Lexicon
The words and phrases that bind Charter Academic Bowl into a close-knit team:
- The Austin Challenge: (after Austin Zheng '06) To buy a two-liter-sized
mug available at Jersey rest stops, fill it with a beverage and consume the entire
contents. The catch is that you are not allowed to use a restroom until the bus reaches
its destination. Failing the Austin Challenge can result in a fate similar to Tycho Brahe's
- Bowlll A phrase that descirbes bad questions, moderating, and tournament directing. You know who you are. Originally comes from a "Goron Christmas Story", a YouTube video about Counterstrike.
- 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.
- (To do a) Henry: (after Henry Gorman '09, formerly known as a "Jerry Yang") 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.
- 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?".
- 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.
- The Rude Rule: If you neg, shut up. If your opponents are doing a bonus, shut up. Certain sophomores, 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.
- 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.
- The Veber-Gorman diagram: Similar to the Hertzsprung-Rusell diagram. On one axis, the number of profanities uttered is measured. On the other axis, one plots the awfulness of the questions. Due to the fact that certain formats are more lame than others, there exists a main sequence of points on the diagram.
- Waiting For Raja: A proposed drama in which Neeraj and Byron sit in the car and wait for Raja to show up in the morning.
There is also a list of retired lexicon terms.