Indian country n.— «As an embeded journalist in Afghanistan last winter, I traveled hundreds of miles with soldiers through what they refer to as “indian country”—hostile regions teeming with Taliban sympathizers in black...
grassing n.— «Neil Sheehan, a spokesman with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the older of the two Salem units had reached 80 percent power when operators had to shut it down due to what the industry calls grassing. “You have...
ladybug taint n.— «There’s even a name for it—“ladybug taint.” The smell, which connotes green bell peppers or roasted peanuts, is produced by ladybugs as a defense mechanism. The chemicals they release, in a class of compounds called...
Afghanistanism n.— «For years, Americans went about their daily lives under the false impression that faraway places like Afghanistan didn’t matter. Newspapers even had a term for news stories that were irrelevant to local readers:...
rag horn n.— «“The first time we saw it we were about 400 or 500 yards away, and we saw it up on this ridge with a bunch of cows. And we said “Oh, he’s just a rag horn’” Ralph said, referring to the term for a bull with small...
rent a judge n.— «Q: What is reference judging? A: In California, it’s called “rent a judge,” a pejorative term. Here, about 15 years ago, we passed a statute that allowed parties to retain someone who has been approved by the...