Tagpun

urger

urger  n.— «“Urger” is defined in the Dictionary of Racing Slang by Ned Wallish as “a racecourse con man who will urge an unsuspecting punter to back a horse after telling him a most impressive story. If the horse should win, the urger is always...

dally

dally  n.— «The reatas were from fifty to seventy feet long and the cattle were snared at long range. They took the dallies then just like the California cow punchers do to this day. (To dally means to wrap the reatta around the saddle horn.)» —“Can...

cookie

cookie  n.— «The effect he explains, though is what we would refer to as “modeling” the light, which involves taking it away in certain spots to create shadows and add mystery. one way to achieve this effect, and what I think he is referring to...

water boarding

water boarding  n.— «There’s what I call the WaterHood, also known as “water boarding’ or the “watercure,” where interrogators shove a prisoner’s head in abarrel of water and make him think he’s drowning. Actually, heis drowning; they just save him...

tent pole

tent pole  n.— «The industry term for a movie (usually but not always a franchise flick) that a major studio expects will be a blockbuster (but often isn’t), “tent pole” is a particularly evocative buzzword to toss around these days, especially for...

paleoconservative

paleoconservative  n.— «“Paleoconservatives,” as he calls them—along with libertarians and such anti-interventionists as Patrick Buchanan—have opposed the invasion of Iraq since the beginning.» —“Conservative pundits can’t agree on Iraq war” by...