dead man’s lever
n.— «Having produced or presented most of Australia’s current affairs programs, with the occasional live disaster, I used to joke that we ought to have a “dead man’s lever” such as those on trains which would bring the program screeching to a halt if things got out of control.» —“Moving Right Along, Folks” by Peter Luck Sun-Herald (Australia) May 19, 1996. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...