Terry stop
n.— «Mayor Valley and his brother, city attorney Andre Valley, disagree. The siblings say Terry v. Ohio, a Supreme Court ruling, gives their police the right to stop and search anyone for a brief period of time. The 1968 opinion created what is known as a “Terry stop,” which allows police officers to frisk a suspect they believe is about to commit a crime.» —“Helena curfew pits mayor vs. ACLU” by Trevor Aaronson Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee) Sept. 7, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
My friend, Perry, came up with the verb “to palin”, after reading of Sarah Palin’s lack of competence during a recent interview.
palin (verb), to flounder in an attempt to say nothing, that results in saying something stupid, often associated with an uninformed person’s attempt to formulate a reply.
example: “She palined her job interview” (past tense) or “He’s starting to sweat and he could palin any time now” (present tense).