jackpot baby
n.— «Our preseason favorite: Rep. Russell Pearce’s plan to deny birth certificates to kids born to people who entered the country illegally. Guess Russell thinks the rule of immigration law is now far more important than the U.S. Constitution. Pearce has taken to calling those kids “jackpot babies.” Because, you know, you’ve really hit the jackpot when you have a minimum-wage job working in a field or cleaning toilets.» —“The Skinny: Scramblewatch ’08: Political Preview” by Mari Herreras, Jim Nintzel Tucson Weekly (Arizona) Jan. 3, 2008. (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...
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...