taspo
n.— «The Tobacco Institute of Japan and other organizations have announced plans to introduce ID cards for cigarette vending machines in 2008 in a bid to bar underage purchases. Under the system, ID cards embedded with integrated circuits will be issued, and customers will not be able to use the vending machines without the cards. The cards are dubbed “taspo,” from the words “tobacco passport.” They will feature a photograph of the user and a serial number, and will be valid for 10 years.» —“Cigarette vending machines to require ID cards from 2008″ MSN-Mainichi Daily News (Japan) Oct. 22, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The English language has been greatly enriched by borrowings from the languages of Asia. Barely scratching the surface, we have from Japan skosh, tycoon, tsunami, origami, yen, kimono, futon, and karaoke. From Chinese comes yen, kowtow, gung ho, and...
Eric from Millbank, South Dakota, says his grandmother used the term duke’s mixture to denote “a hodgepodge,” such as ingredients in a stew. Duke’s mixture was originally the name of a cheap tobacco that was made from leftover odds and...