waterspider n.— «A lean packing operation features ergonomically designed workcells, each outfitted with the same equipment, which support standardized work and make it easy for employees to rotate from one workstation to the next. Each...
stand-up historian n.— «The Great Squirrel Stampede of 1826 is one of David Heighway’s favorite tales. Caused by an overpopulation of squirrels that lost their food supply for natural reasons across the Midwest, it’s on the local...
gold-beater’s skin n.— «As a conservator, if we saw a tear like this, we’d look to parchment repair, a very similar organic material.…They use something called gold-beater’s skin—the lining of a cow’s stomach—very, very thin...
drunkalog n.— «During my stay in rehab at Castle Medical Center, we had to attend AA or Narcotics Anonymous meetings every day. One of the regular weekly meetings was held at Castle. That’s where I first got to hear Kevin “share...
jump on a case v. phr.— «This kind of convoluted back-and-forth is common in prison; inmates do communicate, even when they are not supposed to. And it’s fairly routine for inmates to turn over—and sometimes even invent—damning material...
cargo cult economics n.— «With a new year ahead, what do we see as our future? How much of our growth and progress is real, and how much is what I call “Cargo Cult Economics,” where we end up holding sacks of straw? At the end...