Glossary: Lexicon of Liberal Invective

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5:00 Horror: Bad news (for the Republicans) that's released at 5:00 PM on a Friday so that nobody has a chance to process it—except the people who released it, who start spinning it immediately, hoping that their version will take before the Sunday talk shows.
aWol: George W. Bush. From Bush's Absent-WithOut-Leave Texas Air National Guard "duty" during the Viet Nam war, not his disappearance on 9/11.
AWWSA: Acr. Assholes Who Will Say Anything; the nether regions of the VRWC. Usage example: "Free loofah with your AWWSA membership!"
BCW: Beltway Conventional Wisdom. As opposed to PO (Public Opinion). Originated by Shystee.
Bipartisan: N. 1. Of a Democrat: date-raped. 2. Of a Republican: Mission accomplished!
Bless Her Heart: Fuck you; fuck off. Usage example: How does a Tennesee woman say "Fuck you"? "Bless her heart."
Bless His Heart: Fuck you; fuck off. Usage example: How does a Tennesee woman say "Fuck you"? "Bless his heart."
Bless Their Hearts: Fuck you; fuck off. Usage example: How does a Tennesee woman say "Fuck you"? "Bless their hearts."
Blotchy: George W. Bush. Poss. from Bush's intermittently roseate complexion. Usage example: Blotchy hasn't had a press conference in awhile. Has he broken out again, or is he shopping round for a new ear-piece?
Centrist: N. Bush enabler; closet Republican. Usage example: "Centrists like Joe Lieberman."
Christianist: N. Perverts Christianity to achieve political power or wealth, "practic[ing] their piety before others in order to be seen by them" (Matthew 6:5). Term coined by Andrew Sullivan. See AWWSA.
Civility: n. Showing appropriate deference to authoritarians. Example: CBS brought a new level of civility to American political discourse by cancelling a mini-series on Reagan that wingers deemed insufficiently hagiographical.
Class Warfare: The words than can never be spoken, and perhaps have never been said.
Clusterfuck: Marine slang: A clusterfuck was any group of Marines big enough to draw enemy fire, or several Marines close enough together to be wounded by the same incoming round. More generically, a clusterfuck was something that was all screwed up, i.e. "That blocking operation was a giant clusterfuck!" Whenever three or more CAP Marines gathered in the open, talking or working on something, somebody was sure to call out "clusterfuck!" and one or more guys would walk away. (Capmarine.com)Clearly, Bush's war of choice in Iraq is "all screwed up"; that makes it a clusterfuck by definition. However, the term is even more a propos. Tactically, Bush's war of choice in Iraq is a clusterfuck. The analogy to "Marines close enough together to be wounded by the same incoming round" is clear. In Vietnam, "in the open" meant being exposed in the rice paddies or jungles. In Iraq, "in the open" means (1) urban warfare where (2) troops (and contractors) must be supplied by trucks which (3) are not armored thereby making them vulnerable to (4) the "incoming rounds" of IEDs placed along the roadside. Nice work, Inerrant Boy. (And the resonance to the words of Matthew 18:19, "wherever two or three are gathered together," is heartbreaking.) Strategically, Iraq is a clusterfuck, too. Look again at the definition: "close enough together to be wounded by the same incoming round." Well, if the "incoming round" is a loose nuke in a shipping container (back) Bush will have managed to clusterfuck not just 2000 soldiers in Iraq, not just tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, but one or another Blue major ports. (Not that such an object lesson of the unquenchable fire from heaven (back) purging the country of gays, non-Christians, ESLers, and Democrats would make our theocrat rulers anything but joyful.) Paranoid scenario, you say? Tinfoil hat time? Seriously, does anyone think that a progression from small IEDs, to large IEDs, to missiles fired against ships in Jordan is going to stop there? Bush's war of choice has made Iraq a training ground (back) for these guys, worse than Afghanistan ever was (and OBLâ€”remember him?â€”was blowback from Afghanistan). That asshole has put all of us in the crosshairs... NOTE: A tip of the Ol' Corrente Hat to the man in the grey turtleneck for mainstreaming the word "clusterfuck" when applied to Bush's war of choice in Iraq.
Compromise: Noun. When Republicans get more than they ever dreamed of asking for.
