As we’ve noted, in California’s Orange County, to birdie means “to drink from a bottle without touching it with one’s lips.” Elsewhere this germ-avoidant act is also called airsipping, airing, baby birding. In parts of the UK, you might sky a drink...
A cataract is not only an eye condition, it’s also a waterfall. And the two uses of the word are related, in the sense that in the ancient world, a cataracta was one of those iron gates that hung outside a city, such as Pompeii, to protect against...
Ever thought about getting that novel published? Apparently, others have too, and some of their queries are less than persuasive for the admittedly grumpy literary agent who writes the blog SlushPile Hell. He posts some of the more colorful queries...
waterfall structure n.— «A single trust might be further sliced and diced to create different derivative securities, each one subordinated to the next in terms of the claim on cash flow. In the event of a default, the highest-rated—and lowest...
waterfall n.— «Lawmakers use the term “waterfall” to describe surplus revenue. Hube worried there might be no water in this year’s waterfall.» —“House acts on spending, tax rates and fees” by Nancy Remsen in Montpelier Burlington Free...
waterfall n.— «Last month, the retirement board, which Aguirre alleges covered up the city’s pension problem, eliminated an accounting method known as the “waterfall” that hid some of the city of San Diego’s pension obligations. Aguirre and outside...
