pen
n.— «They call it “the lot” or “the pen,” although it is also sarcastically referred to as “the cabby country club” or less charitably as “taxi driver purgatory.” From the air, it is a shimmering yellow blob on an otherwise colorless landscape of tarmac and terminals. Hidden amid the cargo depots at Kennedy International Airport, the four-acre lot contains hundreds of taxis waiting for lucrative fares to Manhattan, the dreaded “shorty” trips to Brooklyn and Queens or the dream rides to New Jersey and Connecticut.» —“A Talk, a Snack, a Chance at $45 or More” by Andrew Jacobs New York Times Apr. 28, 2005. (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...
After our conversation about towns with extremely short names, many listeners wrote to tell us about Why, Arizona. Others pointed out that there are towns called Ely in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada. Other super-short appellations include Rye, New...