trade
n.— «One of the more troubling signs for a manufacturer or retailer is when its suppliers—the “trades,” in industry lingo—begin asking to be paid in advance.» —“Some G.M. Suppliers Said to Request Payments in Advance” New York Times: DealBook Dec. 11, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
A listener adds to our collection of slang used by RV enthusiasts. When she’s not in her sticks and bricks–that is, her brick-and-mortar home in Michigan–she’s driving around in her motor home chasing 70, which in the RV community means “trying to...