voice writing n.— «In the US, court reporters have abandoned stenotype machines, whose keyboards use chord-like combinations to represent sounds, for a technique called voice writing. The “writer”—really a speaker—repeats...
124-man n.— «The estimable dean was a lifelong crime reporter from the old Herald Tribune, a gentle sage who taught the pick-pocket art of massaging vivid details from a precinct’s “124-man,” the clerk who controlled “good stuff” filed by...
god bump n.— «As we climbed up the mountain, we met the pastor of the village and he said that he had been praying for two years for help.…I got what I call “God bumps” on the back of my neck because I realized that I...
staff riding n.— «Soweto youths aren’t alone in their crazy train-surfing habits.…James Oatway first encountered the local variant, otherwise known as “staff riding,” while at City Press. “I was asked by the picture editor to...
cadillac v. in baseball, to run in an unhurried, showy way; generally, to perform or operate lackadaisically, carelessly, or without worry. Editorial Note: An older meaning of “cadillac” is “to drive a car; to drive someone around...
globe n.— «Clearly, the professor’s statements are empty words, commonly known in MBA-lingo as “gas” or “globe.” Lots of speech and no content whatsoever. Is Dr. Monipally to blame for this near-meaningless...