Word Spy

range anxiety

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:27:33 EST

range anxiety
n. Mental distress or uneasiness caused by concerns about running out of power while driving an electric car.

Example Citations:

"For example, when we started, 87 per cent of the owners said 'range anxiety' — a concern that the car would run out of power and strand them — was their biggest concern about an electric car. "Now that they have some real-world experience with (the 135 km range of ) the car, they know how far (or, actually, how little) they drive, where they can recharge, and so on. (Now) only 17 per cent still have that concern."
—Jim Kenzie, "First electric Smarts arrive in America," The Toronto Star, June 18, 2010

In the 1990s, long before Better Place and others like it had formed, Christensen laid out the reasons the electric car was failing, using as evidence the old Chrysler electric minivan. The vehicle required 1,600 pounds of batteries, which slowed acceleration. ... It traveled less than 100 miles before needing to refuel, creating so-called range anxiety for drivers, and recharging required hours.
—Amity Shlaes, "Disrupt the G-20 Summit With This Technology," Bloomberg News, June 23, 2010

Earliest Citation:

"Range anxiety" is a common reaction among new EV1 users, said Levin. He added that the industry is working on new battery technology which holds the promise of a 100-mile range.
—Richard Acello, "Getting into gear with the vehicle of the future," San Diego Business Journal, September 1, 1997

Categories:

Anger and Anxiety
Cars
Electricity and Electronics

Posted on July 30, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/rangeanxiety.asp

toxic knowledge

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:13:32 EST

toxic knowledge
n. Knowledge of a potential genetic predisposition for a particular disease, esp. when that information creates anxiety and other psychological problems.

Example Citations:

But there's something about the precision of a DNA test that can make people believe that chemistry is destiny—that it holds dark, implacable secrets. This is why genetic information is sometimes described as "toxic knowledge": Giving people direct access to their genetic information, in the words of Stanford bioethicist Hank Greely, is out and out "reckless."
—Thomas Goetz, "Sergey Brin's Search for a Parkinson's Cure," Wired, June 22, 2010

We are all vulnerable to particular disorders, and may have predispositions to cancer or heart disease or dementia, even if we currently feel perfectly healthy. That's why genetic information has been called "toxic knowledge", because it may have corrosive effects on our sense of self, our relationship with our family, or our economic and social wellbeing.
—"What price ethics in appliance of science?," The Journal, July 4, 2002

Earliest Citation:

Amid talk of mouse models, intermediate alleles, and subcellular expressions of the protein huntingtin, the presence of those who have tested positive for the Huntington's gene creates a special atmosphere, a powerful aura, the haunted future we are trying to disrupt. How are people living with this "toxic knowledge," as it has been called?
—Alice Wexler, Mapping Fate, University of California Press, December 30, 1996

Notes:

Categories:

Genetics
Psychology

Posted on July 29, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/toxicknowledge.asp

cybercasing

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:35:38 EST

cybercasing
pp. Using online location-based data and services to determine when a home is unoccupied with a view to robbing it.
—cybercase v.

Example Citations:

Data stored in digital photographs can help criminals locate individuals and plot real-world crimes, a practice two researchers called "cybercasing" in a recently published paper. The site Pleaserobme.com was one of the first to expose the problem by displaying tweets tagged with location information, although it has since stopped the practice.
—Niraj Chokshi, "How Tech-Savvy Thieves Could 'Cybercase' Your House," The Atlantic, July 22, 2010

But may we offer, perhaps, a simple fix to address some of these concerns: don't post your vacation photos until after you return home and don't Twitter about it while there. Simple steps like these could go a long way into protecting your home and valuables from being "cybercased" by any tech-savvy thieves.
—Sarah Perez, "Researchers Warn of Geotagging Dangers - Are You Concerned?," ReadWriteWeb, July 22, 2010

Earliest Citation:

This article aims to raise awareness of a rapidly emerging privacy threat that we term cybercasing: using geo-tagged information available online to mount real-world attacks.
—Gerald Friedland and Robin Sommer, "Cybercasing the Joint: On the Privacy Implications of Geo-Tagging" (PDF), International Computer Science Institute, May 2, 2010

Notes:

The verb to case, "to study the layout of a location before robbing it," has been in the language for about a hundred years, with the earliest written citation occurring in 1915.

Categories:

Internet
Crime

Posted on July 23, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/cybercasing.asp

chemtrail

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 07:44:21 EST

chemtrail
n. A jet contrail that has been laced with chemical or biological agents. Also: chem-trail, chem trail.