Conservative: N. Authoritarian greedhead on the winger billionaire tit.
CW: Conventional Wisdom. Usage example: The slightly stale CW, as promulgated by bigfoot "Dean" Broder.
DCOW: Don't Click On Wingnuts. Every time you click through to a Right-Wing website or a Winger pundit's web page, you increase the value of advertising on that site. The link is there for reference, but don't click on it, if you can help it. Definitely don't click on their ads. It only helps their bottom line. Discussed here.
DFH: Dirty Fucking Hippy. Hat tip, Atrios.
DFHs: Dirty Fucking Hippies. Hat tip, Eschaton, Lord of Patchouli.
Dignified: Adj. 1. Having grabbed one's ankles (of a Democrat); 2. Dominated by wingers (of a process); 3. In power (of a Republican).
DINO: Acronym. Democrat In Name Only. Usage example: "The DINOs in the Centrist Coalition."
Divisive: a. Holding Republicans and Conservatives accountable.
Duck Pit: The origin of the term is obscure; everyone talks about the duck pit, but nobody ever says where it is, what it is, or how the people destined for it will get there. Believed to be a Babylon 5 reference, however. Usage example: Aux duck pits, citoyens I found this at Orcinus: "Some liberal commenters, for instance, on certain threads I read have devised, satirically, a "duck pit" into which all conservative minions will be cast on the day of liberal reckoning, there to be nibbled to death by a thousand hungry ducks." If I remember correctly, it originated in comments at Atrios, as a response to violent threats by Right Wing trolls. Sometimes sillines and absurdity are are a good antidote for hatred.
Electable: 1. Good on TV. 2. Not elected.
Equivalate: 1. To assuume that competing sides, especially political parties, are equally extreme, equally guilty, etc. 2. To treat a dubious position as arguably equivalent to a legitimate one.(Vast Left) Usage example: Joe Klein equivalates by comparing Rush to Markos.
Equivalating: 1. The assumption that competing sides, especially political parties, are equally extreme, equally guilty, etc. 2. Treating a dubious position as arguably equivalent to a legitimate one. (Vast Left)
Equivalation: 1. The assumption that competing sides, especially political parties, are equally extreme, equally guilty, etc. 2. Treating a dubious position as arguably equivalent to a legitimate one. (Vast Left)
F-word: Fascism. In UseNet discussions (and indeed, most discussions) the use of the F-word signals the end of useful discussion, via the operations of Godwin's Law. Unfortunately, this prevents the F-word from being used analytically. Orcinus sometimes uses the similar but more neutral term corporatist.See also: Wing-nut
Flypaper: The idea that we're going to fight our enemies on Iraqi soil, whether they like it or not.
Freeper: Detailed definition
Fruitcake: A right-winger. Usage example: That fruitcake theocrat, Antonin Scalia, is nuttier than Mussolini!
FTF: Vulgar. Fuck the Fundamentalists. Usage example: "My tax dollars are paying for a book in the Grand Canyon gift shop that claims the earth is 6000 years old. FTF."< See also "Campaign Against Fundamentalism," here
Fuck: Our guarantee to you that the post containing this term is not Corporate or Government propaganda. Say Fuck proudly! And get the T-shirt.
Gaslight: A form of psychological abuse characterised by persistent denials of fact which, over time, have the effect of causing the victim to become anxious, confused and progressively less able to trust his or her memory and perception. From the 1944 movie gaslight with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman.
Hate: To a Republican, being held accountable.
IOKIYAR: Detailed definition
Justice: "Just us" (of Conservatives).
Libby: Verb. 1. To lie for the purpose of convincing a large number of persons to adopt some policy that was bad for them. Usage example: "The mole libbied the public on behalf of a foreign power." 2. To launch a vindictive smear. "To retaliate for the critical review of the film, the director had the newspaper libbied." Suggested by Juan Cole.
Liberal: Noun. 1. Reality-based. 2. In Republican usage, a hate trigger. Usage example: A liberal isn't afraid to experiment, and change their thinking if the experiment doesn't pan out. Usage example: Liberal programs like Social Security.
Lug nut: Noun. The kind of wing-nut that attaches the wheel to the axle of (say) the Republican juggernaut.
