greenspacing n.— «Flooded neighborhoods like Gentilly and New Orleans East angrily rejected “greenspacing,” the term for essentially removing people and houses permanently.» —“Building Blocks” by Anya...
Big Mother n.— «In their collective stead, we got the Live Aid concerts, an always exciting and sometimes worrying spectacle that shrunk the globe to an altruistic village ruled by a benign Big Mother.» —“North of the border, the...
drop-dead deadline n.— «More than 7,000 Americans already have fled the area and the U.S. was prepared to take another 3,000 out this weekend in what has been referred to as “drop-dead deadline” to leave the area...
grow a set v. phr.— «Look, WTR, you’re going to have to grow a set. You’ve gone from stare-and-glare to nodding, but you won’t get anywhere else if you don’t have the balls to walk up to him and introduce yourself.» —“Savage...
acheropoietoi n.— «Fountain is what’s called an “acheropoietoi,” an image not shaped by the hands of an artist.» —“Idol Thoughts” Village Voice (New York City) Feb. 24, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued...
first-night effect n.— «The rooms will be recreated at the athletes’ village in Turin, helping the Americans avoid what scientists call the “first-night effect,” which is similar to jetlag and can hinder performance.» —“U...