choir
n.— «Britain’s first convicted war criminal was sentenced to a year in prison and dismissed from the army Monday in connection with the death of an Iraqi hotel worker. The victim died of asphyxia after being held in stress positions for two days in sweltering heat. Cpl. Donald Payne specialized in a practice called “the choir,” in which he kicked or punched a group of detainees, trying to make their shrieks of pain sound like a song.» —“Related developments” Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota) Apr. 30, 2007. (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...
Steven from San Antonio, Texas, seeks a word that means “the opposite of trauma.” Perhaps eustress, literally “good stress”? Or harmonization? Placid? Is there a better term for this? This is part of a complete episode...