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:
- 01 Jun 2025: Overton window
- 24 May 2025: 86
- 22 May 2025: habeas corpus
Tag Cloud
"What ho! She bumps!"
I came across this bit of old-timey slang in the television show "The Artful Dodger." It means something like, "Wow! It works!"
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References:
Date Added: Unknown
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
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
chookas
The word chookas is Australian slang and something performers traditionally say to each other to wish luck before a show. It's similar to the expression "break a leg."
Chook is Aussie slang for chicken. One explanation for how chookas came to be used in the performing arts is that if there was a full house, the theater company could afford a chicken dinner.
Other sources seem to indicate that it was originally pronounced choogas was was an abbreviation of the phrase "cheers and good wishes."
I first came across the word chookas while watching Deadloch (S1, E6).
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References:
Date Added: 01 Oct 2024
glaze
To glaze is to excessively praise or flatter someone, often in an over-the-top, cringe, or sarcastic manner. The implication is often that the recipient was unworthy of such praise. This slang word was popularized in online spaces like TikTok.
I first heard it when Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) had the following Tweet exchange:
@sama:
we updated GPT-4o today! improved both intelligence and personality.
@StockLizardKing:
It’s been feeling very yes-man like lately
Would like to see that change in future updates
@sama:
yeah it glazes too much
will fix
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Date Added: 20 May 2025
rozzer
Rozzer is British slang for a police officer.
"Cripes, the rozzers are after us!"
I first heard this while watching the movie Wicked Little Letters.
The terms rozzers , bobbies and peelers (all slang words for police officers) likely originate from a play on the name Sir Robert Peel, founder of the Metropolitan Police Service in 1829.
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References:
- Definition: rozzer
- IMDB: Wicked Little Letters
- Why are the police in the UK called "rozzers"?
- Wikipedia: Robert Peel
Date Added: 16 Jul 2024
sawbuck
A sawbuck is slang for a $10 bill. Likewise, a double-sawbuck is a $20 bill.
It has been suggested that the slang originated because a sawbuck (sawhorse) resembles an "X," the Roman numeral for "10."
I came across this slang while watching For All Mankind, S3E2.
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References:
Date Added: 05 Jun 2024
wagwan
Wagwan means "what's going on" and is Jamaican/English slang. It seems to have originated from Jamaican Creole wah gwan ("what go on").
I first heard this while watching Supacell, where it's used prolifically in the dialog.
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Date Added: 07 Jul 2024
"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: 03 Feb 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
djent
Djent, pronounced "duh-jent", is a subgenre of progressive metal music characterized by guitar riffs that produce a percussive, and rhythmic sound. The term is derived from the sound the guitar makes when playing it in this fashion, resembling a "djent" noise. Duh-jent. Duh-duh-duh-jent. Duh-duh-jent. Duh-jent. Puh-keng-keng-keng.
When I recently saw my nephew, he was wearing a Meshuggah shirt. I asked him what genre they were and he replied djent which, of course, I had to have him further explain what that meant. Meshuggah are considered pioneers of the djent sound.
The phrase "pick up a pancake" is sometimes used when describing this sound, but I haven't been able to figure out why. Perhaps the way the guitar pick is held? Perhaps that the sound is so strong that it could literally pick up a pancake?
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References:
- Definition: djent (Urban Dictionary)
- YouTube: If 'djent' was added to the OED
- Meshuggah Band Website
Date Added: 03 Dec 2024
milquetoast
The word milquetoast is used to describe a meek or timid person.
It originated from the comic strip character Caspar Milquetoast, created by Harold T. Webster in 1924. The character was known for his timidity and refusal to participate in controversial discussions. Some time after the character's debut, the term "milquetoast" began to be used to describe people with similar characteristics.
Caspar's last name is derived from "milk toast," a breakfast food that was thought to be easy to digest and was a popular food for convalescents in New England (USA) in the 19th and early 20th century.
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References:
Date Added: 18 Jul 2024
Date Modified: 19 Jul 2024