goat-rope
n.— «It remains to be seen if this will be a real investigation, or just a C.Y.A. goat-rope.» —“Re: Laser Focus on Economy” by wdh@grouper.mkt.csd.harris.com (W. David Higgins) Usenet: alt.president.clinton May 18, 1993. (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...