all-way stop

(Canada, US, South Africa) A road intersection that traffic approaching from all directions is required to stop before proceeding through.


prevert

[…] so Joe come to me and he uz sore as a boil and said you goddam prevert, I don't want no twenny-two-year-old mechanic who still pulls his pood in the toilet, and farred me.

I think you're some kind of deviated prevert. And I think General Ripper found out about your preversion, and that you were organizing some kind of mutiny of preverts. Now move!

1964, Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, Peter George, directed by Stanley Kubrick, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, spoken by Colonel "Bat" Guano (Keenan Wynn):

Lenny Bruce? Didn't you room with that prevert? They kept saying pre-vert and how these preverts were poisoning America with the language they were using.

1998, Jack Engelhard, The Days of the Bitter End, 3rd edition, British Columbia, Canada: DayRay Literary Press, published 2013, →ISBN, page 129:

Turk exasperatedly shook his head. "Close that lid. You don't want that lady thinkin' you're a prevert." […] Floyd bit his lip. He wanted to pronounce pervert for them, but he kept his eyes straight ahead.

2018, Conn Hamlett, John Lee Johnson: Into the Pits of Hell – Lambert Goes Home, Bloomington, Indiana: Abbott Press, →ISBN:


Stang

From the German and Jewish surname, from the noun Stange (“pole”).


UFC

When Dana White barreled up to the microphone, at Donald Trump’s request, to say his piece on election night, it represented confirmation of the UFC CEO’s status as one of the key members of the president-elect’s inner circle.

2024 November 16, Aaron Timms, “How UFC head Dana White became the glue between Maga and the manosphere”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Ultimate Fighting Championship
w:Ultimate Fighting Championship

(US, martial arts) Initialism of Ultimate Fighting Championship, an American mixed martial arts promotion company.


board of review

en-noun

board of review (plural boards of review)

boards of review (plural)
BOR (alternative)

(scouting, US) The final approval process for rank advancement to any specific rank in the Boy Scouts of America that is meant to ensure that a Scout has indeed met all the requirements for that rank and to evaluate the experience.


rocket docket

(US, law) A court or other tribunal that is noted for the speedy disposition of cases.


Boomer

Coordinate term: Sooner

Some skunk of a Sooner, sneaking in ahead of the Run, had set the blaze to keep the Boomers off, saving the land for himself.

(US, historical) A member of a 19th century movement which campaigned for the opening of "Unassigned Lands" within the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) for settlement.


chase pennies with dollars

en-verb

chase pennies with dollars (third-person singular simple present chases pennies with dollars, present participle chasing pennies with dollars, simple past and past participle chased pennies with dollars)

chases pennies with dollars (present singular third-person)
chasing pennies with dollars (participle present)
chased pennies with dollars (participle past)
chased pennies with dollars (past)

References the foolhardy nature of spending more money, resources, or time, in order to earn or save lesser amounts.
Chiefly used within the United States, in business and finance settings and media.

“I believe we’re being asked to chase pennies with dollars, and it will cost the taxpayers.”

2015, Glen Gainer, Charleston Gazette-Mail, State employee pay switch plan placed on hold:

"Irrational Greed: Chasing Pennies With Dollars"

2012, L.G. Weinzimmer, J. McConoughey, The Wisdom of Failure: How to Learn the Tough Leadership Lessons Without Paying the Price:

(US) To expend more money or effort in gaining something (especially, a cost reduction or revenue addition) than it is worth.


MCD

en-noun

MCD (countable and uncountable, plural MCDs)

minor civil division
minor civil division#English

(US, geography) Initialism of minor civil division.


go-backs

The scales are not yet asked to give a casting vote, but the gap between the growth which mother wants and that which baby yields seems to widen, and the reason becomes more and more mysterious until some wiser dame whispers the dreaded words: "It has the Go-backs," and others echo, "It has the Go-backs."

1892, Journal of American Folklore, volume 5, page 108:

If the length of the string is an exact multiple of the length of the foot, nothing is wrong, but if there is a remainder, however small, the baby has the Go-backs, and the extent of the malady is proportional to this remainder.

1994, Nancy Sullivan, A treasury of American folklore: our customs, beliefs, and traditions:

(dated, US) A supposed disease of children causing weight loss and lack of growth.


CBJ

CBJ sign D Nutivaara to four-year extension.

