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:

Tag Cloud eponymous grammar science technology television vocabulary ai acronym internet music comics software podcast slang games quote idiom entomology jargon computer-science netspeak space tipofmytongue politics movie history legal

spoonerism

A spoonerism is a slip-up in speech in which the person talking transposes the first part of two words. For example, saying "shake a tower" instead of "take a shower." The word is named after Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930) who, apparently, this happened to often.

I came across this while listening to an episode of The Allusionist which discussed an old puzzle novel called "Cain's Jawbone." Among the many word-based challenges in this puzzle novel are spoonerisms which the player must identify in order to put the pages in the right order.


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References:

  1. Definition: spoonerism
  2. Podcast: The Allusionist - Episode 195: Word Play 5: 100 Pages of Solvitude
  3. Wikipedia: Spoonerism

Tags: vocabulary , podcast , eponymous

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stigmergy

From Wikipedia:

Stigmergy was first observed in social insects. For example, ants exchange information by laying down pheromones (the trace) on their way back to the nest when they have found food. In that way, they collectively develop a complex network of trails, connecting the nest in an efficient way to various food sources. When ants come out of the nest searching for food, they are stimulated by the pheromone to follow the trail towards the food source. The network of trails functions as a shared external memory for the ant colony.


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References:

  1. Wikipedia: Stigmergy

Tags: social_insect , ants , vocabulary , entomology

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stochastic parrot

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."


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References:

  1. WSJ: ‘Stochastic Parrot’: A Name for AI That Sounds a Bit Less Intelligent
  2. American Dialect Society: 2023 Words of the Year
  3. Tweet: @sama 04 Dec 2022
  4. Wikipedia: Stochastic parrot
  5. On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? 🦜 - 2021, Emily M. Bender, Timnit Gebru, et al.

Tags: vocabulary , ai , computer_science

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Stockdale Paradox

The Stockdale Paradox is a concept named after Admiral James Stockdale, who survived as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for over seven years. The paradox describes a mindset that balances unwavering faith in a positive outcome with the discipline to confront brutal realities. Stockdale observed that prisoners who relied solely on optimism -- expecting to be freed by Thanksgiving, then New Years, then ... -- often succumbed to despair when their expectations weren’t met. In contrast, those who survived, like himself, maintained hope while also acknowledging and adapting to the harshness of their circumstances.

I'm not sure that I would have read it otherwise, but I worked a company were we were all gifted the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. This is where I first came across the Stockdale Paradox.

I came across it again recently while listening to The Interview (a New York Times podcast) interview of Ed Yong. Ed brought up the Stockdale Paradox as a means for coping with the state of the world right now.


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References:

  1. Wikipedia: James Stockdale
  2. Excerpts from "Good to Great" on the Stockdale Paradox
  3. NYT (The Interview): Ed Yong

Tags: podcast , eponymous , paradox

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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:

  1. Definition: Streisand Effect
  2. Wikipedia: Streisand effect
  3. Politico: Playbook: Trump world searches for off-ramp on Epstein
  4. Techdirt: Turns Out Barbra Streisand Is Aware Of The Streisand Effect, But Seems Confused About It
  5. Independent: Fox & Friends does just what Trump wants – they pretend the Epstein fiasco doesn’t exist

Tags: slang , politics , eponymous , internet , netspeak

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tactical frivolity

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.


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References:

  1. Extinction Rebellion Deutschland: Tactical Frivolity and Samba Drumming
  2. Wikipedia: Tactical frivolity
  3. The Atlantic: Portland’s ‘War Zone’ Is Like Burning Man for the Terminally Online
  4. Democracy Now!: Anti-ICE Protesters in Portland Don Inflatable Costumes to Mock Trump’s “War Zone” Rhetoric
  5. Le Monde: Portland activists use humor to counter Trump's apocalyptic portrayal of the city
  6. Wikiwand: Tactical frivolity

Tags: vocabulary , politics

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thagomizer

A thagomizer is a bit of paleontology jargon referring to the spikes on a stegosaurian dinosaur.

When I was young, the Stegosaurus was my favorite type of dinosaur. I had no idea what the spikes were called until very recently though. I especially didn't know that the word was coined by none other than Gary Larson of Far Side fame.

In 1982, Gary Larson wrote a comic in which a caveman, perhaps in a teaching role, explains to an audience that these spikes were named "after the late Thag Simmons."


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References:

  1. Thagomizer: Why Stegosaurus’ Spiky Tail Was Named After A Cartoon
  2. Wikipedia: Thagomizer

Tags: dinosaur , stegosaurus , far side , paleontology , eponymous , comics

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The Hatch Act

The Hatch Act (1939) is a U.S. federal law[1] that restricts the political activities of government employees to ensure that federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion.

It was named for Senator Carl Hatch of New Mexico who sponsored and introduced the bill.

In October 2025, The Hatch Act was in the news as the government shutdown continues and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem published a video to be shown in airports blaming Democrats[3].


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References:

  1. osc.gov: Hatch Act Overview
  2. Wikipedia: Hatch Act
  3. CNBC: Politics Kristi Noem’s shutdown airport video may violate Hatch Act, Sen. Cantwell warns
  4. Robert Reich: The Hatch Act? Wassat? Who cares?

Tags: legal , politics , eponymous

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"There's nothing more exhilarating than pointing out the shortcomings of others, is there?"

This is a quote from the 1994 movie "Clerks."


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References:

  1. IMDB: Clerks (quote)

Tags: quote , movie , clerks

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"This sounds schemey. Redolent of thwart."

Something that the character Tom Wambsgans says in the television series "Succession," in Season 2, Episode 8.


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References:

  1. IMDB: Succession

Tags: quote , television , succession

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