hoe-chucker n.— «The Vancouver parks board received two log-loaders yesterday from Finning Canada and Caterpillar to aid in Stanley Park’s restoration. The half-million-dollar machines, commonly called hoe chuckers, are used to play a log...
privilege speech n.— «A few minutes after he received an ovation from his colleagues, Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, blasted him in what is called “privilege speech” on the House floor.» —“Swinford gains colleagues’...
jackup n.— «The company operates primarily in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Gue points out that in the shallow Gulf waters, the most common type of drilling rig is what’s known as a jackup. These, he notes, consist of a...
blue-slipping n.— «I knew that judicial nominees could be blocked by a senator from their home state (a procedure called blue-slipping), but I had no idea a bill could be blocked from a floor vote by an anonymous hold.» —“Open...
snuse n.— «As historians of the game know, sunflower seeds merely took over where smokeless tobacco, snuff—or “snuse” as it was called in the tiny Swede-dominated Iowa hamlet where I originated—left off. In those days, the boards on the...
Australian ballot n.— «An Australian ballot/closed vote followed and the tally was 50-20 in favor of tabling the articles.…While many lawmakers, and other interested parties, are paying close attention to whether school budgets are...