Charter Academic Bowl

Lexicon

The words and phrases that bind this team

There is also a list of retired lexicon terms.

• A symbol used to improve artwork. Also appears in various celebrity photographs. Derived from David Huang's ('10) and Crabby Berni's ('09) tendency to provoke Asian anger.
  
  
• The Curse of the 5th Man: As soon as you go to the bench, they will ask a question about your niche category. For example, Mr. Tressler sits out at TRASH regionals, and then the Phil Helmuth tossup and Buffy the Vampire Slayer bonus gets asked.
  
  
• Documents of Power: A collection of information compiled by the team of clues and facts people need to know. Originally a term by Raja Vel ('08) for his personal notes, the term is partially derived from the idea that you will power tossups by knowing these facts. Also called the Subash list, after Subash Maddipoti's preparations for the 2003 ICT.
  
  
• Hose: In its slang sense, a question that tricks you. For example, we once won a round (and subsequently the tournament) in the Questions Unlimited format when Manheim Township answered "selectively peremable" only to discover that the answer had to be six syllables (and thus semiperemable).
  
  
• How you know that? Phrase uttered by Charles Zhang ('11) after someone gets a question, expressing wonder and amazement of teammates' ability to answer canonical questions. This causes irritation, frustration, and ridicule from various moderators. Variants include "Are you serious?".
  
  
• (To do a) Meg: (after Meg Barton '10) To trip over the electric cord of the buzzer, and somehow damage the buzzer. Electramatics are the nicest people you will ever do business with: they replaced the part for free. Former individuals guilty of this crime include Jerry Yang ('05) and Henry Gorman ('09).
  
  
• The Princeton Profanation: If the team goes to Princeton, expect (1) staying until 10pm (2) qualifying to the playoffs but not participating due to a math error by Ivy League students (3) being accused of cheating (4) having NAQT rules blatantly being ignored by the tournament director (5) having arrogant Ivy League moderators make fun of you for not knowing something and (6) having two Charter teams play in the same bracket even though it won't be necessary. If you happen to get through a year without so many of these crimes, expect the universe to balance itself through personal injury or other incident.
  
  
• Rise to Greatness: Doing well at something, but originally referred to winning nationals, which the class of 2009 achieved.
  
  
• The Rude Rule: If you neg, shut up. If your opponents are doing a bonus, shut up. Certain seniors, this means you (although all teams are not innocent in this matter).
  
  
• Swing the cat: Borrowed from Carnegie Mellon where Mr. Tressler played '97-'99. To keep using an answer in a bonus until it hits points. For example, in "name these Camus works" answering "The Stranger" until it's right because that's the only Camus work you know.
  
  
• Tressler is wise: Uttered when the coach says something. Derived from a hsquizbowl discussion in which Mr. Tressler urged Princeton not to run a fifteen-round tournament.
  
  
• Tresslerism: Kinda like Pavlovian quizbowl. As soon as you hear a certain phrase the coach told you about, buzz in immediately and say a certain answer. Chris Bard notes this works for other phrases too, like Mimbulous Mimbletonia. Many of these are put on the Documents of Power.
  
  
• What a champ: (attributed to "Big Delicious" '10, friend of the team) Depending on the tone used, this is either used to praise someone, or to make fun of them. (e.g. "He negged on the Eleanor of Aquataine tossup with Eleanor of Roosevelt? What a champ!")