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January 31, 2022
Government/Law/Military/Religion /HealthPets (Dogs, Cats, Horses)

First Dog (dog of the president of the United States)

"First dog" is a term sometimes used for a dog of the president of the United States. "DOTUS" (Dog Of The United States) has also been used. "The big dog Hector is Mrs.…

September 23, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

First Lady (president’s wife)

The "first lady" of the United States is married to a male president, a first lady of a state is married to the governor and a first lady of a city is married to the mayor. A…

November 13, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fiscal Cancer (budget deficits and government debt)

"Fiscal cancer" is a term used to describe a government's budget deficits and its debt. Cancer has often been described as a "silent killer." Government debt has also been…

August 24, 2009
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fiscal Child Abuse (deficit spending)

"Fiscal child abuse" is another name for deficit spending -- where the children (future) are left with the bill for the present. The term has come into increasing use in the United States…

November 16, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

FisCon (Fiscal Conservative)

"FisCon" (or "fiscon") is a "fiscal conservative." "FisCon" has been cited in print since at least 2005 and was popularized in late 2007 and in 2008,…

February 21, 2013
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

FISHDO (Fuck It, Shit Happens—Drive On); FISHMO (Fuck It, Shit Happens—Move On)

"Shit happens" became a popular saying by the early 1980s. Some acronyms were developed: FISH -- Fuck It, Shit HappensFISHDO -- Fuck It, Shit Happens -- Drive OnFISHMO -- Fuck It, Shit…

August 1, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fishing Expedition

A "fishing expedition" is an investigation that looks into many matters in the hope of finding at least one piece of incriminating evidence. The investigation is "fishing" for…

October 29, 2016
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fix Be In (Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI nickname)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was nicknamed "Fix Be In" for its handling of several 2016 cases. Many Republicans and Conservatives believed that the "fix" was in to…

August 29, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fix Everything My Ass (Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA nickname)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began in 1979 for the purpose of responding to disasters. FEMA has had many critics, especially for its response to 2005's Hurricane Katrina.…

January 21, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fixed News (Fox News nickname)

The Fox News Channel (headquartered in Manhattan) has often been criticized for conservative bias. The nickname “Fixed News" has been used by some critics of Fox News since at least October…

October 30, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fixed Noise (Fox News nickname)

The Fox News Channel has had many critics who have nicknamed the channel "Fixed News" and "Fox Noise." The Fox News nickname of "Fixed Noise" (a combination of the two…

March 25, 2014
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flash Mobbery or Flashmobbery (flash mob + robbery)

"Flash mob" is a term from 2003 to describe a sudden "mob" of people, such as for a public performance art project. "Flashmobbery" has been cited in print since 2006…

March 16, 2012
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flat Earther

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) sailed to the western hemisphere from Spain in 1492; a myth developed that this voyage proved that the earth was round (and not flat), but this had been known for…

October 13, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flea Party (Fleabagger)

"Occupy Wall Street" protests began in September 2011 in New York City, but the protests quickly spread to other cities. Some (mostly conservative) critics of "Occupy Wall…

February 18, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fleabagger (flea + teabagger)

"Fleabagger" (flea + "teabagger") has been used since at least April 16, 2009 as an alternative term for "teabagger." "Fleabagger" is a derogatory term. A…

February 18, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Fleebagger (flee + teabagger/fleabagger)

In February 2011, Democratic Wisconsin lawmakers fled the state to prevent the legislature from obtaining a quorum and voting on bills to require concessions from the state's unionized…

June 11, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flexian

"Flexian' (sometimes misspelled "flexion") was coined by Janine R. Wedel in her book, Shadow Elite: how the world's new power brokers undermine democracy, government, and…

July 11, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flightilla (flight + flotilla)

The word "flightilla" (fly + flotilla) -- also spelled "flytilla" -- was popularized on July 6, 2011, following the failure of the "Freedom Flotilla II" to sail past…

August 15, 2011
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Flip-Flop (Flip-Flopper)

A politician is called a "flip-flopper" when he or she "flip-flops" (changes position) on an issue. The terms come from the 19th century; an older term is…

October 14, 2010
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health

Floccinaucinihilipilificationism

"Floccinaucinihilipilification" is one of the longest words in the English language. U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1927-2003), from New York, added the suffix "-ism" to…

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BARRY POPIK is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, Dictionary of American Regional English, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Yale Book of Quotations and Dictionary of Modern Proverbs. Since 1990 he has also been a regular contributor to Gerald Cohen's Comments on Etymology.

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