rodbuster n.— «There are 98 men and two women on the job—carpenters, ironworkers (“rodbusters,” they are called), laborers and some others.» —“Crew adores Rincon tower but can’t afford to live there” by Carl Nolte San Francisco...
Big Mother n.— «Granted, wearing a seat belt is advisable and should be a law when applied to children, but to apply it to adults limits freedom and supports the relentlessly growing Big Mother attitude of government.» —“Letters To The Editor” by...
nurdle n.— «On the origin of the word “nurdles,” used herein recently to describe styrofoam packing pellets…Marge of Novato says that her daughter calls them “ghost poop”; John Minton says the word is a combination of “noodles” and “turd...
ladder people n.pl.— «In this working-class town built by immigrants from Europe generations ago, some locals have taken to calling the latest arrivals from overseas “the ladder people,” for the cranes and ladders on the utility trucks they drive...
F-back n.— «The “F” stands for “full,” as in fullback, but like most words in football parlance, the term makes little sense. The F-back incorporates several different positions including fullback, tight end, running back and wide receiver.» —“F...
slash role n.— «Jesse Palmer and Shaun Hill are vying for the third-quarterback spot behind starter Alex Smith and Dilfer. For that reason, Pickett was poised to change positions to what Nolan refers to as the “slash” role—a combination running...