Are we a nosy species? A listener married to a woman from Bangladesh explains how a Bengali term that translates as “nose-going” reflects the naturally inquisitive style of Bangladeshi culture. In many languages, the nose figures...
brass-plate bank n.— «He was first investigated 20 years ago when he became a subject of a joint Scotland Yard-FBI investigation into so-called “brass-plate” banks on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. The investigation was set up after...
casher n.— «According to the FBI , ATMs from 49 cities were hit—including Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Montreal, Moscow and Hong Kong.…These people in the photos are believed to be “cashers,” low-level players, in a...
slack fill n.— «An investigation revealed that Mucinex’s packaging violated state law concerning “slack fill,” a term used to describe fake walls, fake bottoms or excessive amounts of non-functional space.» —“Settlement...
cellblock n.— «Pulled off the streets, stripped of guns and badges, kept inside four walls and away—as much as possible—from the public, officers who are put on desk duty because their conduct is under investigation find themselves far...
clean scanning n.— «Over the last year, a joint investigation of emissions inspection stations by the Attorney General’s Office and MassDEP, in coordination with the Registry of Motor Vehicles, found these stations were issuing passing...