ArchiveMarch 2008

wet fish

wet fish  n.— «Both fish reside in the middle-water column of the ocean, causing those in the fishing industry to refer to them as “wet fish.” This means that a lot of water must be pulled into boats when scooping them in from...

bush bashing

bush bashing  n.— Note: According to the Macquarie Dictionary, “bash” is an Australian term for a cross-country trip. «Inspector Andrew Humberstone, in charge of the search, said Mr Meyer was a highly experienced bushwalker and...

Typewriters We Have Loved

Death of the Typewriter  Ding! In this week’s episode, Mark Twain would be pleased. Reports that it’s the end of the line for the typewriter have been greatly exaggerated. Well, slightly anyway: it’s not the horseless carriage...

ducker

ducker  n.— «Police refer to them as “duckers”—drivers who try to shield their faces from red light cameras as they run signals at intersections watched 24/7 by electronic traffic enforcers.» —“St. Peters reviews...

crash truck

crash truck  n.— «Woolley said the thick back of the maintenance vehicle—often called a “crash truck”—is designed to take the brunt of the impact in case of an accident. A “crash truck” is used by maintenance...

skylock

skylock  n.— «After a cursory examination, the chief of the contractor’s crew, which had been repairing the building’s facade, said that a “skylock”—the brake on one of the scaffold’s twin motors—had apparently failed, leading to the one...

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