brickor mortis
n.— «Falling house prices have caused property website Rightmove to coin a new phrase. “Brickor mortis” is the paralysing condition caused by sellers refusing to lower prices as they don’t accept their home’s value has dropped. Buyers won’t buy as they think homes will be cheaper in the future—or because they can’t get a loan.» —“Revealed: Middle Britain will be hardest hit by falling house prices” by Becky Barrow Mail Online (United Kingdom) July 18, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...