idea hamsters
people who always seem to have their idea generators running
[from e-mail, Aug 97]
if frogs had wings, their butts wouldn't bump the ground
when they jumped
statement of negation or disbelief, usually appended to a statement;
I guess he might change his ways, and ~
see yeh, right;
not
IHTFP
I Hate This
Fucking Place
illing
syn BUGGING (NFI)
IMHO
In My Humble
Opinion, used in computer chat and on computer bulletin
boards; also IMO
Indian sign
see put the Indian sign on
Indian summer
from H.L. Mencken's American Language, Supplement I, it refers to a
"bogus summer"
The OED, Webster's Collegiate (10th), and A Dictionary of
Canadianisms on Historical Principles all say that Indian summer dates
to the late 18th century. The OED says that its origin is assumed to be
due to a weather condition unique to Indian-occupied lands in the
northern U.S.
Here is a segment from the 1830 Moorsam letters, Nova Scotia, quoted
in ADOCOHP: "... in November and sometimes until the middle of
December, the waning season, like the expiring efforts of a lamp, which
now and then glimmers fitfully yet brilliantly in the socket, presents
us with days to which there is no parallel in England. This sort of
weather is called the Indian summer, and varies in duration, from a few
unconnected days in some years, to as many weeks in others."
ADOCOHP also lists Indian winter ("a cold spell following the onset
of spring") and squaw winter ("a term in use in parts of the Canadian
North West to designate a mild beginning of winter," or, "a spell of
wintry weather occurring in early fall, especially when followed by an
Indian summer"). Neither term was found before 1912, although they are
attributed to oldtimers and believed to be considerably older. [Maureen
Goldman, FIDO Words conference, Oct 95]
in like Finn, Flynn
everything's okay, all set to go [no idea where this comes from, and
have heard it with FINN and FLYNN]
irritainment
annoying television programming that you can't stop watching