glass ball environment
n.— «Iraq, in intelligence parlance, was a “glass ball environment,” meaning the weather was often conducive to collecting images from above.» —“Poor Intelligence Misled Troops About Risk of Drawn-Out War” by Michael R. Gordon New York Times Oct. 20, 2004. (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...