0 WHAT IS 'CYBERSLACKING'?

 

Cyberslacking refers to staff who use their work internet access for personal reasons while maintaining the appearance of working. This can include surfing non-work-related Internet sites, online shopping, instant messaging and using social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter.  That is also known as goldbricking, "Buca-ing" cyberloafing or cyberbludging, and which some say, can lead to inefficiency. 

The term itself first entered the public eye in the late nineties, notably in a Newsweek article of November 1999, which highlighted research claiming that nearly a third of US workers' time on the Internet was devoted to non-work related activities. At the end of 2003, it was estimated that cyberslacking cost the US economy 250 billion dollars in lost wage expenses.

Office workers from the People's Republic of China are considered by some to cyberslack the most internationally. Some employees do two non-work activities at once, a practice known as multishirking. Instances of cyberslacking have increased markedly since broadband Internet connections became commonplace in workplaces. Before that the slow speed of dial-up connections meant that the practice was rarely worthwhile. Many firms employ surveillance software to track employees' Internet activity in an effort to limit liability and improve productivity. Other methods used to reduce cyberslacking include installation of proxy servers to prevent programs from accessing resources like Internet Relay Chat, AOL Instant Messenger, or some online gambling services, strict disciplinary measures for employees found cyberslacking, and carrot and stick measures like providing free or subsidized Internet access for employees outside of working hours.

Corporate concern about cyberslacking is not always confined to time-wasting. Many large firms have had to accept legal liability when employees have searched for pornography or other inappropriate material on office computers. This has led to the formation of a whole new multi-million dollar industry known as Employee Internet Management (EIM), which encourages companies to invest in software for monitoring or restricting personal Internet use.

A study from DNS-resolution service OpenDNS, "2010 Report on Web Content Filtering and Phishing" details just what sites companies were most likely to block last year, be it social networking websites or sites that have a reputation for fostering procrastination.

Ten most blocked websites by companies:

10. eBay.com -- 1.6 Percent
  9.  Meebo.com -- 1.6 Percent
  8. Ad.Yieldmanager.com -- 1.8 Percent
  7. Orkut.com -- 2.1 Percent
  6. Hotmail.com -- 2.1 Percent
  5. Twitter.com -- 4.2 Percent
  4. Ad.Doubleclick.net -- 5.7 Percent
  3. YouTube.com -- 11.9 Percent
  2. MySpace.com -- 13 Percent
  1. Facebook.com -- 23 Percent

While alot of companies find it detrimental to work productivity, new researches are showing opposite results on the cyberslackers - being a stress reliever or source of personal gratification.




Source(s):  wikipedia, macmillandictionary.com, blogtactic.com, psychologytoday.com

0 WHAT DOES THE EXPRESSION "LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS" MEAN?

Loose lips sink ships is an American English idiom which means:

"Beware of unguarded talk".  In other words -

Don't talk carelessly because you don't know who is listening.
(From wartime. Literally, "Don't reveal even the location of a loved one on a ship, because the location could be communicated to the enemy by a spy.")



The War Advertising Council's "Loose Lips Sink Ships" public service ads reminding Americans of the dangers of revealing too much information are still remembered today.

The phrase originated on propaganda posters during World War II. The phrase was created by the War Advertising Council and used on posters by the United States Office of War Information.

The posters were part of the general campaign of American propaganda during World War II and were part of a campaign to advise servicemen and other citizens to avoid careless talk concerning secure information that might be of use to the enemy. The British equivalent used variations on the phrase "Keep mum".

The gist of this particular slogan was that one should avoid speaking of ship movements, as this talk (if directed at or overheard by covert enemy agents) might allow the enemy to intercept and destroy the ships.

There were many similar such slogans, but "Loose lips sink ships" remained in the American idiom for the remainder of the century and into the next, usually as an admonition to avoid careless talk in general.


Source(s):  wikipedia, thefreedictionary.com, adcouncil.org,

0 WHAT DOES THE EXPRESSION "MY BAD' MEAN?

"My bad" is an American English idiom which means:

1. My fault, my mistake - I'm to blame.
2. I apologize.

In other words, a way of admitting a mistake, and apologizing for that mistake, without actually apologizing. 

