A resident of Michigan’s scenic Beaver Island shares the term, boodling, which the locals use to denote the social activity of leisurely wandering the island, often with cold fermented beverages. There have been various proposed etymologies...
If you vouch for something, you guarantee that what you’re saying is true. In the early 14th century, vouch was a transitive verb that meant “to summon into court to prove a title.” Vouch was adapted into English from an Old French...
bake-off n.— «Studios frequently stage “bake-offs,” calling in up to 10 writers for a single rewrite job. Each writer offers his or her take on the property, meaning extensive fleshing out of the material—for free...
sticks and bricks n.pl.— «They were not among those who plunged into legal battle with the diocese over “sticks and bricks,” as they call it. “If we are going to live and die for this property,” Cook said...
rent-a-cow attrib.— «The suit alleges that the investors have taken advantage of the so-called “rent-a-cow” provision that allows tax breaks on property used for agriculture or grazing.» —“Pima sues to recoup ‘rent-a-cow’...
rip deal n.— «The most common scam, known as a “rip deal”, originated in France and has spread into Spain. It works like this: people posing as buyers contact you, pretending to be keen to buy quickly, without viewing, no questions asked...