kettle n.— «It was obvious by now that people were not going anywhere until the two men were freed. So more reinforcements were brought in and surrounded the protest in what is known as a “kettle.” They soon managed to push people back into the car...
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 the war...
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 another manufacturer specifically...
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 taste” by Teddy Jamieson in...
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 speaker...
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 hard hat, but it more...
