the improper use of something, cruel treatment of a person or animal.
Accountable – The Right Side 22 – The Frankenstein Throne Speech
1: (of a person, organization, or institution) required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible: “government must be accountable to its citizens”
2: explicable; understandable: “the delayed introduction of characters’ names is accountable, if we consider that names have a low priority.”
Achievement – The Right Side 9 – No Room for Gushing
1: a thing done successfully, typically by effort, courage, or skill: “to reach this stage is a great achievement”
2: the process or fact of achieving something: “the achievement of professional recognition”
to relieve from a charge of fault or crime; declare not guilty: “The jury acquitted her, but I still think she’s guilty.”
Acquittal – The Right Side 56 – The Judicial Balance
a judgment that a person is not guilty of the crime with which the person has been charged.
Allegation – The Right Side 53 – Defining Allegations
a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made without proof: “he made allegations of corruption against the administration”
Apology – Western Context 68 – Insincere Apologies
a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure, as in “I owe you an apology” alternatively from Urban Dictionary: “A cowardly or disgusting act practiced by the weaklings; however, most arrogant and prideful folks reluctantly or insincerely do it to make the victim happy and feel vindicated”
Appraisal – Western Context 77 – Crystal Clear Appraisals
an expert estimate of the value of something or someone
Backbencher – Western Context 73 – Trading Bombshells
a Member of Parliament (or Legislature) who does not hold office in the government or opposition and who sits behind the front benches in the House of Commons.
Balance – The Right Side 38 – The Scheer Identity
stability produced by even distribution of weight on each side, equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements.
an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
Blackface – Western Context 136 – A Pattern of Behaviour
a form of theatrical make-up used predominantly by non-black performers to represent a caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of black racial stereotypes
an act or means of sealing off a place to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving.
1: a line separating two political or geographical areas, especially countries: “the German border with Denmark”
2: a district near a line separating two political or geographical areas: a refugee camp on the border.
Borrow – The Right Side 48 – The Borrowers
take and use (something that belongs to someone else) with the intention of returning it: “he had borrowed a car from one of his colleagues”
Bottleneck – Western Context 157 – The Throttled Bottleneck
A part of a process where its limited capacity reduces the capacity of the whole chain. The result of having a bottleneck are stalls in production, supply overstock, pressure from customers and low employee morale.
A program by government to purchase privately owned firearms, to reduce the number of firearms owned by civilians.
By-election – Western Context 74 – The Overshadowed
a process by which a single constituency votes to fill a vacancy during a government’s term.
Censorship – Western Context 119 – Cutting Red Tape
the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
Change – The Right Side 21 – Real Change?
the act or instance of making or becoming different: “the change from a nomadic to an agricultural society”
Clickbait – The Right Side 52 – Cutting Through Clickbait
something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest: “You’ll never believe what happened when … This is the cutest thing ever … This the biggest mistake you can make … Take this quiz to see which character you are on”
Compliance – Western Context 95 – You Will Comply
the state or fact of according with or meeting rules or standards
Confidence – The Right Side 23 – Confidence in Canada Day
the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust: “we had every confidence in the staff”
Conflict of interest – The Right Side 39 – Polling Truths
a situation in which a corporation or person with a vested interest in a company becomes unreliable because of the clash between personal interests and professional interests. An example of a conflict of interest would be a board member voting on the induction of lower premiums for companies with fleet vehicles when he is the owner of a truck company outside of the corporation. In relation to law, representation by a lawyer or party with a vested interest in the outcome of the trial would be considered a conflict of interest, and the representation would not be allowed.
Consequence – The Right Side 15 – #IamLinda vs. Sajjan
a result or effect of an action or condition: “many have been laid off from work as a consequence of the administration’s policies”
Conservative – The Right Side 57 – Conspiracies and Excuses
holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.
Conspiracy – Western Context 165 – Going Too Far
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
Constitution – The Right Side 41 – The Importance of Neutrality
the system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed.
the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.
