demoflush n.— «The scientists considered formulas based on city garbage collection, sales tax totals, and fresh water consumption but settled on demoflush “as the most sensitive barometer.” The formula assumes the average...
shock v.— «Ragan then fills the pool with water, shocks it and checks it about a week later to see if the chemicals are OK. “Shocking” a pool refers to using a chemical process called oxidization to break down water-soluble...
upcycle v.— «William McDonough and Michael Braungart did just that in their book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (North Point Press), 2003. The word they coined is “upcycling’ which is the practice of recycling...
hillbilly chrome n.— «Take my advice, don’t waste your time with rags or hillbilly chrome (duct tape).» —“Re: Moth balls” by J. Phillips Usenet: rec.sport.snowmobiles June 18, 1997. (source: Double-Tongued...
universal waste n.— «It’s now illegal in California for households and any other entity to improperly dispose of a new list of widely used, but potentially harmful items containing mercury and other heavy metals that often wound up in...
Del Rio model n.— «It’s all about speed. That’s the biggest difference in saving lives in this war.…We call it the Del Rio model, after a small town in West Texas about 150 miles from our stateside base in San Antonio. When you get...