pollo n.— «The typical pollo, or chicken, as the immigrants are called, now pays $1,200 to $2,500 to be guided across the border, driven to Phoenix and shipped to a destination in the United States.…Kidnap 20 pollos, collect a...
bajador n.— «Even the gentler smugglers are routinely armed with assault rifles, shotguns or pistols. Firepower serves to intimidate clients who might try to escape. It also defends against so-called bajadores, bandits who kidnap...
cocktail n.— «Two guards I spoke with had numerous years of service, and each said Camp Delta was the most stressful assignment of their careers. One told me that each day, detainees throw bodily waste at him. Guards have coined names for...
toy n.— «The joke’s apparently on Andy, because the guys who got busted are what’s known as “toys” in the world of graffiti artistry. That is, they aren’t even respected by “serious” graffitists, the majority of...
stack v.— «The smaller vineyards could own other liquor licenses to build a wine bar or restaurant on their premises, a practice known as “stacking licenses.”» —“Measure will allow wine sales in the mail” by...
jock tax n.— «It all started after the Chicago Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals. California decided to extend its state income tax to Bulls star Michael Jordan and his teammates. The next year, Illinois came back...