Corruption – The Right Side 42 – A Plate of Corruption
dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery: the journalist who wants to expose corruption in high places.
a violent collision, typically of one vehicle with another or with an obstacle.
a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward.
Deficit – The Right Side 58 – $18b in the Hole
the amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small, or an excess of expenditure or liabilities over income or assets in a given period. “an annual operating deficit”
Delinquent – Western Context 147 – The Delinquent Spaceship
typically of a young person or that person’s behavior, showing or characterized by a tendency to commit crime, particularly minor crime. Also describes someone being overdue for a payment
Deportation – Western Context 70 – Skiing is Racist
the action of expelling a foreigner from a country, typically on the grounds of illegal status or for having committed a crime. “asylum seekers facing deportation”
Development – The Right Side 27 – The Angel from Above
1: the process of developing or being developed: “she traces the development of the novel”
2: a specified state of growth or advancement: “the wings attain their full development several hours after birth”
3: a new and refined product or idea: “the latest developments in information technology.”
4: an event constituting a new stage in a changing situation: “I don’t think there have been any new developments since yesterday.”
5: the process of converting land to a new purpose by constructing buildings or making use of its resources: “land suitable for development.”
6: an area of land with new buildings on it: “a major housing development in Chicago.”
Distraction – Western Context 69 – A Distracted Media
a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else – “the company found passenger travel a distraction from the main business of moving freight”
Doublespeak – Western Context 96 – Disruptive Doublespeak
Originating from George Orwell’s book 1984, Doublespeak refers to language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms (e.g. “downsizing” for layoffs, “servicing the target” for bombing), in which case it is primarily meant to make the truth sound more palatable.
Double standard – Western Context 144 – Out of Whack
a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups.
moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity, the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.
a process in which people vote to choose a person or group of people to hold an official position of political power.
Emergency – Western Context 124 – A Climate of Uncertainty
a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action.
usable power (as heat or electricity); also : the resources for producing such power
lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.
Experience – The Right Side 26 – The Experience of Unity
1: practical contact with and observation of facts or events: “he had already learned his lesson by painful experience”
2: the knowledge or skill acquired by experience over a period of time, especially that gained in a particular profession by someone at work: older men whose experience could be called upon | candidates with the necessary experience.
3: an event or occurrence that leaves an impression on someone: for the younger players it has been a learning experience.
Fake news – The Right Side 47 – The Danger of Bad Journalism
a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media.
the extreme right wing of a political party or group. “while the far right may gain some seats, it is far from gaining power”
belonging to or representing the views of the extreme right wing of a political party or group. “far right politicians”
Fearmongering – Western Context 92 – UnCanadian Fearmongering
Filibuster – The Right Side 61 – Protesting Delays
an action such as a prolonged speech that obstructs progress in a legislative assembly while not technically contravening the required procedures
Fog of war – Western Context 148 – The Scheer Departure
the uncertainty in situational awareness experienced by participants in military operations.
of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or language other than one’s own.
wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
something given free of charge, a gift or handout.
Free Trade – The Right Side 46 – Race to the Finish
international trade based on the unrestricted international exchange of goods without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
Frivolous – The Right Side 16 – The Frivolity of Government
1: characterized by lack of seriousness or sense: “frivolous conduct.”
2: self-indulgently carefree; unconcerned about or lacking any serious purpose.
3: given to trifling or undue levity: “a frivolous, empty-headed person”
4: of little or no weight, worth, or importance; not worthy of serious notice: “a frivolous suggestion”
the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.
an excessively abundant supply of something.
Gouging – Western Context 116 – The BC BANANA
to overcharge or swindle or extort
Grassroots – Western Context 106 – Silence Speaks Volumes
ordinary people regarded as the main body of an organization’s membership
Green politics – Western Context 118 – Chasing the Green
a political ideology that aims to create an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy.
to gain access to a computer illegally
Histrionics – Western Context 146 – Hilarious Histrionics
exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention.
a falsehood deliberately fabricated to masquerade as the truth.
