jingle mail n.— «In the great Southern California bust of the early 1990s, real estate legend holds, many defaulting homeowners mailed their keys back to the lenders, in effect washing their hands of the whole matter, and promptly left...
madness ambassador n.— «The jollity can be laboured, too. Parade marshals now taking up position on Duval St are called “madness ambassadors.” We “robed revellers” are exhorted to be “frolicsome” and...
Nashville number system n.— «On a legal pad he had “charted” the five songs, using what’s called the Nashville number system, a time-saving trick that assigns a number to each chord in the do-re-mi musical scale, making it easier for...
code pink n.— «Key cards get authorized personnel access to where they need to be. All of the nursery staff have a little bear on their ID so you know they’re legitimate. As a last resort, there’s something called “Code Pink,”...
bearpit n.— «He will take his seat opposite Miss Clark in Parliament’s chamber, or the bearpit as it is sometimes known, but he says he is not overly nervous at the prospect.» —“Key to square off against Clark for first...
bus driver n.— «Parcells said Bledsoe erred a little on the “conservative side” against the Texans, but he certainly doesn’t view the 14th-year veteran as a “bus driver”—a term meaning someone who simply manages...