bang bang n.— «Yu has been working as a porter, called “Bang Bang” in the local dialect, for over a decade in the mountain city of Chongqing. “Bang Bang,” a somewhat discriminatory term, actually refers to the pole...
airplane n.— «Victims described a range of tortures: electric shocks, a technique called “the airplane” in which a victim is suspended from a pole and beaten, hands and feet bound together.» —“Why was I tortured...
monkey board n.— «He pursued the poling system down Ludgate-hill, and there he came so close that the pole struck complainant’s legs, knocked him off the “monkey board,” or conductor’s stand, and while he was lying on the the...
tent pole n.— «A studio like Fox usually works on dozens of DVD’s at a time—from minor television shows to $100 million-plus “tent poles” meant to draw everyone in and that entail a marketing blitz mapped out long beforehand...
twink n.— «On the Brass Rail stage, a lithe, boyish-looking dancer (or “twink,” in scenester parlance) twirls around the pole wearing red fairy wings and little else.» —“The Meat Merchant” by Diablo...
tent pole n. something, such as a commercial undertaking, a story franchise, or a fictional character, that serves as primary support (for a company, television program, etc.), especially a blockbuster movie which compensates for a studio’s flops...