dabbing n.— «A veteran of the Balkans, this general recalled that his troops had a term for routine, pointless patrols. “Dabbing,” they called it, from the caustic acronym for “driving around Bosnia.” “‘Dabbing” now means “driving around Baghdad,””...
nails n.pl.— «After learning the game on plastic cleats, most golfers stick with them as they turn pro. Often referred to as “nails” by players and suppliers, metal spikes are permitted throughout Europe and at a handful of courses in the U.S...
refarming n.— «The European Commission has decided to reallocate parts of the radio spectrum used for 2G services and use by 3G services. The process is known in telco-speak as “refarming,” and will, according to the operators, open up 3G services...
twenty-minute takeout n.— «The “security check” used by the CIA to prepare a detainee for transport on a rendition plane was described to us by one source in the American intelligence community as a “twenty-minute takeout.” His explanation was that...
Crispie n.— «They have bought so much property in England, Spain and in countries in Eastern Europe that they have been dubbed Crispies—short for cash-rich Irish seeking properties in Europe.» —“An Irish Taste for Real Estate in Manhattan” by...
muckett n.— «Earlier in his career, Mr. Davis worked in Europe for Fiat and G.M. In Germany, he learned gummidingers, a name for rubber thingamajigs that have no name. Mr. Davis defined the British-sounding mucketts as “complicated rubber moldings...