2018, TSN staff, CBJ sign D Nutivaara to four-year extension, TSN

WPG 1 @ CBJ 2 (OT)

2017, Micah Blake McCurdy, WPG 1 at 2 CBJ (OT), HockeyViz:

Plenty of blame to go around after CBJ playoff collapse.

2018, Associated Press, Tortorella: Plenty of blame to go around after CBJ playoff collapse, canoe.com

Columbus Blue Jackets
w:Columbus Blue Jackets

(Canada, US, ice hockey) Abbreviation of Columbus Blue Jackets.


Swayze

The adjective sense “gone” is a reference to actor Patrick Swayze, who played a ghost in the romantic fantasy thriller Ghost (1990).

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Swayze.


state line

United States of America
United States of America

(US) The border between two states in the United States of America.

delstatsgrænse

border between any two states in the USA


Democracy

I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas.

1860 February 27, Abraham Lincoln, Cooper Union Address, New York City, New York:


CCRC

retirement community
retirement community#English

(US) Initialism of continuing care retirement community.


Provinces

(chiefly US, informal, with definite article) Canada.


desert tortoise

desert tortoise (plural desert tortoises)

(US) either of two species of tortoise native to the deserts of the southwest United States and northwestern Mexico, Gopherus agassizii and Gopherus morafkai


STEP

(US) Initialism of Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.


hold my beer

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-hold my beer.wav

Suggesting that the speaker is interrupting their consumption of beer in order to engage in an act of alcohol-induced bravado.

98% of Americans say 'oh shit' before going into the ditch on a slippery road. The other 2% are from Minnesota and they say, ‘hold my beer and watch this.’

2008, Kiven Hopper, One Hundred and One Dirty Nasty Disgusting Jokes You'll Love Reading, page 227:

When he says “Hold my beer and watch this” What he means is “I'm a crazy Redneck and love to show off.”

2010, Virginia Alene, Catch And Release, page 18:

(humorous, imperative, US) I am about to attempt something dangerous and/or stupid.

[[https://twitter.com/bpedaci/status/796205042802065409] BRITAIN: Brexit is the stupidest, most self-destructive act a country could undertake.
USA: Hold my beer].

2016, Tom Phillips et al., “18 Tweets About How America Has Out-Brexited Brexit”, in BuzzFeed:

(humorous, imperative, US) I will outperform someone who did something foolish by doing something even more foolish.


come-here

There are many other ways of catching crabs, including chicken-necking (a sure sign of a come-here), and traps or pots.

1997, William H. Turner, Chesapeake Boyhood: Memoirs of a Farm Boy, page 189:

(US, Virginia, colloquial) A recent arrival to a place; a person who has only lately come to live in the area.


teach the controversy

en-verb

teach the controversy (third-person singular simple present teaches the controversy, present participle teaching the controversy, simple past and past participle taught the controversy)

teaches the controversy (present singular third-person)
teaching the controversy (participle present)
taught the controversy (participle past)
taught the controversy (past)

Recent developments in some of the states suggest that all public high school biology teachers may soon have to prepare themselves - whether they like it or not - to teach the controversy.

2008, Patrick H. Clancy, Teaching the Controversy: A How-to Guide for Public (Government) School Biology, Xulon Press, →ISBN:

Senator Rick Santorum is a Pennsylvanian in the same circles (author of the ' Santorum Language' that encourages schools to teach the controversy) ...

2009, Lauri Lebo, The Devil in Dover: An Insider's Story of Dogma V. Darwin in Small-town America, The New Press, →ISBN, page 111:

To the extent that ID is a religious idea, and teaching the controversy is not about teaching a real scientific controversy, there are significant endorsement problems .

2010, Frank S. Ravitch, Marketing Intelligent Design: Law and the Creationist Agenda, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 93:

(US, euphemistic, creationism) To teach that life forms may have been created (almost) in their current form by a sentient being in a manner consistent with Christian dogmata, rather than as a result of ordinary evolution, and that the theory of evolution is controversial.


hatriot

Blend of hate + patriot. Introduced or popularized by The David Pakman Show in a feature called “Hatriot Mail”.

(US, slang, derogatory) A reactionary political conservative who criticizes liberal or progressive stances as unpatriotic.


momness

I can still remember the sensation of being carried by her, what it felt like to put my face into the soft crook between her shoulder and her neck, the smell of her perfume and shampoo. I remember her momness.

