red n.— «He extended his stop sign, the bus’s red lights started flashing, and its interior lights turned on. As a 10th-grade boy started to cross the road, a silver sports utility vehicle came screaming by. The young man jumped out of...
Stephen Girard job n. a task or occupation comprised of make-work or busywork; a repetitive undertaking. Editorial Note: This term does not appear to have ever been common. Thanks to Bill Simon of Garvey Schubert Barer for suggesting this term...
red-celling n.— «To help companies prepare for such scenarios, Martin recommends a process known as red-celling. By gathering together key employees and setting them the task of working out how they would go about attacking the company...
chiefs disease n.— «The CHP’s fraud task force investigated possible abuse of disability retirement, specifically among its highest ranking officers.…Most startling of all, 80 percent of assistant chiefs retired on disability...
alligator arms n.pl.— «But Shell wouldn’t take Moss to task for short-arming catches—an affliction commonly called “alligator arms.”» —“Moss has a case of the dropsies” by Jason Jones in...
belly button n. a person or unit in charge of, or the source of information for, a task or operation. Editorial Note: The “belly button” in the 1987 and 1994 citations is variably given in press reports as the name of a secret trust fund...