Honour system – Western Context 139 – Cuts and Grabs
a system of payment or examination that relies solely on the honesty of those concerned.
Hypocrisy – The Right Side 66 – Hypocrisy Abounds
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform
Identity Politics – Western Context 114 – Identifying Mudslinging
a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, social background, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics.
Ignorance – The Right Side 24 – The Dangers of Ignorance
lack of knowledge or information: “he acted in ignorance of basic procedures”
Impartiality – Western Context 132 – Attacking Impartiality
equal treatment of all rivals or disputants; fairness
Independent – Western Context 143 – A Poison Cocktail
free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.
a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money: policies aimed at controlling inflation. “high inflation rates”
Injunction – The Right Side 64 – The Rule of Law
a judicial order that restrains a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another, or that compels a person to carry out a certain act, e.g., to make restitution to an injured party.
Insensitive – The Right Side 34 – Media Slime and Insensitivity
1: showing or feeling no concern for others’ feelings: “an insensitive remark.”
2: not sensitive to a physical sensation: “she was remarkably insensitive to pain.”
3: not aware of or able to respond to something: “both were in many ways insensitive to painting.”
Islamophobia – The Right Side 4 – The Value of Trade
dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force.
Interference – Western Context 127 – Interfering Intrusions
the unwanted or unnecessary intrusion into a situation
the act or process of examining a statement, problem or crime etc. especially to discover the truth.
a person involved in a jihad; an Islamic militant.
a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline, or a person or thing that is ridiculously inadequate.
Jurisdiction – The Right Side 62 – Neanderthal Name Calling
the official power to make legal decisions and judgments, the practical authority granted to a legal body to administer justice within a defined field of responsibility.
1: just behavior or treatment: a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people.
2: the quality of being fair and reasonable: the justice of his case.
3: the administration of the law or authority in maintaining this: a tragic miscarriage of justice.
Knee jerk –Western Context 137 – Jerking the Knees
reacting quickly or automatically without thought or due consideration
the action of leading a group of people or an organization: different styles of leadership.
an intentional disclosure of secret information, or the act of making it known.
Loyalty – Western Context 145 – I Spy
a strong feeling of support or allegiance
Mainstream – Western Context 111 – Losing Confidence
the ideas, attitudes, or activities that are regarded as normal or conventional; the dominant trend in opinion, fashion, or the arts.
Majority – Western Context 72 – Voting Produces Results
a number or percentage equaling more than half of a total
human beings considered collectively; the human race. “research for the benefit of all mankind”
the authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election.
1: an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation.
2: a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc., that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users.
Misconduct – Western Context 94 – Alcoholic Corruption
unacceptable or improper behavior, especially by an employee or professional person, mismanagement, especially culpable neglect of duties.
Multiculturalism – Western Context 81 – What is a Canadian?
the presence of, or support for the presence of, several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within a society: our commitment to the values of multiculturalism
Muzzling – Western Context 123 – Grade School Policy
to prevent a person or group from expressing their opinions freely.
Narrative – The Right Side 51 – Changing the Narrative
1: a spoken or written account of connected events; a story: “the hero of his modest narrative.”
2: the narrated part or parts of a literary work, as distinct from dialogue.
3: the practice or art of telling stories: traditions of oral narrative.
4: a representation of a particular situation or process in such a way as to reflect or conform to an overarching set of aims or values: the coalition’s carefully constructed narrative about its sensitivity to recession victims.
Nationalism – Western Context 89 – A Cloud of Pixie Dust
loyalty and devotion to a nation especially a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or globalist groups
newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events: “I’ve got some good news for you.”
Offensive – The Right Side 28 – The Perils of Kayaking
A highly subjective interpretation of something real, imagined, or interpreted as being demeaning; very often the use of complaint to attack someone while paradoxically assuming both authority and victimhood; the use of complaint as a sociopolitical weapon or vehicle to often unmerited benefit, privilege, or compensation: “Their being offended is deeply and inherently offensive to me! I demand you recognize my victimhood and give me what I want now!”
to counteract something by having an opposing force or effect, or a consideration or amount that diminishes or balances the effect of a contrary one. Also, the amount or distance by which something is out of line.
