Secret signals on the job: Waitresses at some 19th-century restaurants ensured speedy drink service by communicating with a non-verbal code. One server took orders, then placed each customer’s cup to indicate exactly what the customer wanted...
brain gang n.— «A few years ago, Netflix offered a million dollars to anyone out there who could design a system to improve their system of rating DVDs by 10 percent. 17,000 submissions came in from the public. Dell Computers, once almost...
non’trée n.— «Bay Area waiters have a nickname for many of their customers these days: the non’trée. Non’trée (pronounced “non-tray”) refers to the folks who order appetizers rather than a pricier entree—a popular practice in...
walk on a bank n.— «More likely than the kind of exodus of depositors that quickly sank IndyMac is what some bankers call a slow-motion “walk on the bank” which could cripple financial institutions already weakened by credit...
junketeer n.— Note: The usual use of “junketeer” is to refer to a person who takes a junket, not the person who organizes it. «Junketeers organize casino trips that often include free meals, rooms or even transportation for...
accountant n.— «The taxi drivers are catching on fast too.…An “accountant” collects the fares, provides change and squares up the money angle of the trip. This frees the driver to do his job without endangering the lives of the...
