turkey
n.— «The Legislature marred an otherwise good session by producing a record number of “turkeys,” which are a Florida term for projects that have been inserted by legislative prerogative. In many cases, they involve spending state dollars for projects local governments should fund…Another type of turkey is one that was not recommended by a state agency through the normal process.» —“Pork and turkey” Florida Times-Union May 1, 1998. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A listener who grew up in Newfoundland remembers her grandfather declaring the fog was thick as burgoo. Turns out burgoo was sailors’ slang for a gray, gelatinous oatmeal—exactly the right image for an impenetrable Newfoundland fog. The word appears...
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...