perk

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n

Definition: benefit
Antonyms: disadvantage

Elected officials enjoy many benefits of office, known as perquisites, or “perks.” Members of Congress send mail free of charge, park in special lots at Washington airports, and are reimbursed for trips they make to their home state and abroad. At the Capitol they have special subways, elevators, restaurants, low-cost gymnasiums, shops that offer discount-price supplies, and free plants from the Botanical Gardens to decorate their offices. Some congressional leaders are also assigned cars and drivers.

Critics of perks argue that the people's representatives should not receive special privileges at the taxpayers' expense. But questions arise about what privileges are necessary for the performance of congressional duties. Members need to keep in close contact with their constituents, which requires extensive communication and travel. They maintain homes in Washington and in their home state and have to decide where to raise their family. They must get to the floor quickly to vote, and their crowded daily schedules give them little time to shop, dine, or even get their hair trimmed away from the Capitol. They exercise in the Capitol gyms to keep fit and to relieve the stress of their job.

Over the years, members have viewed perks in different ways. In the 1st Congress James Madison declined to accept the free stationery supplies provided to each representative but noted that he was “the sole exception.” In the 1920s a reporter tried to question Senator William E. Borah (Republican–Idaho) about the then-free haircuts for members. Borah grumbled, “You tell that reporter to go to the devil. I want the same service that was received here by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.” But periodic criticism by the press and by constituents has caused Congress to abandon such perks as free haircuts and shaving mugs and to raise the costs of other services so that they are more in line with costs elsewhere. In 1992 the House abolished its 150-year-old bank after published reports revealed that members had been able to bounce checks—that is, write checks for more money than they had deposited—without penalty. Although no public funds were involved, voters saw the House bank scandal as just another example of a perk that allowed members of Congress to operate under different rules than did average citizens.

Presidential perks

Presidents receive perks that entitle them to special extensions of power. Certain luxuries, such as the fully staffed White House residence, Camp David retreat, Air Force One, and presidential helicopters and limousines, are provided as much to symbolize presidential power as to facilitate the conduct of official business. In addition to their salaries, Presidents receive generous expense accounts to pay for official entertaining and travel, and they retire with a pension and a government-funded office and staff. Former Presidents and their spouses are also entitled to Secret Service protection. Recent Presidents have all established Presidential libraries to house their papers and to commemorate the accomplishments of their administrations. Although constructed with private money, the libraries are maintained by the federal government under the jurisdiction of the National Archives and Records Administration.

See also House bank scandal

IN BRIEF: To recover or become more lively. Also: To lift quickly or alertly.

The flowers will perk up after you water them.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

abbr. for perturbed folding-activated kinase; other names: pancreatic ER-stress kinase; eIF-2 kinase. A protein serine/threonine kinase of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, found especially in pancreatic cells. Its luminal regulatory domain normally binds BiP (see binding protein), which inhibits the cytosolic catalytic domain. When unfolded proteins accumulate in the lumen (i.e. under ER stress), BiP is released and the catalytic domain is activated. One substrate is the initiation factor eIF-2, which on phosphorylation suppresses protein synthesis. PERK-deficient mice develop marked hyperglycemia soon after birth. Inactivating mutations in humans result in a form of diabetes mellitus type I, which is associated with multiple epiphyseal abnormalities, called Wolcott-Rallison syndrome.

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For a list of words related to perk, see:

• Corporations and Business Practices - perk: Informal. perquisite

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  See crossword solutions for the clue Perk.

