silent stinker
n.— «“There’s a filing deadline when legislative sponsors can propose new legislation,” said Harper. “In order to get around the filing deadline, they can file a shell bill, which is like a placeholder, that they can fill it in at later date.” “We euphemistically refer to shell bills as ‘silent stinkers’ because they’re extremely hard to track,” she said. “A shell bill can, quite literally, turn into just about anything with very little notice. That makes it very hard for citizens to voice their opinions and concerns in a thoughtful, thorough or timely manner.”» —“Foundation targets proliferation of ’shell bills'” by Sara Kennedy Bradenton Herald (Florida) Mar. 15, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
She sells seashells by the seashore. Who is the she in this tongue twister? Some claim it’s the young Mary Anning, who went on to become a famous 19th-century British paleontologist. Dubious perhaps, but the story of her rise from seaside...
Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...