bombproof adj.— «Riders are dressed casually in jeans, workout wear and riding helmets. They’re on horses referred to as “bombproof”—they’re unlikely to injure a rider.» —“Hockey on horseback: St. Louis club introduces...
Welcome to another newsletter from A Way with Words, public radio's lively language show! Next week's show will be brand new, but this past weekend's show was a juicy repeat in which we talked about the demise of the typewriter, surfing...
freshman retiree n.— «Last July, after more than 20 years of service—a period in which the family moved 15 times, lived in four countries and endured three deployments—Todd, 44, and Julie, 40, retired from the Air Force.…Last August...
balloon glow n.— «The race features a “balloon glow” spectacular the evening before. The competing balloons set up before sunset, blowing their torches up into the expanded balloons just as night falls while still sitting on...
tax v.— «Taxed: robbed or mugged (Pacific) “Be careful downtown. It’s easy to get taxed.”» —“Decoding the conversation: Your slang dictionary” by Andrew Cortopassi in Washington University Student...
scratch and dent loan n.— «A company that invests in high-yield real estate debt is looking to buy loans that have been “kicked out” of commercial MBS deals. Midwest Equities of St. Louis has initially allotted $50 million for...