Dansk (Danish)
1.
v. intr. - knejse, have næsen i sky, kvikke op, komme sig
v. tr. - stikke frem, stikke i vejret
adj. - opkvikkende

2.
n. - frynsegode, biindtægter

3.
v. intr. - løbe igennem
n. - kaffemaskine

Nederlands (Dutch)
extra verdienste/ voordeel, gebruikelijk privilege, gebruikt artikel dat naar ondergeschikte gaat, opfleuren, opbeuren, het hoofd arrogant oprichten, pruttelen, koffie zetten, (zich) mooi maken

Français (French)
1.
v. intr. - surplomber, se ragaillardir
v. tr. - faire dresser (l'oreille)
adj. - guilleret

idioms:

• perk up    se ragaillardir, reprendre (une affaire), s'adoucir (le temps), revigorer

2.
n. - (gén) avantage, avantage en nature

3.
v. intr. - passer (le café)
n. - cafetière à pression

Deutsch (German)
1.
v. - aufleben, aufmuntern, (sich) aufrichten
adj. - keck

idioms:

• perk up    hervorstrecken

2.
n. - Sondervergünstigung

3.
v. - aufleben, aufmuntern, (sich) aufrichten
n. - Sondervergünstigung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - επιμίσθιο, έκτακτη χορήγηση ή παροχή (κν. τυχερό), ειδικό προνόμιο
v. - ξανακάνω κέφι, ξαναζωντανεύω, ζωηρεύω, σηκώνω, ανασηκώνω (το κεφάλι κ.λπ.) με ζωηρότητα
adj. - ζωηρός, εύθυμος, κεφάτος, καμαρωτός, ξετσίπωτος

Italiano (Italian)
rizzare, rianimare, alzare, sollevare, farsi avanti, disinvolto, vigoroso, baldanzoso, gratifica, compenso extra, benefit

Português (Portuguese)
n. - gratificação (f), privilégio (m)
v. - animar-se, empertigar, fazer café
adj. - pretensioso, animado, alegre

Русский (Russian)
вскинуть, навострить, оживиться, булькать, бойкий, наглый, дополнительная льгота

Español (Spanish)
1.
v. intr. - estirarse, erguirse, contonearse
v. tr. - animar, entonar, levantar, vestir, ataviar, acicalar, erguir
adj. - animado, lleno de vigor

idioms:

• perk up    reanimarse

2.
n. - gratificación, beneficio, dividendos

3.
v. intr. - colar , percolar
n. - propina, perquisito

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - extraförmån, fördel
v. - perkolera, brygga, höja, lyfta på, spetsa (öronen), sätta sprätt på
adj. - uppburet

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 昂首挺胸, 振作, 得意扬扬, 活跃起来, 竖起, 翘, 昂, 打扮, 修饰, 昂首挺胸的, 振作的, 得意扬扬的, 活跃起来的

2. 津贴, 额外补贴

3. 滤煮

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. intr. - 濾煮

2.
v. intr. - 昂首挺胸, 振作, 得意揚揚, 活躍起來
v. tr. - 豎起, 翹, 昂, 打扮, 修飾
adj. - 昂首挺胸的, 振作的, 得意揚揚的, 活躍起來的

3.
n. - 津貼, 額外補貼

한국어 (Korean)
1.
v. intr. - 멋 부리다, (앓고 난 후에)기운을 회복하다
v. tr. - 멋 부려 차려 입다, 활기 있게 (머리.코.꼬리를) 치켜올리다
adj. - 차려 입은

2.
n. - (직무에서 생기는) 임시 수입, (합법적인) 부수입, (종업원 등이 받는) 팁

3.
v. intr. - (액체가) 삼투하다, 스며 나오다, (커피가) 퍼콜레이터에서 끓다
n. - 여과액, 삼출액

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ぴんと上げる, 着飾らせる, 反り身になる, 元気になる
n. - 臨時収入, 役得

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مخصصات إضافيه غير مباشرة فوق الراتب والأتعاب (فعل) يزداد نشاطا, ينتعش, يترشح, يرفع رأسه منتبها, يبسط, ينبسط, يتهندم, يفرفش (صفه) مفعم بالنشاط والحيويه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮נעשה עליז‬
v. tr. - ‮סינן (קפה), הרים (ראש וכו') במהירות‬
adj. - ‮מלא-חיים, עליז‬
n. - ‮הטבה, הכנסה צדדית‬
v. intr. - ‮חלחל, השמיע קול פכפוך (קפה)‬
n. - ‮חלחול (פרקולטור) של קפה‬

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