cold iron
v.— «The captain…explained that the supercarrier had no power of her own; she was “cold iron.”» —“Carrier Saratoga Floated for Final Fitting as World’s Most Powerful Ship” by Michael James New York Times Jan. 29, 1956. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Sean in Oneonta, New York, says that when he was growing up in New Jersey, his family would pile in the car and set off on a surprise adventure, whether a short distance or long, and the kids would be told only that they were going on Buxtehude...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...