beat bag
n.— «Deputy Inspector Frank Biehler, commanding officer of the 24th Precinct, said that many of the people still hanging around in doorways and on street corners were undercover police officers. Others, he said, were “simple truants, people in illegal gambling, and kids in the beat bag business,” who sell oregano to unsuspecting people out to buy marijuana.» —“Day After Crack Raid It’s Still Cat And Mouse” by Howard W. French New York Times June 20, 1987. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
After our conversation about towns with extremely short names, many listeners wrote to tell us about Why, Arizona. Others pointed out that there are towns called Ely in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada. Other super-short appellations include Rye, New...