merchy adj.— «The publisher—Farrar, Straus and Giroux—is selling it as a “brilliant gem” and a “work of unsurpassed originality,” in the words of the book jacket. But it feels a tad “merchy,” as they...
New York dress n.— «Now let me tell you, chickens you sold fresh, they had to be almost still alive. When we first started selling chickens, they couldn’t have the skin broke on ’em, so they weren’t drawn. They just had their...
comp n.— «In the real-estate industry, they’re known as “comps,” which is short for comparables. If you’re thinking about selling your home or refinancing it, you find comparable homes in your neighborhood that recently sold...
ice the stock v. phr.— «He also noted that the level of selling of Telstra stock has declined in recent weeks. Part of that decline appears to have been brokers soaking up all the stock available for borrowing—a practice known as...
lay down date n.— «Booksellers have been required to refrain from selling the book until then, in what is known as a “lay down” date in the publishing world, a tactic typically used for giant best-selling books such as the...
disco car n.— «Like the mythological “disco cars” of the 70’s, the last cars of certain trains that were supposedly reserved for using and selling drugs, the F is reserved for those who read books reviewed in The New Yorker.» —“Call...