twisting n.— «This would be like canceling a life insurance policy that you have been paying premiums on for 70 years and exchanging it for a brand-new policy. An insurance agent or broker who persuades you to make this switch is guilty...
brick v.— «I am still smart about what I do online, but I don’t have to live in constant fear that some Active X control is going to surreptitiously install itself and brick my box.» —“The Switch. A Boy and a Powerbook...
flow n.— «In the cockpit, each pilot has a certain routine, or “flow” in cockpit parlance. Because there are so many items to be checked during the cockpit preflight, pilots learn to check the cockpit in patterns to make sure...
farb man n.— «Farb man—same as switch man; When a customer goes in a rear room to obtain the article he has purchased, the farb man tries to sell a more expensive article.» —“Jewelry Auctioneers’ Jargon Obtained From Auctioneers and...
rate tart n.— «Credit card providers are considering withdrawing zero per cent deals, in a sign of their growing exasperation with “rate tarts” who switch cards as soon as they have to start paying interest on their borrowing...
monster n.— «The $30 worth of hits turned into a $3,000-a-month monster. Now the monster is Irene’s top priority. She’s been on crack three years. Three times in rehab. Three times a failure. “This is not an addiction that you can...