rat line
n.— «The Bulgarian secret service, which follows KGB orders without question and which had long-established “rat lines” smuggling spies and arms into Italy and Turkey, was the obvious choice.» —“Did Andropov plot to intimidate Vatican?” by William Safire New York Times Dec. 17, 1982. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...