Example Citations:

Wonder how the Bush administration arranged for the destruction of the World Trade Center? Curious why the government planes are releasing toxic chemtrails into our atmosphere? Step right up, because for a record 26 days, KPFK-FM (90.7) not only provided answers but offered to hook you up with that sweet DVD set, unveiling the fuller, darker truth.
—James Rainey, "Schism at KPFK leaves factions warring over programming, fundraising and leadership," Los Angeles Times, March 27, 2010

Ah, the old "chemtrail conspiracy" theory. The idea that the white lines of condensed water vapor that you see following planes, contrails, are really a toxic substance intentionally being sprayed on people by the government has been around at least since 1996.
—"Q&A: Government is not spraying chemicals," St. Petersburg Times, June 1, 2010

Earliest Citation:

So Levinson - and plenty of cohorts on the Internet, not to mention one well-known AM radio talk show host — are spreading the word about "chemtrails," as they call them. Levinson et al say the trails contain bacteriological pathogens and an assortment of toxic chemicals. The government is "spraying" our fair skies for dark, dark reasons.
—John Boyle, "'Chemtrails' heat up Asheville skies," The Asheville Citizen-Times, March 22, 1999

Notes:

For more than you probably want to know about the chemtrail "conspiracy," or if you simply enjoy thorough refutations (or, I guess, refudiations) of this kind of thing, see the chemtrails entry in The Skeptic's Dictionary.

Category:

Aviation

Posted on July 22, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/chemtrail.asp

qwerty tummy

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 07:11:19 EST

qwerty tummy
n. A stomach illness caused by typing on a germ-ridden keyboard. Also: QWERTY tummy.

Example Citations:

One common bug that researchers have turned up is staphylococcus aureus, a classic causer of food poisoning, signs of which include nausea and diarrhea. Accordingly, stomach sicknesses caught from computer equipment have been dubbed "qwerty tummy" after the "Q-W-E-R-T-Y" keys on a keyboard.
—"Your keyboard can give you food poisoning," MSNBC.com, July 2, 2010

No one wants to have to look at a dirty keyboard. Too often, people don't bother to wash their hands after eating or using the restroom. Not only is this unhealthy for you in many ways...it can also end up causing you to fall ill with QWERTY Sickness.
—Chris Pirillo, "A Cleaning a Day Will Keep the QWERTY Tummy Away," Chris.Pirillo.com, July 3, 2010

Earliest Citation:

Many users are at risk of becoming ill with stomach bugs, according to the consumer group Which? It warned that 'qwerty tummy', named after the first six letters on a keyboard, could sweep through workplaces after tests on equipment in its own London offices showed alarming results.
—Sean Poulter, "How your computer keyboard is FIVE TIMES dirtier than your toilet seat — and could even give you 'qwerty tummy'," Daily Mail, May 1, 2008

Notes:

Categories:

Diseases and Syndromes
Gadgets and Appliances

Posted on July 21, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/qwertytummy.asp

apocalypse fatigue

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:58:11 EST

apocalypse fatigue
n. Reduced interest in current or potential environmental problems due to frequent dire warnings about those problems.

Example Citations:

Heading into one of the most important climate-change summits ever, global warming has an image problem. For the first time in 25 years, a majority of Americans rank economic concerns above environmental ones, a major poll shows. People also are exhibiting signs of what some environmental experts call "apocalypse fatigue."
—Mike Lee, "Climate-change skeptics getting warmed up," The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 6, 2009

The lingering question is whether the collapse of the climate campaign is also a sign of a broader collapse in public enthusiasm for environmentalism in general. Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger, two of the more thoughtful and independent-minded figures in the environmental movement, have been warning their green friends that the public has reached the point of "apocalypse fatigue."
—Steven F. Hayward, "In Denial," The Weekly Standard, March 15, 2010

Earliest Citation:

I think the problem, Larry, is that we keep on seeing this science by press release with these apocalyptic pronouncements. If we were in California, we'd probably say the people are getting apocalypse fatigue and each one of the these things has to be hyped more and more and more, and you know that.
—Pat Michaels, "Crossfire," CNN, February 10, 1992

Notes:

Although the phrase apocalypse fatigue as been around for a while, its recent popularity is thanks to a paper by Ted Nordhaus and Michael Schellenberger called Apocalypse Fatigue: Losing the Public on Climate Change (PDF document). Many thanks to Richard Dooling for passing along this phrase.

Category:

Environment

Posted on July 15, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/apocalypsefatigue.asp

neurolaw

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:02:53 EST

neurolaw
n. The philosophy and practice of using neuroscientific evidence and theories in the legal system. Also: neuro-law.

