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A clever pun can make the difference between a so-so phrase and a memorable one. The phrase “the last straw” refers to an old fable about too many items in a load, but it takes on a whole new meaning in a public-awareness campaign about...
Ellen in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, wonders about the origin of the exclamation jeezum pete! It’s a minced oath — that is, a way of avoiding saying “Jesus Christ!” most likely derived by combining it with St. Pete. There are dozens...
A man in Red Lodge, Montana, says he and his wife sometimes accuse each other of being a sneaky pete. It’s an affectionate expression they use if, say, one of them played a practical joke on the other. The origin of this term is uncertain...
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...
soot booger n.— «In informal industry parlance, a soot booger is a crusty buildup of stuff that is in coal, but didn’t burn up in the boiler and is too heavy to float out of the smokestack—the soot. Big globs of it—the boogers—accumulate...
slumper n.— «A Linden police officer was dispatched to the back parking lot of a bar on North Bridge Street in reference to a “slumper,” according to Police Chief Pete VanDriessche. The police chief said a slumper is someone who has...