PAC (Political Action Committee) – The Right Side 40 – The Nap Pac
a type of organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
Parody – Western Context 75 – Buy Canadian
an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect: the movie is a parody of the horror genre | his provocative use of parody.
by a specified amount in or for every hundred: “new car sales may be down nineteen percent”
Permanent Resident – Western Context 85 – Asking The Hard Questions
Permanent residency in Canada is a status granting someone who is not a Canadian citizen the right to live and work in Canada without any time limit on their stay.
Psychology – Western Context 104 – Psychological Warfare
the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.
record the opinion or vote of: focus groups in which customers are polled about merchandise preferences.
receiving a specified number of votes: “the Green candidate polled 3.6 percent.”
support for the rights and power of ordinary people in their struggle against a privileged elite. “it is clear that populism identifies with the folks on the bottom of the ladder”
Power Grab – Western Context 162 – Taxing the Essentials
the attempt or action of acquiring or accomplishing something that was previously unattainable-but is now possible through newly acquired power, typically underhanded.
the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people, or public attention.
Privilege – The Right Side 59 – The Privilege of Leadership
a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. “education is a right, not a privilege”
Production – Western Context 163 – Give and Take
the action of making or manufacturing finished goods from components or raw materials
Progressive – Western Context 98 – The War on Christmas
happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step, favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.
Protest – Western Context 155 – Who’s At Fault?
a statement or action expressing disapproval or objection
Public Interest – Western Context 131 – An Interested Public
decisions made for the welfare or well-being of a society, by balancing competing interests with full transparency
Quarantine – Western Context 159 – Quarantining the Economy
a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.
Quid pro quo – Western Context 105 – Connecting the Dots
Latin term translating as “something for something”, a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something.
the number (such as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business. Meant to protect against unrepresentative action in the name of the body by a small number of people.
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.
Radicalization – Western Context 107 – On the Rails
where an individual adopts increasingly extreme political, social, or religious ideals that reject or undermine the status quo or contemporary ideas.
Reconciliation – The Right Side 25 – The Media Ignores
1: the restoration of friendly relations: his reconciliation with your uncle
2: the action of making one view or belief compatible with another: he aims to bring about a reconciliation between art and technology.
Referendum – The Right Side 17 – Unnecessary Apologies
a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision.
make changes in (something, typically a social, political, or economic institution or practice) in order to improve it.
Refugee – The Right Side 6 – A Switching of Roles
a person who flees for refuge or safety, especially to a foreign country, as in time of political upheaval, war, etc.
of, resembling, or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified
Regime change – Western Context 152 – Changing Emissions and Regimes
the replacement of one administration or government by another, especially by means of military force.
Regression – Western Context 93 – Regressive Transportation
a return to a former or less developed state. Also, in statistics, a measure of the relation between the mean value of one variable (e.g., output) and corresponding values of other variables (e.g., time and cost).
Repudiation – Western Context 115 – One and Done
rejection of a proposal or idea
Reserve – Western Context 112 – Thankful Donations
A place set aside for a particular purpose ie: first nations reserves
restraint, or caution in one’s words and actions
Resource – The Right Side 63 – The Misuse of Resources
a stock or supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively, a country’s collective means of supporting itself or becoming wealthier, as represented by its reserves of minerals, land, and other assets.
Responsibility – The Right Side 43 – Responsibility and Obstruction
the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone, the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something, or the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions without authorization.
Revisionism – The Right Side 31 – Revisionist History
the advocacy of revision of some political theory, religious doctrine, historical or critical interpretation, etc
Rhetoric – The Right Side 54 – Governments Flying Drunk
language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content. “all we have from the opposition is empty rhetoric”
1: righteous, upright
2: being in accordance with what is just, good, or proper “right conduct”
3: conforming to facts or truth : correct “the right answer”
4: suitable, appropriate “the right man for the job”
5: genuine, real
6: acting or judging in accordance with truth or fact “time proved her right”
7: being in good physical or mental health or order “not in his right mind”
8: being in a correct or proper state “put things right”
9: most favorable or desired, socially acceptable ”knew all the right people”
10: often capitalized : of, adhering to, or constituted by the Right especially in politics
Salty – The Right Side 50 – The Help
tasting of, containing, or preserved with salt, somebody who contains large quantities of sodium chloride,thus causing them to be upset.
