break the buck v. phr.— «He thinks it’s unlikely the companies running money market funds would allow them to “break the buck,” as it’s known in Wall Street parlance even if the funds lost money on SIV-related investments. The...
pot holing n.— «Pot holing refers to a conservation farming technique that involves making holes in the field. During crop production, inputs ¾ fertilizers/manure, seed, water, lime ¾ all concentrate in the prepared hole as opposed to...
synchronizer n.— «From crating up the bombs and bullets, to shrink-wrapping the helicopters, to counting up the endless tiers of port-a-potties, the pullout of U.S. combat forces from Iraq, when it inevitably comes, will rank as the...
May-December marriage n.— «Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable...
facening n.— «Otona No DS Kao Training, or Face Training, includes a camera that plugs into the Game Boy Advance slot on the Nintendo DS and videos your face as you play the game. The idea is what the Japanese call “facening,”...
climate canary n.— «They are dubbed the “climate canaries”—the people destined to become the first victims of world climate change. And as government ministers sit down in Nairobi at this weekend’s United Nations Climate Conference, the...