hover pit n.— «The F-35B is currently undergoing crucial tests in what is known as a hover pit. As Tomlinson explains, a hover pit is a specialized testing facility designed to measure the performance of a STOVL aircraft on the ground...
golden coffin n.— «On a related measure sponsored by The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Pension Plan Fund, voters defeated a proposal to end death benefits, also known as “golden coffins,” granted...
Martha explains how experiments with dead frogs and live wires led to the invention of the battery, and inspired a couple of familiar English words.
Texas ratio n.— «In banking, distress can be gauged by comparing the amounts of delinquent loans and other nonperforming assets on the books against capital and loan-loss reserves—a measure known in the industry as a “Texas ratio.” A...
gazelle n.— «An important measure, especially if you’re interested in job creation and economic impact, is the measure of high-growth start-ups, popularly called “gazelles.” What the creators of this measure understood is that...
spacing effect n.— «Wxams after the break are a better measure of true learning, rather than the memorization. Psychologists use the term “spacing effect” to explain why: The review of material increases long-term memory best...