scarlet letter
n.— «The two proposals that have received the most attention—both introduced by Senator Levy—call for a study of the possible issuing of “scarlet letter” license plates to people convicted of drunken driving and the possible seizure of cars of people arrested on a charge of drunken driving.» —“Further Measures To Curb Drunken Driving Studied In Albany” by Susan Chira in Albany, N.Y, New York Times May 3, 1983. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
Have you ever googled your own name and found someone else who goes by the very same moniker? There’s a word for that: googleganger. Plus, the language of hobbyists and enthusiasts: If you’re a beekeeper, perhaps you call yourself a...