Root Canal Republicans
n.— «Root Canal Republicans are led by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan) and House Minority leader Bob Michel (R-Ill). The Root Canal Republicans want to balance the budget by spending cuts across the board and put forth a generally uninspiring view of passive government. The major asset of Root Canal traditionalists: Tremendous influence in the corridors of power in Washington.» —“GOP headed for tough times” by Philip Burgess Annapolis Institute (Md.) Nov. 17, 1992. (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...