supporter-in-effect n.— «In the lengthening hall of mirrors created by the war in Iraq, friends become enemies. Legislators who voted against the war are called supporters-in-effect when they try to support the troops without supporting...
200-mile-an-hour tape n.— «However, there’s even a better than best (though some might protest that characterization) known as the “nuclear grade,” which is used at reactors and a “200 mile an hour” tape made by...
shit-up n.— «Then again, officers working with prisoners who are carrying out a dirty protest (it’s known as a “s***-up” in prison parlance) do get an extra tenner a day for putting up with it.» —“Porridge leaves a bad...
nothingburger n.— «Maybe I’ll write a réplique to Steve Almond’s ridiculous, overheated op-ed commentary, in which he resigned his nothingburger teaching job at Boston College to protest its selection of Condoleezza Rice as commencement...
pixie v.— «The final example is the use of the word “pixieing.” It is in extremely common usage among protesters. It can mean any act of cheeky defiance of authority, such as the snatching and wearing of a security guard’s...
replacement smoker n.— «[The tobacco industry] calls teenagers “replacement smokers.”…The kids want to get the message out that they aren’t going to be “replacement smokers.” They aren’t going to fill those shoes...