get-there-itis n.— «Americans suffer from “get-there-itis.” Behind the wheel, the fixation on “getting there” ASAP causes people to speed, run red lights and weave through traffic. When nothing must stand in their...
scraper n.— «Without those ongoing improvement costs, a house runs the risk of being what the building industry calls a “scraper.” That’s a house with so much deferred maintenance that it’s cheaper to scrape it off the...
social dumping n.— «A further risk is that disgruntled incumbent suppliers might retaliate by introducing some form of poison pill such as a special bonus payment—a hit that the new supplier will have to take. They have also been known to...
laddering n.— «It’s also possible to buy a series of CDs, often referred to as “laddering,” so you’ll have some coming due at fairly frequent intervals, allowing you to renew at higher rates if rates are rising.» —“What...
infant-mortality failure n.— «Dr. Ulrich’s analysis of NTSB data proves conclusively what I’ve long believed to be true: By far the highest risk of catastrophic engine failure occurs when the engine is young—during the first two years and...
jump on a case v. phr.— «This kind of convoluted back-and-forth is common in prison; inmates do communicate, even when they are not supposed to. And it’s fairly routine for inmates to turn over—and sometimes even invent—damning material...