sand spur n.— «In personality profiles newspapers use what some refer to as “sand spurs,” referring to little foibles of the person that show him or her as real, rather than just the subject of PR flackery. In Troutman’s case...
marriage broom n.— «Lasko bought a few of her mother’s brooms (she stresses the artisanal nature of these objects; Curt decides not to use one to shoo Enzo off his leg) and spent time with broom maker Marlow Gates at his Leicester, North...
sandwich eater n.— «The official team wasn’t just kinda late, but also ineffective, according to those on the ground. “Those guys are called ‘the sandwich eaters’…The official clean-up guys hang out in their vans and then walk...
whisker n.— «For example, to create “whiskers,” or the horizontal lines of discoloration that run across the thighs, Caitac made balloons that inflate and deflate, mimicking legs inside a pair of jeans, so employees can sand the denim by...
woonerf n.— «Those plans, rooted as much in philosophy as in design, draw inspiration from an item with the unlikely name of woonerfs (Dutch for “living streets”). Woonerfs are traffic systems in the Netherlands that seek to sand away the...
leaverite n.— «“It’s ’leaverite,'” says Smith of one specimen: “Leave ‘er right there.” But after a few more pans of sand the kids hit paydirt.» —“A Madness for Moonstones” by Anne H...