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
In Japanese, an irresistibly cute baby might be described with an expression that translates as “Even if I put it in my eye, it wouldn’t hurt.” It’s a form of what psychologists call cute aggression, or the overwhelming urge to squeeze, crush, or...
Melissa in Charlotte, North Carolina, remembers her grandfather would describe something excellent as better than snuff, but not near as dusty. The snuff in this case refers to finely ground smokeless tobacco. It arose at a time when snuff was...