jack-o’-lantern effect
n.— «The plan’s gradual morphing reflects a desire to avoid what planners refer to as the “jack-o’-lantern” effect—sparse redevelopment in a sea of abandoned properties—while still allowing homeowners and residents to directly influence the course of rebuilding through their own actions.» —“Proposal: Let residents decide” by Gordon Russell, Frank Donze Times-Picayune (New Orleans, La.) Dec. 19, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...
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