The number of oblique references and inside jokes commonly used by the contributors at env-econ.net keeps piling up. We get darn tired of explaining them each time. Here is our attempt at cataloging these words, phrases and clauses that may only make the contributors laugh.
AC/DC - A heavy metal band very popular with high school and college aged men during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The term used in a blog context usually refers to poorly designed or executed research. The kind that would not result in the attainment of a tenure professorship. For example: "Your economics research is very AC/DC. I hope you already have tenure."
AED - Agricultural, Environmental, Developmental; adjectives for the land grant economics department at The Ohio State University
Another reason to hate Duke - A phrase used alternatively in reference to Christian "effing" Laettner's stomping of Aminu Timberlake and/or Christian's "effing" Laettner's 10-10 destruction of the University of Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional Final. The phrase is also used whenever Duke Energy is mentioned or the movie Trading Places (starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd and, of course, Jamie Lee Curtis; the Dukes were the evil social engineers).
Appalachian State University - A mid-sized regional public university located in Boone, North Carolina; better known for its back-to-back I-AA (i.e., FCS) football national championships than its economics department; In fact, "most people have never heard of 'ASU.'" AKA, Appstate.
ASU34UM32 - The score of a football game that has been called the one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game, perhaps surplanting C6H0 as the biggest upset of all time. It's reference will usually lead to a public outcry for us to grow up.
Attitude, Best - John Whitehead (As Elected by the Players of Noon-Time Faculty-Staff Basketball Game: Player with the Best Attitude)
Beer - A frequent muse; Also: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.
Blind leading the dumb - What it's like when Tim or John posts off-topic generating a flood of comments that illustrates the collective ignorance of almost everyone associated with the Environmental Economics blog (e.g., Lehman's Moral Hazard).
Cap'n Trade - Tim's solution to the climate problem: "We just need a cartoony mascot: Cap'n Trade. Obviously s/he would have a green cape and in a nod to my genious idea, would have a bold EE on the chest. Oh and be ripped. And yes, if begged, I'm willing to serve as the model. If I could just fix this back problem so I could work out again."
Centre College - A top 50 liberal arts college located in bucolic Danville, Ky.
Chewbacca - John's nickname for Tim. Tim is 6'3" and used to sport a less than stylish full beard.
Consumption - Refers to John's ill-fated attempt to rename quantity demanded to help beginning econ students and the public avoid confusion between demand and quantity demanded; and avoid the associated analytical errors.
Couple of beers - Synonomous with lots of beers.
Crabs, Blue - Something that you pick and eat steamed in Maryland; can also be eaten fried after molting of the hard shell (i.e., "soft-shell crab").
Cromulent - Funny word from the TV show "The Simpsons" that is synonomous with both (a) appropriate and, ironically, (b) inappropriate.
Dick - 1. A private eye or detective; 2. A nickname for Richard; 3. One who strives by an action to create a favorable social impression, but instead creates a negative one; 4. a highly contempible person; 5. Any other use of this term? We find offensive. Source: Urban Dictionary
Drive Less! - The env-econ grass roots solution to high gas prices. Drive Less is an answer to the question "What can we as consumers do to bring down the price of gas?" "Drive Less!" places to burden on drivers to take action. Gas prices are high because drivers are willing to pay high gas prices. "Drive Less!" and gas prices will fall (see here for the motivation behind the campaign).
ECU - Acronym for East Carolina University, former employer of John (12 years) and Tim (5 years).
Ecological Economics - An inferior product to the field of environmental economics; a common "whipping boy" of environmental economics bloggers.
Famous sports economist - Another nickname for John Whitehead. Comes from a conversation Tim had with a sports management graduate student. Tim asked the student if he had heard of John Whitehead. The student responded: "Oh yes. John Whitehead is a very famous sports economist."
Fear the Turtle - A phrase most commonly seen at a University of Maryland athletic contest designed to frighten opponents--Maryland's mascot is Testudo the Terrapin. Often used by bloggers when scoring a debating point.
