rubber room
n.— «The use of a controversial isolation room in a Dundas, Ont., elementary school has left parents with mixed feelings.…The room, which has been referred to as “the rubber room,” and “the box,” was constructed in January at Central Park School in Dundas at a cost of about $1,800 and put into use without consultation with parents or trustees.» —“School board plans alterations Reaction mixed on isolation room” Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) June 20, 1984. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words cushy, cheeky, and non-starter all began as Britishisms, then hopped across the pond to the United States. A new book examines what happens when British words and phrases migrate into American English. Also, if you speak a language besides...
Some gems in this week’s mailbag: Following up on our conversation with a caller hoping to promote less-violent alternatives to the phrase kill two birds with one stone, a listener who grew up in India wrote in with one from her native...