have-a-go hero n.— «Mr. Smeaton’s celebrity reflects the general relief across Britain that no one was injured in the Glasgow attack, or in the previous day’s attempt to detonate two cars in London. His description of the attack in early...
terror-clown n.— «The car bombs—one parked outside a London nightclub, one near Trafalgar Square and one driven into Glasgow airport—seemed especially incompetent. Lewis Page, a former bomb-disposal officer, suspects the patio-gas...
vision clearance engineer n.— «Vision Clearance Engineer has been voted the daftest job title of all time, crowning a growing list of appointments whose descriptions seem designed to bemuse rather than inspire. The euphemism for window...
playdar n.— «You develop what is called “playdar”—a bit like gaydar. Swingers can spot each other in public. A couple once picked me up in a regular bar.» —“Diary of a Swinger” by Ewan Morrison Daily...
firecracker n.— «With their affection for euphemism, Americans call them “firecrackers” or “popcorn”. They are hollow shells, containing anything from three to more than 2000 bomblets that can spread over large...
popcorn n.— «With their affection for euphemism, Americans call them “firecrackers” or “popcorn”. They are hollow shells, containing anything from three to more than 2000 bomblets that can spread over large areas...