night letter n.— «“[The teacher] had a letter—what’s known as a night letter—posted on the outside of his house that pretty much said: ‘This is a message from the Taliban, you’re teaching infidel work and all their hedonistic information...
forty-eight n.— «“Major incident school bus over Northside bridge under the interstate,” the message read. “Five ambulances on scene, one supervisor, multiple 48.” In the parlance of paramedics, “48’s” are...
shafting n.— «A young dentist boasted to a friend that he had taken six ecstasy tablets and was heading to the toilets to insert another into his rectum so that it would be absorbed faster. The conversation was shocking to some who...
sport candy n.— «The programme really does get kids to put their crisps down and get off the sofa to dance, leap and sing. It’s a bit like an educational aerobics-cum-healthy eating class. Scheving is a former European aerobics champion...
marble ceiling n.— «As speaker of the House, Pelosi, 66, would be second in the line of presidential succession, behind the vice president. “For a woman to break through what I call the “marble ceiling’ here is something quite...
godwink n.— «Every time you receive what some call a coincidence or an answered prayer, it’s a direct and personal message of reassurance from God to you—what I call a godwink.» —“When God Winks at You” by Squire...