Catholic school effect n.— «If it makes sense you learn democracy by being randomly thrown together with a classroom of strangers, what could explain why chosen schools do better at it? It could be that parents are more involved, says Wolf, or...
saltie n.— «The problem is oceangoing vessels, commonly called salties. But salties account for less than 7% of the cargo moved on the Great Lakes and Seaway, according to the Corps of Engineers.» —“Lock the lakes, groups say” by Dan Egan Milwaukee...
zuke n.— «Besides the locally grown “zuke,” as the vegetable is affectionately known, there are pageants for boys and girls that will choose, for instance, the Duke of Zuke and the festival’s Zuqueenie.» —“From the Atlantic to zucchini, festivals...
throw-up n.— «Across the street from the doorway collage is a big, black squiggle on the side of a rundown market. Two doors down, behind some leaning pallets, are two-toned bubble-letter “throw-ups,” around the corner.» —“In the landscape of...
tail cost n.— «That was not counting so-called tail costs, such as caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment, which the Iraq Study Group said “will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars.”» —“The Iraq war has cost each of us $1,333—so...
vulture clause n.— «Crist termed it the “vulture clause” because private companies could conceivably offer someone in Citizens a rate that was 24 percent higher and the homeowner would be forced to accept it.» —“Insurance plan marks first test for...