data Valdez n. an accidental release of a large quantity of private or privileged information. Editorial Note: After the 1989 oil spill by the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The pronunciation of Valdez, in this case, is usually...
bed bug n.— «At night, when the residents aren’t wearing their badges, they can still be monitored. Sensors attached to the bed sound an alarm if they get up. It’s fondly called the bed bug.» —“Keeping tabs while keeping...
grow teeth v. phr.— «If the law grows teeth, either by the power of taxation or by outlawing home taping, it could curtail the sale and import of cassette recorders and parts for their repair, thus bringing this rapidly growing field to a...
bed-and-breakfasting n.— «Another tactic, if an investor thinks a company is fundamentally sound but wants to crystallise the loss, is to sell in June and buy the same stock back in July, a practice known as bed-and-breakfasting and...
karaoke musical n.— «Instead of Paul Simon and Randy Newman, who tried and struck out, kitschmeisters like Elton John and Frank Wildhorn have stepped in. And the much-despised “karaoke” musical has put down commercial roots...
fauxcellarm n.— «What they are hearing is a barely discernable sound—perhaps chimes, a faint trill or an electronic bleat—that they mistake for the ringtone of their cellphone, which isn’t ringing. This audio illusion—called phantom phone...