A Dallas-area police officer is curious about low sick, a term which he and his fellow officers use to describe someone dangerously ill. Sometimes rendered as low sig, the expression is largely associated with the speech of African Americans, and...
This week it’s butterflies, belly flowers, plot bunnies, foxes, and cuckoos. Also, writing advice from Mark Twain and a wonderful bit of prose from Sara Pennypacker’s book Pax. And are there word origins? Well, does a duck swim? We’ll...
spit and acquit n.— «Defendants charged with low-level drug offenses under existing statutes can have their charges dismissed if they participate in drug treatment programs or undergo court supervision. But under the district attorney’s...
commod bod n.— «She also blamed the federal commodity program for low-income people that many American Indian families receive. The offerings include lots of pastas, rice and other high-carbohydrate foods that contribute to what Burger...
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...
surface bargaining n.— «Despite the union vote by the plant’s largely Guatemalan immigrant workers, Case Farms has resorted to what is called “surface bargaining,” in which they pretend to bargain, but actually just waste time with low...