A person who makes a living by predicting disasters and worst-case scenarios.
Guy1: What's the news, man?
Guy2: Bird Flu, terrorists, hurricanes, global warming, the price of gasoline and natural gas and electricity skyrocketing, death toll in Iraq . . .
Guy1: Boy, the dread merchants are busy lately!
highly motivated employee who has few personal responsibilities and so can work long hours, travel frequently, or be called in to work with little notice.
The ideal zero drag employee is young, unmarried and childless with no responsibilities and an eagerness to do well.
17π 1π
Taken from the Louis Armstrong Lyrics to "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off":
"You like potato and I like potahto, You like tomato and I like tomahto
Potato, potahto, Tomato, tomahto, Let's call the whole thing off."
Used by somebody comparing two things that are essentially interchangeable or two words for the same thing.
Republicans - Right-wing crooks. Po-tay-to po-tah-to.
74π 45π
On a highway, car that passes you going way over the posted speed limit. If there is a speed trap ahead, he will get caught instead of you. See also cop cleaner. The bear part comes from "Smokey The Bear" - shortened to "Bear" - old CB'er term for a highway patrol officer because of their rather distictive headgear which resembles a national park ranger's hat.
Trucker 1: "Breaker, breaker - Jimmy, I gotta make up some time - any Bears around? Over."
Trucker 2: "Not seen any, Peter - but that young buck blew by us in the Eclipse musta been doing about 90. Bear bait fer sure. Over."
25π 9π
(roh-BUHS-chuhs)- Boisterous; vigorous - Coarse; rough; crude.
When the meaning of the disturbance became clear to him he placed a hand beside his mouth and shouted: "Hey! Frank!" in such a robustious voice that the feeble clamor of the natives was drowned and silenced.
-- O. Henry, Cabbages and Kings
"rumor intelligence" - iIntelligence information based on rumors rather than facts.
Much of the Bush administration's evidence for Iraq's reconstituted nuclear program, thriving chemical-biological development program, and active Iraqi link with Al Qaeda was based on what intelligence analysts call "rumint."
21π 2π