguistic Explanation
- Definition: argy-bargy
- Risky Business #758
Date Added: 18 Aug 2024
Date Modified: 09 Jul 2025
borked
I've used this word many times, but I never stopped to think about its origins and I was surprised to learn that it was eponymous. The term "borked" traces back to Robert Bork, a U.S. Supreme Court nominee whose 1987 confirmation was famously derailed by aggressive political opposition. His name became a verb -- "to bork" -- meaning to systematically obstruct or defame a nominee or candidate, especially through public criticism.
Though the word originally had political connotations, it also gained popularity in tech circles and online culture. This second usage may share the same etymology, but it’s equally plausible that it arose as a playful corruption of broke -- much like how pwn evolved from a misspelling of own.
I first heard about the political use of the word while listening to the 99% Invisible podcast.
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References:
- Definition: bork
- Quartz: The Oxford English Dictionary is adding new words based on your workplace jargon
- 99% Invisible -- Episode 634: Food Deserts
- Wikipedia: Robert Bork
Date Added: 13 Jul 2025
broligarchy
Broligarchy is a portmanteau of "bro" (slang for brother or close male friend) and "oligarchy" (a system where power rests with a small number of people).
After the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2025, this term has been in the media a lot. The three richest men in the world, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have seemingly moved into Trump's inner-circle (with Musk heading the "Department of Government Efficiency").
Interestingly, broligarchy doesn't seem to have been coined recently. The Urban Dictionary entry dates back to 2011.
Broligarchy was a 2024 American Dialect Society "Political Word of the Year."
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References:
- Urban Dictionary: Broligarchy
- The Atlantic: The Broligarchs Are Trying to Have Their Way
- The Guardian: Tech broligarchs are lining up to court Trump
- Vox: The broligarchs have a vision for the new Trump term. It’s darker than you think.
- The Cut: The Broligarchy Is Here
- American Dialect Society: 2024 Words of the Year
Date Added: 22 Jan 2025
Date Modified: 28 Jan 2025
fractomorpheme
A fractomorpheme is a productive morpheme, that is, one that is readily used to make new words.
An example is the suffix -gate, coming to denote something scandalous. It is derived from Watergate, the name of the hotel at the center of the early 1970s scandal that ultimately led to the resignation of President Nixon.
In early March 2025, members of the Trump administration were using Signal to coordinate a military operation in Yemen. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, was erroneously added to this group chat. The scandal that ensued was dubbed Signalgate.
Update May 2025: it turns out that it wasn't exactly Signal that the Trump administration was using, but rather TeleMessage Signal, or TM SGNL. TeleMessage has been hacked at least twice and the stolen data is available on DDoSSecrets.
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References:
- Definition: fractomorpheme
- Wikipedia: United States government group chat leak
- The Atlantic: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
- The Atlantic: Here Are the Attack Plans That Trump’s Advisers Shared on Signal
- Drop Site News: Israeli App on Mike Waltz’s Phone Exposed User’s Passwords
- Wired: How the Signal Knockoff App TeleMessage Got Hacked in 20 Minutes
- DDoSSecrets: TeleMessage - A large amount of data stolen from TeleMessage after they were hacked, including plain text messages.
- SignalGate Meets WordPress: Outgoing National Security Adviser’s Phone Dumps Messages via Israeli App
- DarkReading: CISA Warns of TeleMessage Vuln Despite Low CVSS Score
Date Added: 31 Mar 2025
Date Modified: 20 May 2025
grumbletonian
This archaic word was used to describe someone who was discontent, i.e. someone who grumbles a lot. The origins of the word are in 17th century English politics.
I heard the word in an episode of the podcast The Allusionist.
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References:
- Podcast: The Allusionist - Episode 193: Word Play 3: Lemon Demon
- Definition: grumbletonian
Date Added: Unknown
Date Modified: 08 Jul 2025
jawbone
"Jawboning" is a political technique in which statements are made by persons of authority in order how to influence public perception or behavior without making formal policy changes.
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References:
- Definition: jawbone
- U.S. jobs report: These numbers have economists jawboning - news article using the word "jawboning"
Date Added: 24 Jun 2024
sanewashing
Sanewashing (also sometimes hyphened as sane-washing) is a term that rose in popularity during the 2024 US Presidential election to describe the practice of minimizing or explaining some of the bizarre rhetoric from Donald Trump (this is often tied to a critique of "the media").
According to Wikipedia, it originated on a Reddit forum in 2020.
The sentiment that the media has been sanewashing Donald Trump and his campaign perhaps shifted a little with the coverage of Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on 27 October 2024. The headline from a NYT article covering the event read Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism.
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References:
- Wikipedia: Sanewashing
- The Atlantic: Trump Has Not Been 'Sane-Washed'
- NYT: Your questions about The Times’s election coverage: ‘Sane-washing’
- The Present Age: No More Euphemisms: Media Gets Real on Trump’s MSG Hate Rally
- NYT: Trump at the Garden: A Closing Carnival of Grievances, Misogyny and Racism
Date Added: 02 Nov 2024
trial balloon
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.
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References:
- Definition: trial balloon
- Podcast: Where Everyone Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes), - Bill Hader
- Wikipedia: Trial Balloon
Date Added: 10 Dec 2024
Date Modified: 09 Jul 2025