monster n.— «My mother, who i do not smoke around, has been here and she doesnt even know why Im coughing. She found i smoke years ago but she doesnt know the symptoms enough to see the monster in her son. And I dont have that heart to...
abandominium n.— «But two years after construction began, the 41 promised condos still haven’t come. Instead, side-by-side cinderblock shells became a squatters’ camp for up to half a dozen people, a shooting gallery for heroin addicts...
take a drink n.— «“If you take a drink”—river parlance for going overboard—”float feet first downriver and we’ll get you out.” » —“Into the Heart of Idaho by River, Seeking Solitude and Thrills” by Wendy...
heatiness n.— «The heart of the matter is the intricate philosophy of “heatiness and cooliness”—a traditional Chinese belief in the balance between hot and cold air within the body. “To understand the market, you must...
gazump v.— «It’s called “gazumping” in England, the process by which someone selling a piece of property accepts an offer from one buyer, maybe even going so far as to shake hands on it, then quickly—and often...
steak n.— «I know that a lot of players call RBIs “ribeyes”—which evolved from “ribbies”—and now they just call them steaks. It takes too long to explain when you’re on the air.» —“A ‘steak’ through baseball’s...