pig in a python n. especially in demographics, a spike or surge in a statistic measured over time. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
plus up n.— «Officials at the Pentagon said this surge of U.S. forces, or “plus up” as it is called here, has actually been under way for weeks. Since the president ordered the increase of troops, U.S. forces have moved into Baghdad and started...
troop surge n.— «Perhaps more importantly, Bush’s plan amounts to a last-ditch effort to salvage the U.S. endeavor in Iraq, and it’s not clear what will happen if the troop surge and economic aid fail to improve the situation.» —“Bush acknowledges...
sweep room n.— «There is a “sweep room” for students caught cutting class, and a new detention room, where students caught committing infractions like wearing hats or using portable CD players are sent for a couple of hours after school.» —“Crime...
lap-band n.— «They are also among the leading evangelists in the rising medical crusade against morbid obesity—an impassioned and potentially lucrative crusade that has seen the number of bariatric surgeons balloon in recent years, along with a...
Werther effect n.— «Experts say the sometimes graphic reporting may have triggered a “Werther effect”—the term sociologists coined to refer to a surge in suicides in Europe after publication of Goethe’s tragic novel “The Sorrows of Young...

