big snip n.— «The choral tradition has seen a preference for male alto voices.…With few volunteers for “the big snip” these days, they also make convenient stand-ins for the castrato voice—all the rage in vocal music of...
neckout n.— «Bottleneck roads are prime candidates for road rage. I have no idea who designed roads that lose lanes, but they had better go back to the drawing board. Traffic neckouts, as they’re called, will not improve our road...
Motown sweep n.— «That move you wrote about today where drivers exit from the left lane has a name. It’s called “the Motown Sweep.” I’m not sure who coined the phrase, but I originally heard about it from one of my professors...
sudden jihad syndrome n.— «This is what I have dubbed the Sudden Jihad Syndrome, whereby normal-appearing Muslims abruptly become violent. It has the awful but legitimate consequence of casting suspicion on all Muslims. Who knows whence...
Prius backlash n.— «Hybrid owners say they feel like the victims of road rage. Carpoolers accuse them of driving too slowly in order to maximize their fuel efficiency, and of clogging diamond lanes that were once clear. Hybrid motorists...
dibby dibby adj.— «The first time I heard it was by a minibus conductor, who was arguing with a passenger. The woman had passed some remark, which the conductor was not pleased about. He told her to move herself from...