Example Citations:

But what about people who rape and murder — should we feel empathy for them? Should they be allowed to argue in court that their brains made them do it? Enter the new world of "neurolaw" — in which neuroscience is used as evidence in the courtroom.
—Barbara Bradley Hagerty, "A Neuroscientist Uncovers A Dark Secret," NPR, June 29, 2010

The extent of that revolution is hotly debated, but the influence of what some call neurolaw is clearly growing. ... Proponents of neurolaw say that neuroscientific evidence will have a large impact not only on questions of guilt and punishment but also on the detection of lies and hidden bias, and on the prediction of future criminal behavior.
—Jeffrey Rosen, "The Brain on the Stand," The New York Times, March 11, 2007

Earliest Citation:

A new report sponsored by the Dana Foundation titled Neuroscience and the Law: Brain, Mind, and the Scales of Justice examines the legal issues raised by advances in the study of the human brain, including free will, cognitive enhancement, lie detection, and behavior prediction.
—Zack Lynch, "Neurolaw: The Scales of Justice," Brain Waves, September 16, 2004

Notes:

Categories:

Psychology
Law and Order

Posted on July 15, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/neurolaw.asp

umbraphile

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 07:38:47 EST

umbraphile
n. A person who seeks out or has an intense interest in eclipses, particularly solar eclipses.

Example Citations:

A growing number of eclipse-chasers, or umbraphiles, as they are also called, travel to the corners of the earth specifically to see total solar eclipses, and tour operators have sprung up to get them there. Beyond providing the thrill of standing on the moon's shadow, or umbra, an eclipse is often the centerpiece of a travel adventure in exotic climes.
—Christina Koukkos, "Eclipse Chasing, in Pursuit of Total Awe," The New York Times, May 17, 2009

Commodities trader Rick Brown is an umbraphile. That neologism, coined by astronomer Glenn H Schneider, describes someone "addicted to the glory and majesty of total solar eclipses."
—David Gura, "On Sunday, 'Umbraphiles' Will Watch Total Solar Eclipse From 39,000 Feet," NPR, July 8, 2010

Earliest Citation:

In the South Pacific in '84 they chartered a sailboat to maneuver closer to the center line of the path, and that was the one where rebels burned down their hotel the day after totality. In the Philippines in '88, however, communist insurgents called off the revolution for a few days so as not to upset the visiting umbraphiles.
—Phil McCombs, "Under the Spell of the Eclipse," The Washington Post, July 10, 1991

Notes:

The word umbraphile is a blend of the Latin terms umbra, "shadow", and -phile, "loving." An umbraphile is also known as an eclipsoid or an eclipsomaniac, and a person who travels to prime eclipse locations is also called an eclipse-chaser. Note, too, that in a comment to the umbraphile entry in Grant Barrett's Double-Tongued Dictionary, astronomer (and possible coiner of the word) Glenn Schneider writes that he used umbraphile as early as 1976.

Related Words:

extreme tourism
extremophile
Plutophile

Categories:

Travel and Tourism
Science (General)
People

Posted on July 13, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/umbraphile.asp

daycation

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:27:29 EST

daycation
n. A day trip or other short vacation that does not require an overnight stay. Also: day-cation.
—daycationer n.

Example Citations:

If you don't have the time or the money for vacation this summer, maybe you can spare a few hours for a daycation. Somewhere between the staycations of 2008 and the naycations of last year there's the daycation trend of 2010.
—Christopher Elliott, "6 tips for taking a summer daycation," MSNBC.com, July 6, 2010

Seniors are invited to take a "daycation," a day traveling with a group of people using the bus and/or light rail system to entertainment and shopping destinations throughout the area.
—"Campbell shorts," San Jose Mercury News, April 15, 2010

Earliest Citation:

You'll want a back-pocket, getaway idea to pull out when you have a free afternoon and the itch to take off for a while. Our "daycations" are just the ticket to satisfy mini wanderlust.
—Linda Pender, "Daycations," Cincinnati Magazine, June 1, 1986

Notes:

Category:

Travel and Tourism

Posted on July 12, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/daycation.asp

tkday

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:36:35 EST

tkday
n. A person's 10,000th day since birth. Also: 10K day.

Example Citations:

Approaching his tkday — or 10,000th day on Earth — Horne decided he wanted to leave a permanent mark on history, and as a lover of language and devout Countdown fan, he decided that the best way to do that would be to get a new word into the dictionary.
—Steve Bennett, "Wordwatching by Alex Horne," Chortle, January 14, 2010

The 10k Day celebration — alternately called "Tkday" or "decimal birthday" — has become the new coming-of-age for Generation Y.
—Paola Loriggio, "Happy 10,000th day — let's party," The Toronto Star, February 23, 2008

Earliest Citation:

You'll reach your Tkday when you're about 27 years, 3 months and 15 days.
—V.G. Farmer, "Tkday," Urban Dictionary, October 25, 2006

Notes:

The domain name tkday.com was registered on October 3, 2006.

Category:

Aging and Death

Posted on July 9, 2010

Permalink: http://www.wordspy.com/words/tkday.asp