Nathan in Raleigh, North Carolina, heard his grandfather, busy making Thanksgiving dinner for the family, describe the work as going steady by jerks. The expression means by fits and starts, with bursts of steady effort broken by pauses or...
around-the-world n.— «The Blue Devils (10-2, 3-0 ACC) needed a risky, yet phenomenal, over-the-shoulder shot from junior midfielder Brad Ross to get past the Cavaliers 7-6 in sudden-death overtime. His goal, commonly called an “around-the-world,”...
hater-blockers n.pl.— «Strolling into Bobcats Arena in Charlotte glammed out and many wearing sunglasses—indoors at night—the Falcons took all the attention off the women’s game in progress. “I’ve got to wear my hater-blockers,” Falcons guard Chip...
lid n.— «And they give out a “Lid of the Month” award—part honor, part joke, it is a wooden commode seat, which when lifted reveals a mirror and the engraved call signs of past recipients. “Lid” is a term for a poor radio operator. “Lid-like”...
headache bar n.— «Keeping larger vehicles, such as trucks and vans, out of the hourly lots by means of the headache bar.» —“Airtight Security Creates Minor Annoyances” by Thomas Hackett in Morrisville News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina) Oct...
schnitting n.— «Archeologists use a flat-bottomed shovel to shave exposed layers of earth in the squares, to make a clean edge across the surface, and to keep it fairly level. The process is called “schnitting,”according to Dave Hazzard, director...