train wreck
n.— «This is the story of the people left behind on the platform when the last train late at night goes out of Grand Central Terminal…They are stranded, and before the self-pity can kick in, a no-nonsense amplified voice announces Grand Central’s closing. “The station will reopen at 5:30 a.m.”…The night clerk at the nearby Hyatt hotel calls them “train wrecks.” The cabdrivers refer to them as “Cinderella fares.” Out on 42nd Street, a mob of cabbies await the luckless souls.» —“At Grand Central, Stuck After 1:30 A.M.” by Andrew Jacobs New York Times June 11, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 1920s, a crossword-puzzle craze swept across the United States. The pastime became wildly popular, and even inspired a Broadway musical, Puzzles of 1925. The fad spread through Canada and England, and the Wimbledon Public Library even removed...
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...