Manute Bol  (Oct 16, 1962 – June 19, 2010) 
with Muggsy Bogues

It was made popular by Manute Bol -  when he would throw a bad pass, he would always say, "My bad" instead of "My fault," which now all the other players say - although it was also used before his arrival in the USA. This slang term was probably originated around 1970 before the widespread use of the Internet.

It usually means "my fault", "my mistake", "I apologize" or "mea culpa". It gained popularity with urban players of streetball and then spread into mainstream popularity. 

Its use in the 1995 film Clueless greatly increased the phrase's popularity.  The film starred Alicia Silverstone and contains what seems to have been the first use of the phrase in the mainstream media. The 1994 'Green revision pages' for the movie script has a scene with Alicia Silverstone's character learning to drive:

Cher swerves - to avoid killing a person on a bicycle. Cher: "Whoops, my bad."

Source(s): wikipedia, phrases.org.uk, urbandictionary.com

0 WHAT DOES THE EXPRESSION "ON THE LINE" MEAN?

On the line is an American English Idiom which generally means:

1. If something is on the line, it is at risk of failing, or being harmed or something is in a situation in which it could be lost or harmed.  Most times it is used in reference to work. So it means in danger of losing one's job and/or reputation.
2. Or on the line could simply mean speaking on the telephone:  John was on the line talking to his mom.

So to re-state the above pictured example:

Stacey was trying her best to improve her work skills sincer her company was cutting back on expenses and feared she may be in danger of losing her job, if she doesn't do something soon to impress them!

or

John's verbal abuse at the news reporter was shocking.  Now his good reputation will be on the line.

John's verbal abuse at the news reporter was shocking.  Now his good reputation will be at risk of being harmed.

or

Tracey's life is on the line, if she doesn't receive a kidney from a donor soon.

Tracey's life is at risk of failing, if she doesn't receive a kidney from a donor soon.

Source(s):  thefreedictionary.com, englishdaily626.com

 

0 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A 'DICKHEAD'?

"Henry!, Stop humping the beach ball!   You can be such a dickhead sometimes!"

Dickhead

Descriptive word used for someone (9 times out of 10 a male), who is considered to be dishonest, mean, highly ignorant, selfish and/or just plain stupid!  Term is often used in reference to ex-boyfriends and/or husbands.  He is an idiot and shows it all too well.

Example:

1. George bush is such a dickhead.

Usually a male person who "thinks with his dick". A person whose actions seem motivated by sexual desire at the expense of common sense or intelligence.

Example:

1. Johnny bought her flowers hoping to get lucky tonight but she just wasn't in the mood after puting in 10 hours at work.  What a real dickhead!

Other humourus meanings:

A person with a dick on their head.

"But I'm a rhinoceros!!"

Unicorns

"Mommy, look at that dickhead in the picture!"

Source:  urbandictionary.com

0 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO 'KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP'?

"Celina had to try very hard to keep a stiff upper lip when her parents told her they were moving to another country".

One who has a stiff upper lip displays fortitude in the face of adversity, or exercises self-restraint in the expression of emotion. The phrase is most commonly heard as part of the idiom keep a stiff upper lip, and has traditionally been used to describe a virtue of (particularly upper middle and upper class) British people, who are sometimes perceived by other cultures as being reserved.

So in other words, to be cool and unmoved by unsettling events, to act in a way that doesn’t show any emotions!

