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

tilt at windmills

To tilt at windmills means to fight or pursue some imaginary adversary.

I've always found idioms to be an interesting part of language and this is one of my favorites. In Jr. High, my class read/translated Don Quixote de la Mancha, which is where this expression comes from.


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References:

  1. Definition: tilt at windmills

Tags: idiom , Don Quixote , books

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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:

  1. Definition: trial balloon
  2. Podcast: Where Everyone Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (sometimes), - Bill Hader
  3. Wikipedia: Trial Balloon

Tags: vocabulary , podcast , metaphor

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tribology

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.


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References:

  1. Definition: tribology
  2. Science Direct: tribology
  3. Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers: What is Tribology
  4. "The Invention of Tribology: Peter Jost's Contribution" - by John Williams, Robinson College, University of Cambridge
  5. IMDB: Archer

Tags: science , vocabulary , jargon , engineering

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vibecoding

Vibecoding (also vibe coding) is the act of developing software by purely defining a project and letting AI do the work.

The term was popularized earlier this year (in 2025) by OpenAI founding member Andrej Karpathy. It has since taken off and I hear it everywhere.

The NYT's Kevin Roose wrote an article on his experience with vibecoding and also covered it in an episode of Hard Fork.

Update May 2025: added Freethink's piece about the technical and cultural shift happening around vibecoding.


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References:

  1. Wikipedia: vibe coding
  2. NYT: Not a Coder? With A.I., Just Having an Idea Can Be Enough
  3. Tweet: @karpathy 02 Feb 2025 - @karpathy's tweet about "vibe coding"
  4. Hard Fork: Is Google Search Cooked? + We're Getting a U.S. Crypto Reserve? + What You're Vibecoding
  5. Freethink: Vibe coding is rewriting the rules of technology

Tags: slang , ai , podcast , software , netspeak

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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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References:

  1. IMDB: Supacell
  2. What does wagwan mean?
  3. Definition: wagwan

Tags: slang , creole

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"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:

  1. IMDB: The Artful Dodger

Tags: quote , television , slang

Date Added: Unknown