slabbing
n.— «Dry cleaning used to be a skill. It worked because it allowed you to suspend 30 per cent of water inside a solvent “jacket” using an emulsifier called a “soap.” This technique, called “slabbing down,” has now been banned on health and safety grounds.» —“The art of dry cleaning” by Michael Howard in Malvern, Worcestershire Telegraph (United Kingdom) Mar. 22, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Robin, in Jacksonville, Florida, has long wondered why the traditional collar word by equestrians is called a ratcatcher. There’s a long history in the horse world of referring to various forms of attire as a ratcatcher, including blouses and...
Since the early 19th century, to soft-soap someone is to flatter them or give them excessively deferential treatment. The idea is that soft soap is unctuous and if you pour soft soap down someone’s back or pour soft soap into someone’s...