We hear the word maverick a lot lately, but where did this term for a stubborn nonconformist come from? Martha tells the story of the Texas politician who inspired the word, and whose grandson apparently coined another familiar English word...
turret light
n.— «None of the unmarked police cars on the street displayed “turret lights.”» —“Three Men Who Had No Reason to Run” by Jim Dwyer New York Times Apr. 5, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
polar bear n.— «“Whats a “Polar Bear”? My first guesses were a bear in a “plain white wrapper” (eg. white unmarked patrol car).”…“A solid white patrol car. As an example in CA the CHP has most of it’s units...
meat tag n.— «A few blocks down Lejeune Boulevard, Josef McDonald’s tattoo parlor had one customer. The business slowdown followed a flurry earlier in the week from departing Marines wanting “meat tags”—tattoos of their names...
jump-out n. a (sudden) arrest made by undercover police using unmarked vehicles; a police officer or detective who makes such an arrest. Also jump-out boys, jump-out gang. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
jump out boys n.— «He emerges from a wood-frame house and quickly rides off, watching vigilantly for Miami police cruisers and “them Jump Out Boys,” the undercover vice cops rolling in unmarked rental cars.…”It’s...