five-thousand-mile screwdriver n.— «When people say, ‘You screwed up the postwar plan,’ what people don’t understand is that we had all kinds of plans. But when Bremer”—Paul Bremer, who was appointed by President Bush to oversee the...
7,000-mile screwdriver n.— «Senior military officers referred to it as “the 7,000-mile screwdriver.” That was their way of describing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s penchant for micromanaging aspects of the Iraq War...
stovepipe n.— «Mr. Rapport urged Secretary Rumsfeld to bypass traditional procurement bottlenecks and what the industry refers to as “stovepipes” to seek out and avail himself of the capabilities of small defense contractors...
office spouse n.— «The role of a secretary is dramatically changing from the days of the “office spouse” and secretaries are no longer just typing, filing and answering the phone.» —“Roses not enough: Show respect...
office wife n. a female secretary or executive assistant; a female worker devoted to a powerful man to whom she is not married, especially a man in a hierarchically superior position; a female coworker who is a friend. Also office spouse, work wife...
office wife n.— «To my mind, a private secretary is an “office wife” for some eight hours of a man’s day. She should give him subtle encouragement, approval, admiration, respect. She should laugh at his jokes, overlook his...