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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anodyne

Something that is anodyne is not likely to provoke dissent or offense. The word is often used metaphorically to describe a tactful way of communicating something. When used this way, the word is mildly pejorative in that anodyne content is typically boring, watered-down and so deliberately inoffensive that it has lost any real substance or edge.

The word comes from the Greek anōdynos, meaning "painless."


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References:

  1. Definition: anodyne

Tags: vocabulary , tipofmytongue

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antipathy

Antipathy is a deep and strong dislike for something.

While composing a message, I was trying to figure out which of these two words fit my sentiment more accurately: antipathy and animosity. I had the realization that I wasn't really sure what the difference was. While trying to figure that out, I came across this old opinion piece:

Some people are irritated by the weirdest things.

Wow! He summed up exactly how I feel about mourning doves -- and all pigeons generally. (I do, however, own an Argus.)

Unfortunately though, I'm still not sure I know the difference between antipathy and animosity.


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References:

  1. Washington Post: Some people are irritated by the weirdest things.
  2. Definition: antipathy

Tags: vocabulary , tipofmytongue

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antitrust

The term antitrust originated in the United States during The Gilded Age of the late 19th century. During this time, trusts were established and dominated major industries. These trusts were arrangements in which stockholders of competing firms would transfer their shares to a common board of trustees to effectively merge them into one controlling entity. The trusts amassed immense power, leading to public outrage over monopolistic practices and economic inequality.

Sherman Antitrust Act[2] was passed in 1890 and was the first federal law to outlaw monopolistic behavior and "combinations in restraint of trade."

Enforcement began in earnest under Theodore Roosevelt, whose "trust-busting" campaigns[5] became a hallmark of early 20th-century progressivism. Later, the Clayton Act (1914)[3] and Federal Trade Commission Act (1914)[4] refined and strengthened the framework for regulating competition.

By the mid-20th century, antitrust had drifted from its populist roots toward an economic-efficiency doctrine shaped by the "Chicago School of thought."[6] Scholars like Robert Bork argued that the only legitimate concern of antitrust law was consumer welfare (i.e. whether prices went up).[7] This framework largely dominated enforcement through the Reagan era and beyond. (see related Lexicon entry: borked)

More recently, the pendulum has swung again. Lina Khan, chair of the FTC from 2021 through 2025, represents a new generation of antitrust thinking. Instead of the consumer-welfare standard, she has focused on structural power and long-term innovation. Her academic paper Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox[8] helped ignite this movement.

Only time will tell how the Trump administration will carry this torch. While rhetorically populist and occasionally combative toward Big Tech, the Trump administration has pursued a more uneven antitrust record -- sometimes emphasizing nationalistic or political motives rather than systemic reform (think: Paramount-Skydance).[10] This said, many of the cases that Khan's FTC put forth are still progressing. In April 2025 it was determined that Google was a monopoly.[9]

Updates:

  • In Nov 2025, Lina Khan joined Zohran Mamdani's transition team after he became mayor-elect of NYC [12]

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References:

  1. Definition: antitrust
  2. Wikipedia: Sherman Antitrust
  3. Wikipedia: Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914
  4. Wikipedia: Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914
  5. Britannica: The Square Deal of Theodore Roosevelt
  6. Antitrust Law Source: 1990s to the present: The Chicago School and antitrust enforcement
  7. Wikipedia: The Antitrust Paradox
  8. The Yale Law Journal: Amazon's Antitrust Paradox
  9. DOJ Office of Public Affairs: Department of Justice Prevails in Landmark Antitrust Case Against Google
  10. ProMarket: Weaponizing Antitrust and Regulation Will Hurt US Consumers
  11. Letters from an American: Heather Cox Richardson talks with Lina Khan
  12. The Guardian: Yes, New York will soon be under new management. But Zohran Mamdani is just the start

Tags: legal , politics , finance

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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:

  1. The Atlantic: The Brouhaha Behind 'Argle Bargle': A Linguistic Explanation
  2. Definition: argy-bargy
  3. Risky Business #758

Tags: slang , vocabulary , podcast

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banoffee

Banoffee is a portmanteau combining the words "banana" and "toffee" and is often used in reference to Banoffee Pie, which seems to be a popular pie flavor in the UK.

I learned of this while watching a YouTube show: Food Tours: Finding the Best Afternoon Tea in London.


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References:

  1. YouTube: Food Tours: Finding the Best Afternoon Tea in London
  2. Wikipedia: Banoffee Pie

Tags: television , pie , toffee , desert , banana

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Bees?

There is a "Cards Against Humanity" card that simply reads: "Bees?" It's so fatuous that it has become a common expression for me.

Some on the internet believe that this is a reference to an "Arrested Development" episode.


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References:

  1. Cards Against Humanity
  2. Arrested Development clip - perhaps the origin of the card

Tags: games , entomology

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bespoke reality

"Bespoke realities" is a term used by David French in a NYT op-ed. The op-ed describes a phenomenon that is bigger (and perhaps more dangerous) than quirky little "confined" conspiracy theories.

There is a fundamental difference between, on the one hand, someone who lives in the real world but also has questions about the moon landing and, on the other, a person who believes the Covid vaccines are responsible for a vast number of American deaths and Jan. 6 was an inside job and the American elite is trying to replace the electorate with new immigrant voters and the 2020 election was rigged and Donald Trump is God’s choice to save America.

Such individuals don’t simply believe in a conspiracy theory or theories. They live in a “bespoke reality.” That brilliant term comes from my friend Renée DiResta, the technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, and it refers to the effects of what DiResta calls a “Cambrian explosion of bubble realities,” communities “that operate with their own norms, media, trusted authorities and frameworks of facts.”

-- French, David. Welcome to Our New ‘Bespoke Realities', NYT, 30 Nov 2023

I heard reference to this on a Hard Fork podcast episode on which Renée DiResta was a guest, A Surgeon General Warning, The Disinformation Battle and The Rise of CryptoPACs, 21 Jun 2024.


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References:

  1. NYT: Welcome to Our New ‘Bespoke Realities’
  2. Our ‘Bespoke Realities’
  3. Hard Fork: A Surgeon General Warning, The Disinformation Battle and The Rise of CryptoPACs
  4. Renée DiResta - home page
  5. Stanford Internet Observatory

Tags: op-ed , disinformation , podcast

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"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!"

From Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky," a poem in "Through the Looking Glass."

The poem was about the capture and killing of a creature called the "Jabberwock" and is filled with many other nonsense terms.

The word "jabberwocky," itself, has come to mean something meaningless in writing.


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References:

  1. Definition: jabberwocky
  2. Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll

Tags: quote , book , poem

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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:

  1. Quartz: The Oxford English Dictionary is adding new words based on your workplace jargon
  2. 99% Invisible -- Episode 634: Food Deserts
  3. Definition: bork
  4. Wikipedia: Robert Bork

Tags: slang , politics , podcast , eponymous

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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:

  1. Urban Dictionary: Broligarchy
  2. The Atlantic: The Broligarchs Are Trying to Have Their Way
  3. The Guardian: Tech broligarchs are lining up to court Trump
  4. Vox: The broligarchs have a vision for the new Trump term. It’s darker than you think.
  5. The Cut: The Broligarchy Is Here
  6. American Dialect Society: 2024 Words of the Year

Tags: politics

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