knock
n.— «The knock among the craftsmen and contractor, fishermen and lawyer barflies I run with is that the Gravy Yard, as they call it, is a bit of a club. Someone can get you “in” as a maintenance or whatever grunt, then five years later getting paid on an underwater welder’s scale, even though the only time the guy puts on his wet suit is when he goes surfing.» —“The privatizing of the American military” by Chris Elliott Portsmouth Herald News (Del.) May 18, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...