potel
n.— «Witness housing for the homeless, a never-ending scandal. Patel, a common Indian name, has become generic. Put the poor in a Potel, since we don’t seem to be able to build shelters.» —“The Good Life” by Herb Caen San Francisco Chronicle (California) Oct. 14, 1986. (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...
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...