spray
n.— Note: Describes the same event as this citation for pooled spray. «Instead of the hoped-for podium to podium event, the two men put on an unconvincing show of friendship sitting stiffly side by side before an unlit fire in the Oval Office, taking a handful of questions, an event known in the parlance of the West Wing as “a spray” or mini-press conference.» —“Third date, and the fumbling couple fail to reach first base” by Leonard Doyle Independent (United Kingdom) Mar. 4, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...
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...
An ‘unlit fire’? What’s that? Do you mean they were sitting in front of the fireplace?