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
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...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...