George
n.— «We have a slang term for big tippers…it’s called George. And Kerry Packer’s a super George. There’s a story in the book, there is an entertainer there named Christina Nisteen and he tipped her a hundred thousand dollar chip after listening to her for two songs—true story—and then flew her and her band on a private plane to Australia to perform at a birthday party for a friend or something. The whole band got a free trip to Australia on him.» —“Kerry Packer dubbed ‘The Prince of Whales’” by Rafael Epstein ABC Radio (Australia) Sept. 30, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
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...