maitre-dish n.— «Both worked at the Fog City Diner; Doug as bartender, Nancy as “maitre-dish.”» —“After a few years, he fit the picture” by Louise Rafkin San Francisco Chronicle (California) July...
viz n.— «For divers, all that silt obscures almost everything. “I always say, gimme a foot of viz”—visibility—“and that’s a great day,” says the NYPD’s John Drzal. “Even with a light, you can see just enough to gauge how much air you have...
Oreo cow n.— «These days, the hills are dotted with grazing black-and-white cattle affectionately called “Oreo cows” by residents.» —“Stanford Hills” Palo Alto Online (California) Jan. 20, 2009...
HENRY n.—Gloss: A person who is a High Earner But Not Rich Yet. «“My bonus is ‘shameful’—but I worked hard to get it,” said John Konstantinidis, a wholesale insurance broker, lunching Friday at Harry’s at Hanover Square. “I’m a HENRY,” Mr...
banana bender n.— «When speaking of Johnson, a “banana bender,” the term for all Queenslanders. It is said they spend their time putting the bends into bananas.» —“ Bend it like Johnson” by Kevin...
1090 n.— «A 1090, for those not of the Southern persuasion, is another name for a mullet, the beloved haircut being roughly 10 percent in front, 90 percent in the back.» —“Rock ‘n roll may never die” by Bill...