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
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...
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...
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).