trade n.— «One of the more troubling signs for a manufacturer or retailer is when its suppliers—the “trades,” in industry lingo—begin asking to be paid in advance.» —“Some G.M. Suppliers Said to Request Payments in...
roll rate n.— «We’re in the late stages of the financial disaster of 2008, but another crisis looms: The consumer recession. According to the Wall Street Journal, more and more credit-card holders are falling behind on their payments and...
square n.— «This time last year, roof repairs generally cost $180 to $240 per every 100 square feet, or what the industry calls a “square,” said Aaron Anders, who owns a local roofing company. Today, he said, roof work costs from $240 to...
soot booger n.— «In informal industry parlance, a soot booger is a crusty buildup of stuff that is in coal, but didn’t burn up in the boiler and is too heavy to float out of the smokestack—the soot. Big globs of it—the boogers—accumulate...
dry powder n.—Gloss: Capital readily available for investment. «Capital available for secondary deals—what the industry calls dry powder—is about $12 to $15 billion, said Small, whose company manages some $4.2 billion of secondaries...
hot body n.— «The reverse kimono dress is what the garment industry calls a hot body, meaning it sells so well that a designer makes it for more than one season, often tweaking it by using a new fabric.» —“Michelle Obama’s...