tombstoning
n.— «Sen. Gloria Romero had one demand if she was going to let legislation to provide mayoral control of the Los Angeles schools get out of the Senate last year. It had to have her name on it. And so the Legislature passed the “Gloria Romero Educational Reform Act of 2006,” giving Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa greater control over the city’s schools—even though Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, was the author of the bill. Such “tombstoning” of laws, as it’s called in the Capitol, is but one example of the behind-the-scenes jockeying legislators do to keep their names in the spotlight.» —“Capitol goal: Top billing” by Shane Goldmacher Sacramento Bee (California) Feb. 13, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
How long can a newly married woman be called a bride? Does bride apply only as long as her wedding day, or does it extend right on through the couple’s silver anniversary and beyond? Plus, insightful advice about writing from a Pulitzer winner:...