meat tag n.— «A few blocks down Lejeune Boulevard, Josef McDonald’s tattoo parlor had one customer. The business slowdown followed a flurry earlier in the week from departing Marines wanting “meat tags”—tattoos of their names...
flail chest n.— «The first week was the diciest, with Mr. Corzine, who was in an isolation room for security reasons, using a mechanical ventilator because in one small area the broken ribs were unable to help the lungs expand, creating...
bucket baby n.— «By using a sling instead of a stroller, you can provide the closeness and movement that babies expect, even if that closeness doesn’t include breastfeeding. Some “bucket babies” in their plastic seats may...
swiper n.— «Some venues have even resorted to installing ID card machines, known to security as “swipers.” “The first thing we do is swipe the card, and it shows exactly what the card should say on the screen,” says Mario, bouncer...
cliff risk n.— «In the credit derivatives market, certain instruments are exposed to what is known as “cliff risk.” This ominous sounding phrase describes a situation where the last in a series of adverse developments obliterates the...
clean-skin n.— «The fear has always been the so-called “clean skin’—that’s a person whose documents are completely legitimate, are not forged.» —“Briton ‘could stage another September 11’” by Toby...