Resource(s):

wikipedia, usingenglish.com



0 WHAT IS A 'CHARLEY HORSE'?

 Charley Horse or Charlie Horse

A charley horse is a popular North American colloquial term for painful spasms or cramps in the leg muscles, typically lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. Also known as a "Tommy Horse". It can also refer to a bruising of the quadriceps muscle of the anterior or lateral thigh, or contusion of the femur, that commonly results in a hematoma and sometimes several weeks of pain and disability. Such an injury is known in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries (and also in the U.S.) as a dead leg, granddaddy, or chopper. In Australia it is also known as a corked thigh or "corky." It often occurs in sports when an athlete is struck by an opponent's knee, in a manner like the kick of a horse, perhaps the reason for its name.
Another nuance for the term "charley horse" is used to describe simple painful muscle cramps in the leg or foot, especially those that follow strenuous exercise. These muscle cramps can have many possible causes including horonal imbalances, dehydration, low levels of potassium or calcium in the blood, side effects of medication, or, more seriously, diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neuropathy. They are also a common complaint during pregnancy or for the elderly.

The term may date back to American slang of the 1880s, possibly from the pitcher Charlie "Old Hoss" Radbourn who is said to have suffered from cramps. Another story mentions a horse named Charley that used to work at Comiskey Park, the Chicago White Sox's baseball stadium. In those days, an old, retired horse was often called "Charlie."

In the German-speaking world, it is commonly known as a Pferdekuss (horse's kiss), while in Norway it is referred to as a lårhøne (thigh hen), in the Netherlands as an ijsbeen (ice leg) and in France as a béquille (crutch). In Portugal, it is known as a paralítica, roughly translated to "paralyzer". In Japan it is known as komuragaeri (こむら返り), which is literally "cramp in the calf". In northeastern Italy, it is commonly called a lopez, while in the northwest it is called vecchia (old woman) or dura ("hard one" or "tough one"); in the south of the country, instead, it is called morso di ciuccio (donkey bite). In some areas of central Italy, it is called opossum. In Israel it is called "Regel Etz" which means wooden leg. It is called "chaca" (rat) in the Chamorro language of Guam and the Mariana Islands.


Source:  wikipedia

17 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE 'PUSSY-WHIPPED'?

Pussy whipped is a North American expression/idiom meaning:


Submissive to or dominated by one's wife or other female partner, frequently with the connotation that this submissive behavior is for the prospect of sex:

Friend #1: "Man, that bitch sure has Jack pussy whipped! Know where he is?"

Friend #2: "Yeah, he's so afraid he won't get any tonight, he's home watching 'The Golden Globe Awards' with her instead of at the World Series with us!"

Friend #3: "Damn, what a loser."

The word can be written in other ways such as pussywhipped or pussy-whipped.  Either way, it all means the same.

Pussywhipped:
1.  When a male of the species will not do anything against his significant other's wishes for fear that she will retaliate by not performing sexual favors for him.

2.  To be rather overly obsessive about one's girl friend right up to the point that when she says "Jump", you say, "How High?", for fear that, should you displease her, you will not be getting any that night. Extreme cases of this can lead to some gut-wrenchingly naff behavioural patterns (i.e. kissing the handset when she phones you.)


Pussy-whipped:
1.  The state of being influenced so greatly by your female significant other that you a) unreasonably change the way you act around your friends, family, and others so as not to upset said significant other and b) feel that you deserve a reward for not acting in a way that would upset said significant other.

Jason refuses to go to any parties anymore because he is pussy-whipped.

2.  To have your testicles in a jar and in the possession of a female who requires you to check-in constantly to verify she still has possession. Guys night out is OUT of the question.

Jeremy Roskovensky is more pussy-whipped than any man I have ever met.

3.  The state in which a male is totally and utterly owned by his female companion. He lives in constant fear of her, despite being 300 times stronger and tougher than her and being the sole reason that bitch has food to eat and a roof over her ungrateful head. Such a pitiful man has to "check-in" every 4 minutes to make sure his woman is "okay" with him being away from her.   A total disgrace to all mankind, deserves to be sent to a concentration camp. Will follow his woman all over the planet "just because" (lacks testicles).

I think you all get the idea!




Note: 
This expression should be used only around close friends and not in front of your elders!!  If you must get the idea across to your 'close' friends who happen to be around the said elders, the most appropriate word to use with the same meaning would be -  "whipped"!

Johnny can't even go to the show with us anymore without asking his girl first.  Darn, he's so whipped! 






Source(s):  wikipedia,  urbandictionary.com,  I'm North American