wicked problem
n.— «Some observers have taken a page from urban planning theory to describe Iraq as a “wicked problem”—a term coined to describe complex and divisive issues, such as building a new highway through a city or finding a location for a large homeless shelter.» —“Tom Ricks’s Inbox” by Tom Rick Washington Post Sept. 2, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Many of us struggled with the Old English poem “Beowulf” in high school. But what if you could actually hear “Beowulf” in the English of today? There’s a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley that uses contemporary...
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...