yo-yoing n.— «In the wake of a controversy that engulfed the Derby this fall, two respected Island organizations have asked the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to ban a fishing method known as yo-yoing…a fishing...
jackpot n.—Gloss: in firefighting slang, a flammable place. «The fire kept trying to creep past them. A few sparks jumped into a nest of wood chips in an old log—”a jackpot,” firefighter lingo for a flammable spot.» —“Few...
in-law chaser n.— «Theresa felt warmed coming inside, away from the snowy, blowing spring storm.—Theresa overhead that the storm was an in-law chaser and giggled about that. It was the middle of the night but perhaps the son-in-law ran...
ride the wood v. phr.— «Malikowski was using a replica of an 18th-century tool called a froe to split firewood into one-half- to three-quarter-inch slabs to make roofing shingles. The process is called “riding the wood,” said Malikowski...
NOC n.— «Barnes is a neophyte agent, an ex-doctoral candidate in Ottoman history, trained as a case officer under nonofficial cover, “known in the secret language of the club as NOC. As in: knock on wood.” Naive and...
skylab n.— «With my eyes closed, I could still feel the dust on my face as the “skylab” roared through the scabrous path and past the verdant groves. “Skylab” was the name the villagers had given the puny motorbike...