# Term for "Subject to change without notice" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819 "2018-01-03T21:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/1 "2018-01-03T21:39:03Z")
Is there a simple one- or two-word term for this? Searching for it brings up all the contracts ever, but not a term… I’ve checked the Reverse Thesaurus, and it didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/2 "2018-01-03T22:32:09Z")
Gotcha (clause)? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/3 "2018-01-03T22:35:22Z")
(tentative) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/4 "2018-01-03T22:40:36Z")
Disclaimer. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/5 "2018-01-03T22:46:03Z")
Contingent? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/6 "2018-01-03T23:17:48Z")
All-purpose all-encompassing universal escape clause. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/7 "2018-01-03T23:17:58Z")
Changeable? Mutable? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/8 "2018-01-03T23:27:05Z")
Changeable is probably the closest… it’s for a story I’m writing about a shapeshifter, who doesn’t have too much control over his ability. Somebody asks him what he is, and he says… something simple, like changeable. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/9 "2018-01-03T23:41:30Z")
Changeable works, but I think “mutable” fits even better. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/10 "2018-01-04T00:06:48Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Changeable is probably the closest… it’s for a story I’m writing about a shapeshifter, who doesn’t have too much control over his ability. Somebody asks him what he is, and he says… something simple, like changeable. I like it. An apprentice shapeshifter. Will make for a great comedy. Write the screenplay! ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/11 "2018-01-04T02:10:10Z")
Capricious, moody, volatile? (The pragma _volatile_ is used in a lot of programming languages for very similar semantics.) The problem is that the phrase conveys two important things - changeable, and no notice of that change. The latter is arguably just as important. That it is such a common phrase in many bits of legalese I am surprised it doesn’t have a name. Perhaps a Latin form could be crafted to suit. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Terrific](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tom_terrific/32/342_2.png) [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/12 "2018-01-04T02:14:08Z")
Variable? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/13 "2018-01-04T11:16:20Z")
Morph. And he should be from a place called Orph. And have a catch-phrase–maybe something like “noo-nah, noo-nah.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/14 "2018-01-04T11:29:04Z")
Turbulent. Terribly turbulent. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/15 "2018-01-04T11:51:26Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > That it is such a common phrase in many bits of legalese I am surprised it doesn’t have a name. Perhaps a Latin form could be crafted to suit. It does have an equivalent: **Gotcha** … Latin for “Oh, SNAP!”🙂 Apparently the OP wasn’t interested in the legalese aspect however, but merely wanted a way to shorten the phrase “Subject to change without notice” and is satisfied with… Change(able). ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/16 "2018-01-04T13:14:20Z")
You need to consider the etymology of each synonym carefully and pick the one you truly mean. For instance, something _volatile_ flies about on currents of air, someone _erratic_ wanders (errs) about randomly astray, and someone _capricious_ has an unruly, impulsive character. The untrained shapeshifter sounds a bit _erratic_ in your description. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/17 "2018-01-04T15:35:31Z")
Mercurial? ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/18 "2018-01-04T16:37:56Z")
Conditional? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/19 "2018-01-04T18:22:43Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Mercurial? I like it! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/20 "2018-01-04T18:42:48Z")
Yes I’m a bastard, but I’m a bastard with your money. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819.md?page=2)