If you’re facing a Hobson’s choice, you don’t really have much to choose from. The phrase describes a situation in which your options are either to take what’s offered, or else take nothing at all. Martha offers some choice...
mortal lock n.— Note: A cinch, an odds-on favorite, a guaranteed thing or event. «It is a sure bet—a mortal lock as they say in the business— that if Robespierre was around today, we would be standing knee-deep in decapitations...
What does the expression egg on have to do with chickens? Nothing, actually. Martha explains why, and tells the story of how the term curate’s egg came to mean “something with both good and bad characteristics.”
Jesus handle n.— «Run a zip line between the ohshit handles of your car, then clip your pup on top for perfect posture.…I’ve also heard it referred to as the “Jesus Handle.” Because people frequently say “Jesus...
peter roll v. phr.— «Jurors heard from teens ages 14-17, who described their lives near areas where guns are readily available. Wednesday, a 16-year-old gang member told jurors that prior to Brown’s murder, Latham said he wanted to “peter...
back up the truck v. phr.— «The safety of these securities caused financial firms to load upon on them (“back up the truck,” in Wall Street parlance). They were considered so safe that financial firms used borrowed funds to buy more, and...