heavy ball n.— «Patak hits what is known in volleyball parlance as a “heavy ball”—a shot without the usual top spin that is a sensitive blocker’s nightmare. “It’s like a knuckleball with a lot of heat on it,” UH...
triangulation n.— «Labour are expert at using the presentational device called “triangulation.” For those unfamiliar with the argot of the Westminster village, this involves pinching key planks of a rival party’s platform to...
caterpillaring n.— «What is caterpillaring? First we take the root word, caterpillar. A caterpillar is the elongated wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth. Basically it just moves from leaf to leaf eating and sleeping until such time it...
spin v. in horseracing, to renege on an agreement to have a jockey ride a racehorse. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
spin v.— «Agents often make early commitments to more than one horse in a race, figuring that the field will thin out by the time post positions are drawn. But if both horses enter, one of the trainers will be jilted. Jockeys also can...
spin v.— «To keep the fewest people irate at any one time, Barsotti, who has been an agent for seven years, has rules: “Don’t make commitments early, don’t spin late.” Spin, at the track, means renege on a deal.» —“The...