gold-beater’s skin n.— «As a conservator, if we saw a tear like this, we’d look to parchment repair, a very similar organic material.…They use something called gold-beater’s skin—the lining of a cow’s stomach—very, very thin...
have skin in the game v. phr.— «The value of homeownership, then, has increasingly shifted to the home’s likelihood to rise in value, like any other investment. And when investments go bad, people tend to walk away. “When people don’t...
meth bugs n.pl.— Note: Similar to cocaine bugs. «“The skin starts to dry out and becomes itchy and the user starts to hallucinate and thinks he has something crawling under his skin—what is commonly called meth bugs. Because he thinks...
scud n.—Gloss: the small and very hot “bird’s eye” chili pepper, also known as the “mouse-dropping” chili. Usually said to be nicknamed after the Scud missile. «I did balk a little at the call for 75 birdseye...
mommy makeover n.— «Dr. David A. Stoker, a plastic surgeon in Marina Del Rey, Calif., has a surgical cure for the ravages of motherhood. He, like many plastic surgeons nationwide, calls it a “mommy makeover.” Aimed at mothers, it usually...
banana skin n.— «Italy are a good side—they won two games in the Six Nations and pushed Ireland in the warm-ups and most of them have beaten Scotland before. This, therefore, is not a “banana skin”; it’s what the French call a...