hamster
n.— «On April 24, the day before the New York TRACON evacuation, under the heading of “operational update,” the ATO’s internal communication staff writes tongue-in-cheek accounts of daily airspace operations, air traffic delays, and in the last paragraph, quote, unquote it reads: Today we can expect 14 airplanes of the FAA ilk to be among the NAS World’s flying faithful. They, and their multi-talented crews, will deliberately circle, eavesdrop and snoop on our tools, withholding pellets from any non-conforming hamsters!” Heflin says, “Considering this is available to the public, it’s not very professional. “We don’t see the humor in this post either. Outsiders may not understand the slang; ‘tools’ are a term for controllers; the word ‘pellets’ means withholding pay or raises; FAA ‘ilk’ means they fly their aircraft above the tower listening to controllers, and of course, controllers who complain about any working conditions are called hamsters.”» —“Industry headline news” by Karen Di Piazza CharterX May 17, 2007. (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...