take ermine v. phr.— «The BBC has a tried-and-tested mechanism for removing editors who are deemed to have failed. It promotes them into utterly meaningless positions, a practice sometimes referred to as an “involuntary lateral arabesque,” or...
Lebanese loop n.— «In the case of the Lebanese Loop, a special retention mechanism prevents the unauthorised device, and an inserted customer card, from being withdrawn.» —“Beating the card ‘skimmers’” Asian Banker Journal Oct. 1, 2003. (source:...
TILT n.— «Among subjects to be discussed will be “TILT,” a new disease mechanism also referred to as “toxicant-induced loss of tolerance.” That mechanism appears related to respiratory illnesses such as asthma, neurological conditions including...
jake brakes n.pl.— «If approved, the ordinance would prohibit within the city limits the use of hydraulically operated devices that convert a power-producing diesel or gas engine into a a powerabsorbing retarding mechanism with a correspondingly...
rosh katan n.— «As for the expressions (pronounced “rosh katan”—little head, vs. “rosh gadol”—big head). This expression comes from the IDF, and as most military language, doesn’t quite translate into normal language. A “rosh katan” (literally...
Big Apple n. New York City. Editorial Note: Although there are many claims about the origin of “The Big Apple” as a nickname for New York City, each of the others lacks crucial supporting evidence or is demonstrably false. Among historians...