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15-letter words containing p, e, r, c, i, n

  • 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.
  • spanish america — the Spanish-speaking countries south of the U.S.: Mexico, Central America (with the exception of Belize), South America (with the exceptions of Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname), and most of the West Indies.
  • special partner — a partner whose liability for the firm's debts is limited to the amount that partner has invested in the firm.
  • speech training — training designed to improve spoken skills, such as voice projection
  • speed indicator — an instrument for counting the number of revolutions of a gasoline engine.
  • spherical angle — an angle formed by arcs of great circles of a sphere.
  • spinous process — a spinelike process of a bone, especially the dorsal projection from the center of the arch of a vertebra.
  • spiny cocklebur — a cocklebur, Xanthium spinosum, introduced into North America from Europe.
  • sporting chance — an even or fair opportunity for a favorable outcome in an enterprise, as winning in a game of chance or in any kind of contest: They gave the less experienced players a sporting chance by handicapping the experts.
  • sports medicine — a field of medicine concerned with the functioning of the human body during physical activity and with the prevention and treatment of athletic injuries.
  • spring-cleaning — a complete cleaning of a place, as a home, done traditionally in the spring of the year.
  • sprinkler dance — a celebratory dance in which participants extend one arm and shake it to imitate the action of a rotating water sprinkler
  • straining piece — (in a queen-post roof) a horizontal beam uniting the tops of the two queen posts, and resisting the thrust of the roof.
  • stretch a point — a sharp or tapering end, as of a dagger.
  • super-efficient — performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable: a reliable, efficient assistant.
  • superconfidence — great or extreme confidence, overconfidence
  • superconvenient — highly convenient
  • superefficiency — the quality or condition of being superefficient
  • superexcitation — the act of exciting.
  • superficialness — being at, on, or near the surface: a superficial wound.
  • superintendence — a district or place under a superintendent.
  • superintendency — a district or place under a superintendent.
  • supreme council — the legislature of the former Soviet Union and its successor states, consisting of an upper house (Soviet of the Union or Council of the Union) whose delegates are elected on the basis of population, and a lower house (Soviet of Nationalities or Council of Nationalities) whose delegates are elected to represent the various nationalities.
  • surface-ripened — (of cheese) ripened on the surface by molds or other microorganisms.
  • synectics group — a group of people of varied background that meets to attempt creative solutions of problems through the unrestricted exercise of imagination and the correlation of disparate elements.
  • talking picture — Older Use. a motion picture with accompanying synchronized speech, singing, etc.
  • text processing — the handling of alphabetic characters by a computer
  • the phanerozoic — the Phanerozoic era
  • the precambrian — the Precambrian era
  • traffic pattern — Aeronautics. a system of courses about an airfield that aircraft are assigned to fly when taking off, landing, or preparing to land.
  • treacle pudding — a sponge cake with syrup on top
  • triple alliance — the alliance (1882–1915) of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.
  • uncomplimentary — of the nature of, conveying, or expressing a compliment, often one that is politely flattering: a complimentary remark.
  • uncomprehending — to understand the nature or meaning of; grasp with the mind; perceive: He did not comprehend the significance of the ambassador's remark.
  • uncomprehensive — of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive: a comprehensive study of world affairs.
  • uncompromisable — that cannot or should not be compromised
  • uncooperatively — in an uncooperative or unhelpful manner
  • uncopyrightable — not able to be copyrighted
  • uncorresponding — identical in all essentials or respects: corresponding fingerprints.
  • under suspicion — suspected of a crime
  • undercapitalize — to provide an insufficient amount of capital for (a business enterprise).
  • underproduction — production that is less than normal or than is required by the demand.
  • underpublicized — lacking publicity
  • unfair practice — unfair competition.
  • unparticipative — to take or have a part or share, as with others; partake; share (usually followed by in): to participate in profits; to participate in a play.
  • unpolished rice — a partly refined rice, hulled and deprived of its germ but retaining some bran.
  • unpractisedness — the quality or state of being unpractised
  • user experience — Digital Technology. the perception and response of a person toward design elements of software or digital media while interacting with it. Abbreviation: UX.
  • venture capital — funds invested or available for investment in a new or unproven business enterprise.
  • vernier caliper — a caliper formed of two pieces sliding across one another, one having a graduated scale and the other a vernier.
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