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...
hydroseed v.— «Accompanying the installation of lifesaving guardrails along the Route 17 median in southern Orange County is an alien-green liquid that workers have been spraying on with a high-powered hose.…The process is called...
nails n.pl.— «After learning the game on plastic cleats, most golfers stick with them as they turn pro. Often referred to as “nails” by players and suppliers, metal spikes are permitted throughout Europe and at a handful of...
stick drink n.— «Want to try a stick drink? They can be quite good, you know. The term is, I believe, quite new—though the concept is not—and it’s used to describe drinks in which some of the ingredients are muddled. With a stick. Most...