Mandate: Bush Mandate.
MBF: Moronic Brownshirt Fuck. Originated by dave.

Usage example: Oh, that's just Anonymous--what an MBF!
MCA: The McCain Pro-torture and Incumbent Protection Enabling Act, informally known as the "Military Commissions Act."
Moderate: N. 1. Sucker. 2. Bush enabler. Usage example: "Al From is a moderate."
Moran: [Click to see the image]
MOTD: Misogynist Of The Day. Hat tip, ChicagoDyke.
MW: Media Whore. From the now silent site Media Whores Online. Usage example: Rove's bumboy, Howie Kurtz, is a true MW.
OFB: Obama Fan Base
Parse: 1. What a Republican does with words, to evade detection or indictment. 2. To decode a Republican lie, or other emanation of the VRWC.
Partisan: Adj. Speaking without deference to a Republican person or of a Republican idea.
Phonebooth Theory: Run as Clark Kent, govern as Progressive Superman. Na ga happen
Piss: The conditions in which our hospitalized troops must suffer, as in the case of one soldier who was found "lying in his own urine." The military leadership appointed to head military hospitals continues to ignore horrors like these. http://www.correntewire.com/republicans_piss_on_the_troops
PO: Public Opinion, as opposed to BCW (Beltway Conventional Wisdom. Originated by Shystee.
Polarizing: What the Conservative Movement never, ever does.
Pony: n. An intensely desired but extremely unlikely outcome. A magical but non-existent creature. Ex: "we are going to stay in Iraq until we find the pony".
POTL: POTL, n. People Of The Lie. Coined by Christian psychiatrist and theologian M. Scott Peck in his book The People of the Lie, which is, among other things, an examination of the nature of human evil. Peck quotes Martin Buber:
Since the primary motive of evil is disguise, one of the places evil people are most likely to be found is within the church.
Additional excerpts can be found here. "Utterly dedicated to preserving their self-image of perfection, they are unceasingly engaged in the effort to maintain the appearance of moral purity. They are acutely sensitive to social norms and what others might think of them. They seem to live lives that are above reproach. The words "image", "appearance" and "outwardly" are crucial to understanding the morality of 'the evil'. While they lack any motivation to be good, they intensely desire to appear good. Their goodness is all on a level of pretense. It is in effect a lie. Actually the lie is designed not so much to deceive others as to deceive themselves. We lie only when we are attempting to cover up something we know to be illicit. At one and the same time 'the evil' are aware of their evil and desperately trying to avoid the awareness." Peck's material, I feel, has great potential for analyzing and deconstructing the nature and behavior of the wing of the Republican party that has captured our government. With the caveats, that Peck raises, that evil is very dangerous to analyze--since we are, after all, all vulnerable to it.See also: SIC, VRWC
Pretzel Boy: George W. Bush. Poss. from TV commercial catchphrase: Prove it, pretzel boy! (see YABL). Then again, Bush likes pretzels. (Actual pretzels, not pretzel logic, or Pretzel Logic, though here Becker and Fagen's lyrics are surprisingly suggestive.)
Ratfuck: Republican governance.
Ratfucking: Normal and expected Republican behavior, invented by Nixon and raised to the status of a fine art by Bush I and Bush II.
SCLM: So-Called Liberal Media, from Eric Alterman's book, What Liberal Media?
Serious: n. 1. Beltway insider. 2. Complete wanker who is as dumb as a stone. Hat tip, Atrios.
Shrill: A ritual term of abuse used of liberals by wingers when the winger lacks a substantive response to an argument. Synonym: "Shut up!" Sometimes used ironically by liberals. Usage example, with irony: I used to like Paul Krugman when he wrote about economics, but lately he's been getting too shrill (from Atrios).
SIC: Self-Identified Christian. Those who identify as Christians but are, in fact, not. Generally "practice their piety before others in order to be seen by them." (Matthew 6:5) Propagation node: I like SIC for its euphony ("Sounds like ...."). My personal theology: It's the height of hypocrisy to parade one's religious beliefs as a means toward political power. And it's the height of arrogance to believe that one is "saved," let alone to say it, let alone run for office on that basis. Only God can know if we are saved. It isn't up to us to say anything about it. Hope and belief are not knowledge. "Self-identified" points this out. Bush says he's a Christian, but "by their fruits shall ye know them." (Matthew 7:16) We don't have to take his word for it.See also: POTL
SPAT: N. Some of the People All of the Time. Usage example: "A SPAT just can't undrink the KoolAid." Contributed by alert reader Ed Drone.
