straight plate
n.— «After the hearing, Ricketts said that van operators should be given more leeway when it comes to bus routes, because abiding by the rule forces commuter vans to residential streets and makes it easier for illegal vans, or as he calls them “straight plates,” to operate.» —“Liu Wants Change For a Dollar (Van)” by Shane Miller Queens Ledger (New York City) Apr. 6, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
A young caller from the Hudson Valley of New York wonders about his grandmother’s use of stemwinder to praise a speech she thought was excellent. In the early 1800s, people used pocket watches that had to be wound with a tiny key. Once someone...