pedlock
n.— «The Alliance has yet to take a position on congestion pricing, but many of its members support the idea. Mr. Tompkins cited the dual threats of gridlock, referring to frequent weekend backups of up to 45 minutes at the Holland Tunnel, and “pedlock.” One theater executive, he said, expressed to him the belief that unchecked, Times Square pedestrian congestion might become as much a threat to Broadway as crime was 30 years ago.» —“Taming the Belly of the Beast” by Ben Gibberd New York Times July 8, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...