Jargon Watch
Career-Limiting Move (CLM)
Used among microserfs to describe an ill-advised activity. Trashing your boss while he or she is within earshot is a serious CLM.
Elvis Year
The peak year of something's popularity. "Barney the dinosaur's Elvis year was 1993."
Emotags
Mock HTML tags (smile, smirk ) used in WWW-related e-mail and newsgroups in place of ASCII emoticons. "flame Someone tell that jerk to shut up, I'm sick of his vapid whining!
``."
Generica
Those features of the American landscape (strip malls, motel chains, prefab housing) that are exactly the same no matter what part of the country you're in. "We were so lost in generica, I actually forgot what city we were in."
The Golden Rolodex
The small handful of experts who are always quoted in news stories and asked to be guests on discussion shows. Example: Henry Kissinger appears to be in The Golden Rolodex under foreign policy.
High Dome
Synonym for "egghead." A scientist.
Midair Passenger Exchange
Grim air-traffic-controller speak for a head-on collision. Midair passenger exchanges are quickly followed by "aluminum rain."
Pulling Glass
Laying down fiber-optic cable.
- Gareth Branwyn (jargon@wiredmag.com)
Tip o' the stovepipe to: Mark C., Steven Cherry, Jeffrey P. McManus, Steve Rhodes, Bruce Sterling, Amicus.
