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
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
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...