operation nose peg
n.— «Election 2005 has been dubbed “operation nose peg”: an electorate sniffy about rewarding Prime Minister Tony Blair’s support for the Iraq War, but not all that impressed with the alternative. Journalist Polly Toynbee coined the phrase, and it has spread like wildfire through the blogosphere.» —“All aboard for Operation Nose Peg” by Elisabeth Lopez The Age (Sydney, Australia) May 5, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
How long can a newly married woman be called a bride? Does bride apply only as long as her wedding day, or does it extend right on through the couple’s silver anniversary and beyond? Plus, insightful advice about writing from a Pulitzer...