If you think they refer to umbrellas as bumbershoots in the UK, think again. The word bumbershoot actually originated in the United States! In Britain, it’s prolly a brolly. • Also: snow-grooming language, more than one way to say bagel...
A ski slope groomer in Stowe, Vermont, says he and his colleagues use vehicles that make corduroy, the packed, parallel, ridged surfaces of snow that are perfect for skiing. Another term for corduroy, or someone who wears it, is whistle britches...
ski cutting n.— «On Monday, the injured man and a partner were doing what is called “ski cutting,” which is a daily procedure at the resort. Cutting first involves the ski patrol testing the slope to check avalanche...
sluff n.— «Loose-snow avalanches: Also known as “point releases,” typically start from a single point and fan outward as they descend. Also known as sluffs, these types of avalanches are common but generally less dangerous...
sweet spot n.— «Like the snowflakes that fall on the mountain, no two days are alike in the avalanche-control business.…The explosives come in two forms.…The method of delivery depends on the accessibility of the “sweet...
nar n.—Gloss: snow. Note: The long form is “nar nar.” «Come winter, when (or if) snow blankets the temperate zone, the Wesleyan Ski Team will hit the slopes to “shred the nar,” as they say in ski jargon.» —“Students take...