Texas barrier
n.— «With the addition of bike paths and sidewalks, and no design refinements to the cookie-cutter railing (a “Texas barrier,” in highway engineers’ parlance), the new bridge is basically still just a 50-foot-wide swath of concrete.» —“Bland new bridge goes nowhere, designwise” by Whitney Gold Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisc.) Feb. 12, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Understanding the varieties of conversational styles can mean the difference between feeling you’re understood and being insulted. “High-involvement” speakers interrupt or talk along with someone else to signal their enthusiasm...
On a busy day in the emergency room, Alisa of Dallas, Texas, told an efficient colleague that she was really humming, meaning it as a compliment. Her colleague took offense, maintaining that humming meant “smelly.” Since the 18th...