ransom factor n. 1. The tendency of people of wealth to use the high cost of legal action as justification to break contracts and refuse to pay for services rendered. “I can pay my lawyer more than you make.” See Jaffe's First Law. 2. The inability to contest one who has broken a contract or refused to pay for services provided due to the high cost of legal fees. See Jaffe's Second Law.
real faux Oxymoron. adj. Genuinely phony.
recreation sight n. 1. Attractive, scantily clad girls. e.g. Surfer girls at Ditch Plains. 2. A nude beach. e.g. Peter's Pond beach in Sagaponack.
recreational facility n. A place or area devoted to community athletic events or sporting activities. e.g., The Atlantic Golf Club (membership fee: $575,000) or the Sebonack Golf Club (membership fee: $650,000, annual dues: $12,000).
redecorate
recycle v. 1. Real Estate. Speculatively convert a distressed property into lucrative real estate. See pump and dump. 2. Construction Industry. Steal building materials from one project for use on another, for which both owners are charged accordingly. 3. Hold a yard sale.
red carpet dermatology n. Nonsurgical procedures such as Botox injections to relax muscle tone, Restylane injections to fill wrinkles, microdermabrasion, etc., carried out in preparation for an upcoming social event.
redecorate v. Attempt to maintain or increase one's social status by changing appearance rather than substance. e.g., Undergo plastic surgery.
relative deprivation n. The insecurity of the rich in regard to their wealth and status in society.
relaxation n. Vigorous, competitive activity unrelated to work. relax —v. e.g., Power yoga, obsessive competitiveness at golf, tennis, etc.
renovation n. 1. A construction project in which a house, especially one that is new or in perfect condition due to recent renovations, is completely rebuilt. 2. A construction project in which an entire house is demolished and replaced one component at a time rather than completely razed and rebuilt. See teardown. 3. Plastic surgery or its results.
rent-a-friend n. 1. Someone who is happy to come along, but only if you are paying. See modelist. 2. A professional escort.
renterror (ren·ter'·ror) n. 1. A summer tenant from Hell. “Hello? This is your tenant calling to advise you that the air conditioning is broken. I'll have you know that we are very rich and are used to far better treatment than this. If you don't have the air conditioning repaired by six p.m. we will be staying, at your expense, at the Maidstone Arms until we can move back into the house” 2. A summer vacation rental from Hell. A rented summer house that is untenable due to noise, smell, failure of mechanical systems, infestations of rats, fleas, cockroaches, etc.
rescue call n. A call made to a cell phone at a prearranged time specifically to provide the recipient with an excuse to leave a social engagement. “Give me a rescue call at 8:15.” Also SOS.
reservation fraud n. A reservation falsely made in the name of a celebrity for the purpose of getting a table at a fully booked restaurant or nightspot. See liedentity.
reservation redundancy n. Multiple reservations made in various restaurants for the same date and time so as to keep one's entertainment options open, often made under assumed names to avoid black booking. See black book.
rich adj. Highly ironic. e.g., The multimillionaire who can't get a plumber to fix the backed up toilet in his Hamptons vacation house. See suck down.
rich as Croesus (kree·shus) Expression. Having legendary wealth. Croesus was an ancient king who established the first gold refinery and introduced the use of minted coinage. Also über rich.
rich kid killer n. An expensive imported high performance motorcycle. e.g., A 198 mph 205 hp $65,000 Ducati Desmosedici RR.
rich man's Levittown n. Any subdivision in the Hamptons. See prosperity blight.
richter scale (rich'·ter skal) n. A comparative gauge of success, as measured by one's wealth, on which garden variety millionaires don't even register. See big dog.
ridiculture (rid'·i·kul'·chur) n. Popular culture based on dubious precedents. e.g., Wearing one's pants well below the hips, driving a Hummer, building a MEGACOTTAGE in the Hamptons, etc. Conflation of ridiculous and culture.
roach coach n. 1. A Hampton Jitney. See Them. 2. A moving van packed with a CIDIOT'S furnishings, inside which cockroaches travel to the Hamptons. See hitchhikers. 3. A food service vehicle that caters to businesses and construction sites.
Rolex rider n. 1. One who is equipped with an expensive brand new or perfectly restored classic motorcycle and is unable or unwilling to ride it. e.g., A motorcyclist with a tailored leather riding outfit, custom Shoei helmet with built-in voice-activated cell phone and intercom, a Breguet, Patek Philippe, Rolex or other name brand luxury wrist-watch and a brand new or extremely low-mileage top-of-the-line custom Harley Davidson or special order Orange County Chopper that is usually found parked in a garage or, upon rare occasions, in front of a trendy restaurant, but only during daylight hours. 2. A make-believe motorcyclist who is shunned by any real biker for whom a motorcycling is a lifestyle rather than an accessory.
rubberneck n. A window-shopping tourist who can't afford to purchase anything more expensive than an ice cream cone, often seen browsing, but never buying, in front of expensive stores on Newtown Lane in East Hampton or Job's Lane in Southampton. See poorist.