15-letter words containing f, l, u, p
- public offering — a sale of a new issue of securities to the general public through a managing underwriter (opposed to private placement): required to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
- puerperal fever — a systemic bacterial infection of the endometrium characterized by fever, rapid heartbeat, uterine tenderness, and malodorous discharge, chiefly occurring in women after childbirth, usually as the result of unsterile obstetric procedures.
- pull a fast one — moving or able to move, operate, function, or take effect quickly; quick; swift; rapid: a fast horse; a fast pain reliever; a fast thinker.
- purple foxglove — a medicinal plant, Digitalis purpurea, of western Europe, having finger-shaped, spotted, purple flowers and leaves from which digitalis is obtained.
- purslane family — the plant family Portulacaceae, characterized by chiefly herbaceous plants having simple, often fleshy leaves, sometimes showy flowers, and capsular fruit, and including bitterroot, purslane, red maids, rose moss, and spring beauty.
- put oneself out — to move or place (anything) so as to get it into or out of a specific location or position: to put a book on the shelf.
- rape of lucrece — a narrative poem (1594) by Shakespeare.
- refuelling stop — a stop made so that fresh fuel can be supplied (to an aircraft, vehicle, etc)
- refugee capital — money from abroad invested, esp for a short term, in the country offering the highest interest rate
- refuse disposal — the act of disposing of rubbish and waste
- relief supplies — food, water, medication, clothes, etc given to people in need, esp in disaster areas
- sale of produce — the selling of something that is produced, esp agricultural products
- self-persuasion — the act of persuading or seeking to persuade.
- self-production — produced by oneself or itself.
- self-propulsion — propulsion by a vehicle's own engine, motor, or the like.
- self-punishment — the act of punishing.
- self-supporting — the supporting or maintaining of oneself or itself without reliance on outside aid.
- simple fracture — a fracture in which the bone does not pierce the skin.
- slumpflationary — of or relating to slumpflation
- snafu principle — /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal: All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly: In the beginning was the plan, and then the specification; And the plan was without form, and the specification was void. And darkness was on the faces of the implementors thereof; And they spake unto their leader, saying: "It is a crock of shit, and smells as of a sewer." And the leader took pity on them, and spoke to the project leader: "It is a crock of excrement, and none may abide the odor thereof." And the project leader spake unto his section head, saying: "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide it." The section head then hurried to his department manager, and informed him thus: "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength." The department manager carried these words to his general manager, and spoke unto him saying: "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants, and it is very strong." And so it was that the general manager rejoiced and delivered the good news unto the Vice President. "It promoteth growth, and it is very powerful." The Vice President rushed to the President's side, and joyously exclaimed: "This powerful new software product will promote the growth of the company!" And the President looked upon the product, and saw that it was very good. After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are demoted or fired.
- snubfin dolphin — Australian dolphin with a small dorsal fin
- special feature — an article differing from the normal format and focusing on a particular topic
- specific volume — volume per unit mass; the reciprocal of density.
- stiff upper lip — stoicism
- subprofessional — being below professional standards: subprofessional health care.
- sulfite process — a process for making wood pulp by digesting wood chips in an acid liquor consisting of sulfurous acid and a salt, usually calcium bisulfite.
- superficialness — being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.
- superfluousness — being more than is sufficient or required; excessive.
- supporting film — a film that accompanies the main feature film in a film programme
- suspensefulness — the state of being suspenseful
- suspension file — a folder for documents that has protruding ends that can be hung over rails for storage
- trifluoperazine — a compound, C 21 H 24 F 3 N 3 S, used as an antipsychotic.
- venus's-flytrap — a carnivorous plant, Dionaea muscipula, native to bogs of North and South Carolina, having roundish leaves with two lobes that close like a trap when certain delicate hairs on them are irritated, as by a fly: the range is now reduced, though the plants are still locally abundant.
- work oneself up — become overwrought