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.

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

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:

  1. Podcast: The Allusionist - Episode 193: Word Play 3: Lemon Demon
  2. Definition: grumbletonian

Tags: slang , vocabulary , podcast

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habeas corpus

Habeas corpus is a Latin phrase meaning "you shall have the body."

It is a legal principle that safeguards individual freedom by protecting against unlawful or indefinite imprisonment and it has its origins many hundreds of years ago in England. The Magna Carta in 1215 established that no one -- not even the king -- is above the law. In the 13th century and for the next few hundred years, common law court practices involved issuing writs to check unlawful imprisonment. These started with Habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, meaning you have the body to submit [before the court]. Over time, this evolved into a powerful legal tool, eventually codified in the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679.

In the U.S., the right to habeas corpus is enshrined in the Constitution (Article I, Section 9), which states that it may only be suspended "when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it." As it was centuries ago, it remains a key check on arbitrary power by government leaders. . I’ll be honest -- if you’d asked me to define habeas corpus or explain the Magna Carta, I probably would’ve stumbled through it. I knew the term appeared in the Constitution, but I couldn’t have told you exactly what it meant.

Then came the news cycle in late May 2025.

Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, bungled answers on Tuesday about habeas corpus, incorrectly asserting that the legal right of people to challenge their detention by the government was actually the president’s “constitutional right” to deport people.

-- Gold, Michael. "Noem Incorrectly Defines Habeas Corpus as the President’s Right to Deport People" The New York Times, 20 May 2025

Heather Cox Richardson also covered this in the 20 May 2025 Letters From an American.

I'm guessing I wasn’t the only one suddenly revisiting high school civics after that performance.

Edit: Habeas corpus was in the news again in October 2025 as Donald Trump seemingly didn't know what (or who?) it was.


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References:

  1. NYT: Noem Incorrectly Defines Habeas Corpus as the President’s Right to Deport People
  2. Letters from an American: May 20, 2025
  3. Wikipedia: Habeas Corpus Act 1679
  4. Wikipedia: Habeas corpus
  5. NYT: What Is Habeas Corpus, the Basic Right That Trump Officials Are Talking About Suspending?
  6. Independent: ‘Who?’ Trump stumbles after being asked about the suspension of Habeas Corpus during Antifa roundtable

Tags: vocabulary , law , latin

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humanic

For a while now, I've been searching for a term that captures human-made creativity -- as opposed to something created by an LLM. Occasionally I see the word organic used in this context. [1] It works, but it feels a little off. Organic implies something that happens naturally, often without human involvement.

Here I'd like to proffer humanic: a word meaning pertaining to or originating from human agency or creativity, particularly in contrast to work produced by AI. An appropriate antonym in this context might be synthetic. So: humanic and synthetic. I like the symmetry.

The word humanic isn't actually new. Historically, it referred to the study of human nature.[2] But let's reclaim it to also denote cultural artifacts made by humans in a world where if feels like we're just moments away from being saturated with purely synthetic content. Maybe others will organically come upon this usage. I'll use this space to record any sightings.

The word humanic is not necessarily anti-AI, it is descriptive of origin, not ideology. We may need another word to convey sentiment and preference.

Example:

"Oh, I love the theater. It's so refreshing to see content that is entirely humanic."

Note: Anthropic might have also been a good choice, but this, ironically, is already the name of a popular LLM.[3]

Other contenders: anthrogenic, anthropogenic

Updates:

  • In Nov 2025 YouTuber/filmmaker Thomas Flight published a thought-provoking piece on art versus artifice [4]
  • In Nov 2025, a song made by AI topped Billboard's "Country Digital Song Sales" chart [5]

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References:

  1. Stat Significant: How Much AI Will Audiences Accept in Music and Movies?
  2. Definition: Humanics
  3. Wikipedia: Anthropic
  4. YouTube: Thomas Flight - Why AI "Art" Feels So Wrong
  5. The Independent: The most downloaded country song in the US right now was made by AI

Tags: vocabulary , neologism , ai , technology

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ICE

An acronym for Internal Combustion Engine. This acronym seems to be bandied about a lot during automobile discussions, especially when discussing electric vehicles (EVs).


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References:

  1. Wikipedia: ICE

Tags: engine , acronym , cars

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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.

Update: on 05 November 2025 the Supreme Court held a hearing on whether or not the Trump administration has the authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA. [8]


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References:

  1. NYT: What Is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act?
  2. US Code: Title 50; Chapter 35 - WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWERS
  3. Wikipedia: International Emergency Economic Powers Act
  4. The American Presidency Project - Executive Order—Imposing Duties to Address the Situation at Our Southern Border
  5. Cafe: ‘No Reason for Disturbance’: The Birth of IEEPA and President Carter’s Asset Freeze on Iran
  6. 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
  7. Letters from an American: May 28, 2025
  8. WSJ: Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Trump's Tariffs

Tags: politics , economy , government , acronym

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"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:

  1. The context behind the fatal punchline that obscured the Lincoln assassination - Washington Post Op-ed
  2. Definition: sockdologer
  3. IMDB: Manhunt

Tags: quote , history , television , politics

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infinocchiare

Infinocchiare is an Italian word which means to cheat or swindle someone.

The term has interesting origins. The root of the word comes from the term finocchio which means fennel in English. In the Middle Ages, fennel was used as a masking spice. Wine merchants would serve customers fennel before offering them wine, in order to hide defects. In the same way, butchers began to put it in their salami as an alternative to pepper in order to cover up the taste of not very good meat.

Though not for the same reasons, this tradition persists today. When we were in Tuscany, Italy, we discovered finocchiona salami and I became intrigued with this word.

In Italian, the phrase Non farti infinocchiare means Don't be fooled but it translates precisely in English to Don't get fenneled.


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References:

  1. Definition: infinocchiare
  2. Wild Sicilian Fennel - An article from a US-based grocer on Italian fennel that has a brief blurb on the etymology of 'infinocchiare.'

Tags: vocabulary , idiom , foreign language

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inkhorn term

An inkhorn term is one that is pretentious or overly ornate (often words from Latin or Greek).

An "inkhorn" was how ink was carried by scholars and clerks in the 1500s. The metaphor suggests that such words come from the scholar’s desk rather than natural speech.

Ironically, some words which historically were derided as inkhorn terms are now rather mundane and commonplace... including the word mundane.

Example:

Sally loved to flaunt her giant vocabulary, peppering every conversation with inkhorn terms that left her friends reaching for a dictionary.


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References:

  1. Wikipedia: Inkhorn Term
  2. World Wide Words Blog: Inkhorn Terms

Tags: vocabulary , jargon

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interregnum

  1. A period when normal government is suspended, especially between successive reigns or regimes.
  2. An interval or pause between two periods of office or other things.

As in:

...the interregnum between the discovery of radioactivity and its detailed understanding.

or:

You are a weak monarch in a dangerous interregnum.

The latter comes from a line of dialog from the character Gerri in the television series "Succession"


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References:

  1. Definition: interregnum
  2. succession-season-4-episode-6-recap - episode recap from thewrap.com

Tags: television , vocabulary

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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:

  1. Definition: jawbone
  2. U.S. jobs report: These numbers have economists jawboning - news article using the word "jawboning"

Tags: vocabulary , politics

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