belt air
n.— «Stricken from Yonts’ bill was a provision that would have barred the use of conveyor-belt tunnels for coal-mine ventilation. “Belt air,” as it is known in the industry, may contain coal dust and toxic chemicals, and is considered a grave hazard by mine-safety advocates, who say it can feed fires and expose miners to harmful airborne substances. The industry, by contrast, contends that the use of belt air is safe if certain precautions are taken.» —“Sponsor says mine-safety bill ‘hijacked’” by R. G. Dunlop in Frankfort, Kentucky Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) Feb. 23, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Tommy in Lexington, Kentucky, reports that when he was serving in the U.S. military in Vietnam he heard the expression Mox nix, meaning “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter.” It’s a version of a German es Macht nichts, or “It’s nothing.” This is...
When there’s no evening meal planned at home, what do you call that scramble to cobble together your own dinner? Some people apply acronyms like YOYO — “you’re on your own” — or CORN, for “Clean Out your Refrigerator...