red light fever
n.— «Red light fever is racing through the General Assembly. Officials in seven cities, including Wilmington, want to follow the lead of Charlotte and nab drivers who run red lights by photographing them in the act.» —“City in line to nab red-light runners” by Kirsten B. Mitchell Morning Star (Wilmington, North Carolina) Mar. 30, 1999. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Melissa in Greensboro, North Carolina, has been sparring with the Gen Z members of her family over the shifting meanings of words. Her kids use aesthetic as an adjective to mean “aesthetically pleasing,” as in That’s so aesthetic. They also refer to...
Nikki in Charlotte, North Carolina, shares the story of a man who casually told passersby You dropped your pocket, prompting them to check for something that wasn’t there in the first place. That silly saying reminds her of playing pool and trying...