whisper number n.— «Rumor-mongering, of course, has long been the stock in trade of some on Wall Street. Billions of dollars a day are bet on “whisper numbers” and overheard lunchtime chatter. Information is the coin of the realm. Some of...
hurricane amnesia n.— «I recently received a call from a columnist who had attended a trade show and Gov. Crist’s hurricane conference. He felt industry was using scare tactics to promote their products. This couldn’t be further from the...
Net walker n.— «More broadly, the Internet is changing prostitution. In recent years, thousands of prostitutes have posted their own Web sites, including their pictures and contact information. They are called Net walkers. The Internet...
bathroom song n.— «There are smart and stupid times to visit a public restroom. A stupid time would be at an oldies concert, when someone like Paul McCartney says, “Here’s a song from my new album.” In the concert trade, those...
deguttling n.— «Video footage (which, for those in offices, could probably be viewed on a site called something like Shouldn’t-you-be-getting-on-with-your-work?dotcom) reveals Tevez rubbing the back of his neck as Terry walks away...
extinction n.— «But the thing is, as Natasha points out, the language of the slot machine industry belies its ultimate aims. There’s a term bandied about at the trade shows: “extinction.” We need to design for extinction, we...