coolie n.— «Apprentices have been at work for more than an hour now, doing “coolies,” a term for unskilled labor such as Barnies” groundskeeping chores. With sweat rolling down foreheads, they work diligently, even if their employers aren’t around...
gork v.— «Q: You used some interesting phrases and words in the story—”yawning hulk,” which I think is just a beautifully descriptive phrase, and you invented the word “gorked,” as in “gorked out on pills.” What led you to use that word...
blue-state tax n.— «Democratic leaders in Congress are vowing to make the alternative minimum tax a centerpiece of next year’s budget debate, saying the levy threatens to unfairly increase tax bills for millions of middle-class families by the end...
trigger list n.— «So Barney did some digging and found out he was on something called a trigger list. It’s a list compiled by the credit bureaus, in this case, of people applying for home loans. “The credit bureaus are sort of sending out your...
frogging v.— «Experienced knitters, they will go to a thrift store and look for a sweater that is past its prime and unravel the yarn to make something new. The practice is known as “frogging,” from the words “rip it, rip it.”» —“The God Who...
lap-banding n.— «Mary wants to have an out-patient procedure called lap-banding, in which an inflatable silicone band is inserted in her stomach, limiting her food intake.» —“Identical Twins” by Lori Campbell Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) Oct...
