One-off means something made or done just once. John in Bremerton, Washington, first noticed it on a British-based online forum, and the term is apparently British in origin. It appears to come from manufacturing, where since about the 1930s, a...
takt time n.— «Toyota has made the difficult call to reduce output by slowing production through short-term shutdowns, eliminating overtime, and slowing the line (or lengthening the takt time, in manufacturing parlance).» —“Weakened...
In our recent episode, Dust Bunnies and Ghost Turds, Grant mentioned simping, a slang term for “the act of pursuing a woman online in a fawning fashion.” What’s the etymological source of simping? “Cyberpimping”...
COW n.— «“I have my entire nurse’s desk with me whenever I have my computer. Everything I need to know is in the computer with me,” explains Laura Woolliscroft. R.N., as she types on a laptop that sits on a wheeled cart. Nurses...
carpet planting n.— «The Garden’s Cocos used “carpet planting” as another term for the pincushion gardens, because of their intense, dense planting.» —“Victorian garden steps into heyday” by Janice...
whisper grinding n.— «Caltrans instead is considering a technique called “whisper grinding” to make the concrete on I-5 quieter.» —“Green approach produces quiet streets” by Dave Downey North County...