# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/21 "2018-01-04T18:49:47Z")
> [@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. In that case, I think “erratic” fills the bill. erratic: not even or regular in pattern or movement; unpredictable. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/22 "2018-01-04T18:54:02Z")
> [@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. “Unstable” popped into my mind. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/23 "2018-01-05T07:05:26Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Mercurial? Maria? … some other options: fluid, dynamic, in flux. … Similar concept are ‘to be announced’, and ‘to be decided’ when talking about programming or party plans. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/24 "2018-01-05T09:30:45Z")
Protean, from the Greek god Proteus, who was famously capable of changing his shape. As it says on wikipedia: > [@](#): > > From this feature of Proteus comes the adjective protean, with the general meaning of “versatile”, “mutable”, “capable of assuming many forms”. ---
**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 5, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/25 "2018-01-05T13:40:53Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Protean, from the Greek god Proteus, who was famously capable of changing his shape. As it says on wikipedia: That was the name of the submarine in Issac Asimov’s\* Fantastic Voyage.\* ---
**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 5, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/26 "2018-01-05T14:30:40Z")
Well, if we go with the Greek root theme, we could look to invent an appropriate word. Proteus gets us the shape shifting, and I might suggest Caerus as an appropriate god for random luck. (The other contenders might be Eris and Tyche - but I think their connotations for chaos and fortune are a bit overbearing.) So how about _protecaeric_ ? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/27 "2018-01-05T14:46:43Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Well, if we go with the Greek root theme, we could look to invent an appropriate word. > > Proteus gets us the shape shifting, and I might suggest Caerus as an appropriate god for random luck. (The other contenders might be Eris and Tyche - but I think their connotations for chaos and fortune are a bit overbearing.) > > So how about _protecaeric_ ? I presume the OP wants his readers to understand what he is talking about. Making up new words of obscure meaning is probably not the best course unless you are Lewis Carroll or James Joyce. 😉 ---
**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 5, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/28 "2018-01-05T14:50:46Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I presume the OP wants his readers to understand what he is talking about. Making up new words of obscure meaning is probably not the best course unless you are Lewis Carroll or James Joyce. 😉 Yeah, but he can aspire… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/29 "2018-01-05T15:44:30Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Yeah, but he can aspire… 😃 Now I’m shuddering at the thought of _Jabberwocky_ as written by Joyce or _Finnegan’s Wake_ as written by Carroll. 😃 ---
**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 5, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/30 "2018-01-05T16:16:15Z")
Keep your vorpal sword at the ready. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/31 "2018-01-05T21:18:36Z")
just saw the OP’s clarification. Fickle, and capricious spring to mind and impy governance by some gruel god of fate/luck/chance. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819/32 "2018-01-06T00:45:13Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist;20700871 Term for “Subject to change without notice”] 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. [/QUOTE] > [@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. Despite the interpretions offered here, I think the end result for the OP is obvious: Changeable. Easy-peasy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/term-for-subject-to-change-without-notice/805819.md?page=1)