Sandbagging – Western Context 117 – Flooding Concerns
to treat unfairly or harshly, to coerce by crude means, or to conceal or misrepresent one’s true position, potential, or intent especially in order to gain an advantage over someone else
Sanitary – Western Context 78 – Cleaning Out Sewage
of or relating to health or the conditions affecting health, especially with reference to cleanliness, precautions against disease
Scandal – Western Context 129 – The Blame Game
an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage
Secession – Western Context 82 – The Burning of Bernier
the action of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body, especially a political state.
Self-isolation – Western Context 160 – Isolating the Problem
the act of separating oneself from others ie: quarantine
Separate – Western Context 130 – Separation Anxiety
cause to move, set apart, to become detached, to divide
damage the reputation of (someone) by false accusations; slander: someone was trying to smear her by faking letters.
The role of the speaker is to guide Parliament through its agenda, and recognizing members of the House to speak if they wish to debate or question a decision in the house. It is a vastly important role in the Westminster system of political governance, and without one, government cannot function. Traditionally, the Speaker, after elected, feigns reluctance, and is dragged to the Speaker chair by the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, dating back to a time in Britain where the Speaker had to relay news to the Monarch, and would often lose his head if the news wasn’t good!
a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person
Talking points – The Right Side 60 – Political Armageddon
something that lends support to an argument, a subject of discussion.
the practice of a government collecting money from its citizens to pay for public services.
the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims: “the fight against terrorism”
Testimony – Western Context 108 – A Wacky Time of Life
a formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law, or evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something.
A negative side effect of protectionism that occurs when Country A raises tariffs on Country B’s imports in retaliation for Country B raising tariffs on Country A’s imports. Trade wars may be instigated when one country perceives another country’s trading practices to be unfair or when domestic trade unions pressure politicians to make imported goods less attractive to consumers.
Transparency – Western Context 109 – Experiencing Truth
operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are being performed, implying openness, communication, and accountability.
Trojan Horse – Western Context 158 – The Economic Trojan Horse
originally a hollow wooden statue of a horse in which the Greeks concealed themselves in order to enter Troy. Nowadays, it’s a person or thing intended secretly to undermine or bring about the downfall of an enemy or opponent.
a club, society, or association formed by people with a common interest or purpose: members of the Students’ Union.
an organized association of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests; a labor union: the National Farmers’ Union.
the quality or state of being made one, a totality of related parts, a condition of harmony
Unprecedented – Western Context 161 – Unprecedented Times
without previous instance, never before known or experienced, unexampled or unparalleled
a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life.
Virtue Signalling – The Right Side 33 – Mean-spirited or Necessary?
To take a conspicuous but essentially useless action ostensibly to support a good cause but actually to show off how much more moral you are than everybody else:
“Fred: I see George has changed his profile picture to show his support for refugees.
Barbara: Has he donated money or time? Is he giving English lessons? Is he making a room available?
Fred: No, no, he’s just virtue signalling.”
a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice.
lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; lacking physical strength and energy, lacking intensity or brightness, and liable to break or give way under pressure; easily damaged.
a play on the European term “Brexit”, in reference to Britain leaving the European Union, Wexit refers to a movement of an undetermined amount of Western Canadian provinces (usually Alberta and Saskatchewan) to separate from Canada. Also refers to a growing sense of western alienation amongst those in Western Canada.
Winning – Western Context 87 – Winners and Losers
gaining, resulting in, or relating to victory in a contest or competition
a person or reanimated corpse that has been turned into a creature capable of movement but not of rational thought, which feeds on human flesh.