Field research - John and Tim's frequent vacations to the beach and other recreation sites. Cromulently, on these vacations they only rarely participate in recreational activities such as hiking or fishing.
Gas price - A common theme that, when mentioned (especially with the verb "gouging"), may result in a visitation spike.
Glen Burnie - Less than desirable suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. Hometown of Tim and current residence of most of his family.
Green-jobs-are-bogus - the notion that "Environmental policy can change the mix of jobs but not the overall number of jobs." ; Invoking the "bogus" meme will often lead to much angst amongst green jobs advocates. It also seems to be positively correlated with new Blogads; aka "the new peak oil" (scroll to the bottom of the comments section).
Haab, Tim - Professor of AED Economics at The Ohio State University; aka Timothy C. Haab; Chewbacca, El Conquistador.
Hobb, Mr. - The frequent mispronunciation of Tim's last name (the correct pronunciation rhymes with cab) and Tim's sheepish refusal to correct anyone who pronounces it incorrectly--for example National Public Radio.
Hollywood environmental hypocrisy - A fav whipping boy of Mr. Hobb. Don't you hate it when rich movie stars fly their private jets to a mega-event to tell you to switch light bulbs or use a single square?
Hot, Hot, Hot - An ironic reference to unquestionably the greatest university recruiting video ever.
I Got Drunk and I Fell Down - Any post where we experience alcohol-induced technical problems. A reference to the Uncle Tupelo song of the same name.
I hope for this guy's sake he has tenure - Something that you might say when reviewing a research effort that you don't feel is particularly serious. Examples: one, two.
Kahn - Author of the Environmental and Urban Economics blog, chief rival of and source of plagiarized material at the Environmental Economics blog; A scoop or other poke may result in our wrath.
Ohio State University - Mega research university better known for its football team than its AED economics department; AKA, The Ohio State University.
Peak Oil - The geological theory that oil production will peak and rapidly fall off causing "all hell" to break loose. Whenever Tim mentions that "all hell" won't break loose as consumers rationally adjust to price changes "all hell" breaks loose in the blog comments section.
Ron - Short for the word moron (source Urban Dictionary)
Redneck - A person who hails from Kentucky, even a large city in Kentucky or suburb of a large city in Kentucky.
Sarc - Indicates sarcasm; Example: "Hey Tim, great presentation, could I get a copy of your paper (sarc)!" Source: I am Charlotte Simmons.
Self-absorption - A blogger's achilles heel; usually results in off-subject personal posts. The phrase is used as an insincere apology in advance of an off-subject personal post; For example, a post that begins with: "At the risk of self-absorption ..." is blatantly self-absorbed. See also Self-promotion.
Self-promotion - A blogger's achilles heel; usually results in off-subject professional posts. The phrase is used as an insincere apology in advance of an off-subject professional post; For example, a post that begins with: "At the risk of self-promotion ..." is blatantly self-promotory. See also Self-absorption.
The - Haughty word in front of a university name or blog; examples: The Ohio State University, The Environmental Economics blog
The Devil's Number - 666; a superstition that is usually associated with the Southern Baptist faith; usually arises in the context of extreme bad luck such as being born the antichrist or going to hell when you die
University of Maryland, Baltimore County - (aka UMBC) Semi-respected branch campus of the University of Maryland with one of the worst locational university names in the country. The "University of Maryland at Baltimore" sounds much better, but is already taken.
US Environmental Economics - A daily irritation; this is how we're listed on the blogroll at Natural Capital.
Whitehead, John - Professor of Economics at Appalachian State University; aka John C. Whitehead, Lone Wolf.
Whom I'd never heard of - Something that you say about someone to arrogantly denigrate their work or opinion; usually said when you have become too big for your britches; example: "... according to John Whitehead (whom I'd never heard of)."; blog post example: Who are you again?
