Armenian Killer: Offensive term for a Turkish immigrant.
ARSE: The ArghNeedAName Regional Security Establishment, responsible for domestic espionage.
ASS: The ArghNeedAName Secret Service, responsible for overseas espionage.
Assize Court: A criminal court for serious offences; equivalent to British Crown Courts. Also known as The Assizes.
Attorney General: A cabinet minister who serves as an official lawyer of the government, advising the cabinet on legal matters and represents the government at the Supreme Court.
Bicycle Wankers: A disparaging term for ArghNeedANamers in general, who are avid cyclists.
Bicycling Clipping: The practice of stealing a bicycle's wheels and sometimes other components such as the saddle.
Board of Free Speech: Most provinces have a Board of Free Speech which holds preliminary hearings on libel and slander lawsuits. This is designed to filter out SLAPP lawsuits filed by a plaintiff who wants to intimidate someone without actually expecting to win.
Calician: The language and dominant ethnic group of the provinces of Llamedos, Mennissia, Kindare and Sitherland.
CDP: The Christian Democratic Party
Chancellor: More formally the "Chancellor of the Senate" - the presiding officer over the Senate.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: A cabinet minister who serves as the deputy to the Minister of Finance. The Treasury Secretary tends to deal with more broad economic planning whereas the Minister of Finance deals with government finance.
ChrisDems: The Christian Democratic Party
Confederate Era: ArghNeedAName from 1818-1929, during which time it was called the "Confederation of ArghNeedAName".
Deputy: In addition to its regular meaning, this can also mean a member of the National Assembly.
Eastern Provinces: Gypusia, Whitacre, Skundland, Bornia, Chirmland, Guttland, Hoelland and West Areland.
Edwardson's Front: The Reformist, Christian Democratic and Free Republic Parties.
Foreman: The leader of a party within the National Assembly.
Forked Tongue: This sort of means "lying mouth", as in the sentence "Keep your forked tongue out of this conversation!".
FRP: The Free Republic Party
Gendarmery: Unofficial name for the Federal Police Service.
Great Five Offices: The Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of State, Minister of the Interior and Minister of Justice.
Gurr's Front: The Labour, Green and Socialist Parties.
Landport District: 1) The loosely defined area of Ankh Morpork where the most important government buildings are located. 2) A metonym for the Federal Government.
Lilac Revolution: The overthrown of Lord Squidd as leader in 1929 and the replacement of the constitution of ArghNeedAName.
Listpuller: The leader of a political party in a federal or provincial election campaign, who will appear at the top of his party's list. This is even used in the provinces which don't have party lists in their elections.
Listpusher: The bottom candidate on a party's list. Usually a celebrity or retired politician who's been placed there for show.
Lizard: Any person, normally a politician or businessman, with a record of corruption.
Minister of State: A ceremonnial title given to senior ministers of the government; usually leaders of junior parties in a coalition.
Ministry of the Interior: The ministry in charge of domestic law enforcement, border control, immigration, citizenship and overseas territories, led by the Minister of the Interior.
MInt: The Ministry of the Interior
MoDef: The Ministry of Defence
MoFA: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Narcotics Commission: The branch of the Ministry of the Interior responsible for drugs policy.
NME, The: A common nickname for former Prime Minister Nicholas Matthew Edwardson, whose unfortunate initials "NME" sound like "enemy" when read out. This led to Labour Party slogans like "Let's drive out the NME!"
Original Eight, The: Ankh Morpork, Latatia, Kerrighan, Midland, Helitia, Malvornia, Quirmland and Kixas. The original eight provinces in ArghNeedAName when it was founded.
PDV: The Party of Democratic Values.
Pinkos, The: The ArghNeedAName Socialist Party, which (to their annoyance) are represented by the colour purple to distinguish them from the red Labour Party. Formerly a term for a communist sympathiser.
President: The directly elected head of state of ArghNeedAName. Since the country uses a parliamentary system, the President doesn't have much power and is normally expected to stay out of politics. However, the president does have large reserve powers and power over foreign policy, defence, administration and judicial appointments.
Prime Minister: The head of government of ArghNeedAName.
Prime Ministry: The smallest ministry in the Federal Government, which consists of the offices and advisors of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. It deals with management of the civil service, administration and other miscellaneous affairs.
Right Honourable, The: This title is given before the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Chancellor of the Senate and every provincial governor and cabinet minister. In official titles it is often abbreviated to The Rt. Hon.
Second Minister: The deputy Prime Minister; normally a leader of a junior party in the coalition.
Sen.: The title senators hold. In addition, both senators and deputies have "MP" (Member of Parliament) after their name.
Social Market Economy: A capitalist economy with a welfare state. This is quite a broad term; even the United States would be described by ArghNeedANamers to have a 'social market economy'.
Special Minister: A state secretary (see below) who is given a place on the cabinet, usually because their portfolio involves something that the government considers a priority.
State Secretary: A junior minister. Each minister is accompanied by usually 3-5 state secretaries.
Tanty: Prison
Tories, The: The Reformist Party
Traffic Light Coalition: A coalition between either the Labour Party (red), Green Party (green) and either the Christian Democratic Party (orange), or less likely the Free Republic Party (yellow). A coalition with the CDP existed until very recently.
Wacko Hyperlibertarianism: A disparaging term for minarchism.
Western Provinces: A more accurate description would "North Western", but these consist of Llamedos, Kindare, Sitherland, Mennissia, Carrackia, Clereland, Nassia and Lancre.
Youl: (sounds the same as "Yowl") A plural form of the pronoun "You", used in the Western Provinces.
Other information:
- We use British spellings and vocabulary.
- Buildings in ArghNeedAName do not have a "First Floor". The floor you enter the building on is called the "Ground Floor" and the next floor up will be the "Second Floor". Next comes the "Third Floor", et cetera.