When a musician is woodshedding a passage of music, they’re trying to master that part by repeatedly practicing it in private, as if having retreated to do so in a woodshed, away from others who might be bothered by it. This is part of a...
Ian in Jacksonville, Florida, wonders about why musicians use the word clam to mean “a mistake” or “an egregious musical error,” as in There are a lot of clams in there or We need to practice where the clams are regarding a...
reservation shopping n.— «The bill, H.R. 4893, introduced by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, sought to end the practice of “reservation shopping,” in which a tribe seeks to have land placed in trust, the same legal category as a...
junking n.— «Vendors who scavenge for collectibles often refer to the practice as "junking" or even Dumpster diving.» —“Artist and entrepreneur, Curtis Steiner shows us the value of objects ordinary or odd” by...
shirt-changing n.— «In other cities, such as Syracuse, law firms have re-incorporated within Empire Zones to take advantage of the breaks, a practice known as shirt-changing.» —“Great address, near Capitol, tax...
urohydrosis n.— Note: The word is misspelled in the article. «For instance, the vultures urinate on their own legs, which both cools them down and applies an antiseptic that speeds healing—a practice called urophydrosis.» —“Raptors...