Tuesday Word: loid

[ellesieg.livejournal.com]

When I first spotted this slang term, I assumed it was just a shortened form of celluloid, and that is indeed what the noun form means. The verb form of loid, however, refers to the act of opening a locked door by sliding a bit of celluloid or plastic between the door and its frame so that it breaks the contact between the spring lock and the frame, allowing you to enter by simply pushing or pulling the door open. Knowing how to loid can, of course, be very useful, saving you from the expense of hiring a locksmith should you accidentally lock yourself out of your home, or the suspense of being on the opposite side of a locked door, through which you can make out a combination of crashing sounds and giggling, from your children.

One may also loid (burglarize) a home or business, though should I ever find myself the victim of a burglary, I hope the perpetrator opts for a more advanced technique than loiding. I can think of few things more mortifying than having a police officer announce that far from being a criminal mastermind, armed with the most advanced lock-picking tools on the market, the only thing standing between the thief and the flat screen TV gathering dust in our spare room was a store loyalty card or a bit of plastic cut from the side of a milk jug.

Loid is pronounced…well, like the last syllable in “celluloid,” or Lloyd, making Lloyd a nice, subtle choice of name for the bad guy in your latest attempt at crime fiction.