bark mitzvah n.— «Next channel. Talk show host Joan Rivers appears. It’s her dog Spike’s 13th birthday, his “bark mitzvah.” Rivers promises, “We’re going to have a gala celebration with lots of four-legged friends and their celebrity owners...
curbstoner v.— «Sometimes the mileage on the car is in question. Mr. Buyer, who recently complained to us about a transaction, may have been the victim of a “curbstoner.”» —“That Street-Corner Car Dealer May Be Taking You For A Ride” by Shelby...
spadea n.— «It’s a variation on the partial-page ad that wraps around the comics, which is called a spadea (pronounced spay-dee-uh). The gatefold is different. » —“New ‘Gatefold’ Ad Not Funny To Readers Of Sunday Funnies” by Michael R...
rake v.— «You have to tip your hat to Doc. To no-hit a team that can flat-out rake the ball is pretty unbelievable.» —“Gooden Enough! Outcast Pitcher Tosses No-Hitter” by Jim Street Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Wash.) May 15, 1996. (source: Double...
dog n.— «Coffey said Coble had been reluctant to use “dogs” because he felt the horsemen would not accept them. “Dogs” are barriers—flame-orange traffic cones in this case—to keep the hoofs away from an area of concern.» —“If Problems Surface...
snag n.— «Cash L. Hopkins, 25, an inmate from the Indian Ridge Corrections Center in Snohomish County, was killed Aug. 18 at the Ace Creek fire when a burning snag fell on him.» —“Forest-Fire Death Spurs State Review” in Spokane Seattle Times (Wash...