SPATs: Some of the People All of the Time. Usage example: "A SPAT just can't undrink the KoolAid." Contributed by alert reader Ed Drone.
Sternly Worded Letter: Noun phrase. Cf. "Send 'em a fruit tray"; wankery.
STFU: Shut The Fuck Up; Free speech, to a winger. Cf. O'Reilly's famous: "That's it. Cut his mike. This interview is over. I'm not going to dress you down anymore, out of respect for your father."
T.C.&E.: "Tried, Convicted and Executed."
Texas soufflè: George W. Bush. Usage example: "Behind his back they called [Bush] "the Texas soufflé," because he was "all puffed up and full of hot air." Here is farmer's original post.
The Clenis: The Mighty Member of the Big Dog, our last elected president: The Cl[inton P]enis. Who could begin to define a signifier of such humongous power? The Clenis™ is worth about $10 million per inch as measured by the Republicans investigating it.... And to hear the Republicans tell it, The Clenis™ is responsible for everything that's wrong with the country, then and now.... Watch them change the subject to The Clenis™ whenever they start losing an argument on the merits; it's fun, and educational! He don't need no stinkin' codpiece .... Originated by "Jennifer" of the Atrios comments section.
The Precious: Barack Obama. Hat tip: Anglachel.
Theocon: A political operative who manipulates the religious impulse to attain personal or organizational power; in the United States, generally a "conservative" SIC.

Prob. back formation from "neocon" (neo-conservative). First seen by this writer in a column by Sidney Blumenthal excerpted back here.

Usage example: The theocons are setting up a madrassa to train staffers for the White House at Patrick Henry University.
Troll prophylactic: A ritual disclaimer issued by a blogger in the hope of preventing comments from being infested by trolls, the irony-free, and the clueless. Usage example: "Troll prophylactic: Saddam is a really bad person." See also here.
Ungracious: Of a Democrat; failure to grovel with a sufficient degree of abjectness.
Unity: A fake solution to the false problem of "excessive partisanship." Ponies for everybody!
Vitriolic: Adj. Based on evidence and reasoning, crisply expressed.
Voter Fraud: Voting while black, brown, not rich, not Christianist, or not Republican.
VRWC: Detailed definitionSee also: POTL
W.O.R.M.: "What Obama Really Meant" -- a rationalization for a controversial statement by Barack Obama. Originally, a fictitious game show where such rationalizations are put forth.
Wanker: Detailed definition
WATB: 1. Whiny Ass Titty Baby [for mature audiences]; 2. Whinging About The Blogosphere. Originated by Atrios.
Wecovery: W's "recovery"; a Bush recovery; a "weak recovery"; a recovery that is a miserable failure. A condition where business reporting says that "the economy" is improving or even booming, but in your personal economy (CEOs excepted) the job you have is worse, or worse than the one you had, or you still don't have a job.
Wing-nut: Detailed definitionSee also: F-word
Winger: A right-winger. Usage: Tom DéLay—winger extraordinaire.
Winger Projection Syndrome: The tendency, shared by all wingers, to project their own thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings, which they cannot admit to themselves, onto others. In psychology, a defense mechanism. Anticipated in the Christian Gospel: "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7:3 KJV)Originated here here. Usage example: "Sean Hannity titled his book Deliver Us From Evil. That's a fine example of WPS in action."
WKJM: Whoever Kidnapped Josh Marshall. Originated by the Great Bob Somerby.
WPS: Winger Projection Syndrome (q.v.)
WTF: What The Fuck. Philly-ism.
WWTSBQ: Why Won't That Stupid Bitch Quit? See collected posts on this topic.
YAAP: N. Yet Another Autocoprophagic Pundit. Usage example: "David Broder, Beltway YAAP, recycles the same column he's been writing for the last thirty years."
YABL: Detailed definition