Fast-Rope, 'Viewbicle,' 'Brandjack,' & More
Top 10 User-Submitted Words, Vol. 7
Definition:
(verb) : to descend from a flying helicopter by sliding down a thick rope
Example:
"He and the eleven other SEALs on 'helo one,' who were wearing gloves and had on night-vision goggles, were preparing to fast-rope into bin Laden's yard." - Nicholas Schmidle, The New Yorker, August 8, 2011
Definition:
(noun) : a cubicle workspace with a view through a window
Example:
"I was moved from a third floor 'corner cube' facing the parking deck to a tenth floor window cube facing the woods with a pole- a so-called 'obstructed viewbicle.'" - Steve Finch, post on A Fine Line blog, June 13, 2007
Submitted by:
Debbie, CA; Erin, PA
Definition:
(noun) : activism (such as signing an online petition) that requires very little commitment or action
Example:
"I had eventually come to the realization that wearing purple, or changing your avatar in support of spirit day, is an act of slacktivism.... Social Media like Facebook and Twitter have provided a space for slacktivism to exist." - blog post by Dan on OutSpokenNYC.com, October 20, 2011
Definition:
(adverb) : wrong or awry
Example:
"Why Deep-Fried Frozen Turkeys Go Kablooie" - headline on Gizmodo.com, November 23, 2011
Submitted by:
L.K. Tucker, AL
Definition:
(verb) : to create a parody Web site or social media page using the official brands and logos of a company
Example:
"The temptation to brandjack a company stems at least in part from the perception of a large brand as monolithic, unresponsive, and unassailable. It's a lot more fun to go after a player that deserves to be taken down a few pegs; this has been a basic rule of satire since the ancient Greeks." - Eric Anderson, blog post on iMediaConnection.com, July 11, 2011
Definition:
(noun) : appearance; esp.: the way that the public understands a public or political decision
Example:
"Explaining why he rose to help [Gabrielle Giffords] stand for every ovation she offered President Obama during his speech, even when it meant he was the only Republican on his feet, Rep. Jeff Flake said that the optics just didn't matter to him: 'After sitting next to an empty seat last year, I couldn't be happier to have Gabby back in the House chamber for this year's State of the Union speech...'" - Dahlia Lithwick, Slate.com, January 25, 2012
Definition:
(verb) : to open a car door in such a way that it causes minor surface damage to the vehicle next to it
Example:
"I door-dinged another car's bumper at a grocery store parking lot Saturday. The owner was irate and wants me to pay to have the .10 of an inch "ding" fixed. ... Am I liable?" - question posted on LawGuru.com, September 22, 2008
Submitted by:
Karen Edwin, MO
Photo: ASurroca / flickr
Definition:
(noun) : stress or frustration as a reaction to technology
Example:
"The workplace is also a source of technostress, because changes in software programs, computers, hardware and communications are frequent in most industries." - Heather Breen on Suite101.com, January 16, 2011
Submitted by:
Richard B. Singer IV, MI
Definition:
(noun) : a restaurant in which servings of cooked meat are carved at the request of each diner
Example:
"Get your meat and two veg at this Nolita nook, which doles out carvery staples under the guise of a British butcher's shop. The bowler-hat–sporting staff slice a selection of roasted meats to your liking (leg of lamb, pork shoulder, rump steak), served alongside authentic sides such as puffy Yorkshire pudding and rosemary-kissed new potatoes." - restaurant review in TimeOut New York, June 12, 2011
Submitted by:
Khoo, Malaysia
Definition:
(noun) : an entrepreneurial philanthropist
Example:
"But [Ted Turner] shares the philanthropreneurs' impatience with the lines drawn by legal, regulatory and tax regimes between business and philanthropy." - Stephanie Strom, The New York Times, November 13, 2006
Submitted by:
Allyn Griffin, WA
