Habitrail house
n.— «Carl Kietzke of Seattle, the president of the International Fire Buffs Associates, said that up and down the West Coast he had heard the phrase “Habitrail house,” referring to buildings there that firefighters have likened to rambling, unkempt rodent cages.» —“‘Collyers’ Mansion’ Is Code for Firefighters’ Nightmare” by Andy Newman New York Times July 5, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old seeks a more positive term to describe how she feels about her age. And: a linguist helps solve a famous kidnapping case, using the...
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...