cardinal n. a chairman of any subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. Etymological Note: Probably from the similarity to the College of Cardinals at the Vatican, a body of men who collectively wield great power and influence. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Galen in White River, Arizona, asks: Is there really a “neutral” accent, and if so, what is it? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Is There Really a Neutral Accent?” Hi there, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Galen calling from...
In a lovely essay on the shared experience of theater audiences, Wesley Morris, critic at large for The New York Times, memorably describes weeping in the dark with fellow audience members as offering “applause with mucus and salt.” This is part of...