whimperative n.— «The process is compared to the dressing-up of a request in the form of a question (“Whimperatives”).» —“Ein Diskussionsbeitrag zu mal, eben, auch, doch aus kontrastiver Sicht (Deutsch-Schwedish)” by...
whimperative n. a command or request phrased as a polite or indirect question. Also wh- imperative. Editorial Note: This word is especially used in the linguistic study of discourse. Thanks to Ben Zimmer for helping to clarify this definition...
refer n.— «As a 20-some-year professional housecleaner, the battles I’ve had over cleaning the fridge are historic! After about 5 years, I got to the point that I could not and would not even wipe out refers anymore. I’d had phone calls...
fishbowl negotiation n.— «When the various groups produced their recommendations, they were turned over to what was known as a “fishbowl negotiation.” Each small group selected a representative to negotiate for it with...
Kelly day n.— «The proposal that fire fighters be given every 16th day off was made to the city council.…The request for Kelly days, for which Cedar Rapids fire fights ask only 22 a year instead of the 24 or more enjoyed by other...
ostrich instruction n.— «U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve on Thursday granted the government’s request for a controversial jury instruction known as “deliberate avoidance.” The standard, also called the “ostrich...