2015, Gemma Burgess, The Wild One, page 106:

(informal, Canada, US) The state, quality, or condition of being a mother.


slicktop

(US, Canada, law enforcement, informal) a police car with painted markings and decals but no external rooftop lights.


wrench in the works

en-noun

wrench in the works (plural wrenches in the works)

Such a big staff, with ludicrously little to do, inevitably began interfering with arrangements made by the army commanders. Its actual efforts at coordination were from the start so many wrenches in the works.

1989, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, translated by H. T. Willetts, August 1914, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, →ISBN, page 72:

spanner in the works
spanner in the works#English


rock wren

(Canada, US) A wren native to South America and western North America (Salpinctes obsoletus),


way way back

(US, slang) The third row of seats in a station wagon, especially rear-facing.


Witherspoon-excludable

In reference to the legal case Witherspoon v. Illinois.

(US, law) A person who is utterly opposed to capital punishment and therefore may be excluded as a juror.


freshmanly

en-adj

freshmanly (comparative more freshmanly, superlative most freshmanly)

more freshmanly (comparative)
most freshmanly (superlative)

a freshmanly writing style

(US, rare) Characteristic of a freshman.


Nucflash

(US military) Code word indicating the actual or possible detonation of a nuclear weapon and consequent risk of an outbreak of nuclear war.

United States military nuclear incident terminology


blind pigger

(US, slang) The operator of a blind pig or speakeasy.


G-rated

(US, film) Of a motion picture, suitable for a general audience, including children.


low-residency

(Canada, US, education) Involving some amount of distance education and brief on-campus or on-site residencies.


augmentee

(US, military) A person assigned to a unit to provide particular skills or to make up for a staff shortage.


main bitch

I don't want my main bitch to find out that I'm seeing a side bitch in the weekends.

(US, slang) The primary woman that a man is romantically involved with.


sixty-four thousand dollar question

en-noun

sixty-four thousand dollar question (plural sixty-four thousand dollar questions)

sixty-four thousand dollar questions (plural)

From the American TV game show The $64,000 Question, which debuted in 1955 as the first big-money quiz show.

million-dollar question
million-dollar question#English

(dated, US) Synonym of million-dollar question


spudnut

She was kind and also very crotchety, but I wiped her tear-sleepy eyes with a Spudnut and coffee and she looked over the poems for errors.

1970, Gary Adelman, Honey Out of Stone, page 90:

A spudnut is a yeast doughnut made with wheat flour and dehydrated potatoes.

2018, Catie McIntyre Walker, Lost Restaurants of Walla Walla, page 77:


show one's ass

en-verb

show one's ass (third-person singular simple present shows one's ass, present participle showing one's ass, simple past showed one's ass, past participle shown one's ass)

shows one's ass (present singular third-person)
showing one's ass (participle present)
showed one's ass (past)
shown one's ass (participle past)

Joe's out there again arguing with the neighbors, showing his ass like he always does.

(Canada, US, vulgar) To act or behave in a rude or obnoxious manner; to misbehave.


growed-up

Like usual: babies acting like growed-ups; growed-ups acting like babies.

Henry didn't doubt the little boys and girls knew that this place was haunted, just like all the growed-ups did.

2016, Alan Moore, Jerusalem, Liveright, page 210:


USCT

U.S.C.T. (alternative)
U. S. C. T. (alternative)

United States Colored Troops
w:United States Colored Troops

(US, historical) Initialism of United States Colored Troops.


crispy critter

Fire stepped up on me. We stood toe to toe, and I could feel the heat of her burning me like a really bad sunburn. […] My sarcastic side had just raised its ugly head, and for one split second, I figured I was going to be a crispy critter.

2011, Amelia Underwood, Dark Forgiveness, page 152:

"Do you have any idea how many crispy critters could be avoided with just a little common sense?"
"Not the time, Bob," Chief Blaine warned him.
"Crispy critters?" Nicky asked.
"Burned people we find after the fire is put out," Bob answered.

2020, Richard Trotta Sr., Nicky's Fire, page 119:

(US, slang, among emergency services etc.) A person who has been badly burned.


Crisco

Genericized trademark, a clipping of crystallized cottonseed oil

(US) A form of shortening made from vegetable oil.


Nole

The Seminoles were hot and knocking on the door of the Women's College World Series. Tiffany became a Nole in October of her senior year.

2020, Michael L. Sachs, Lauren S. Tashman, Selen Razon, Performance Excellence, page 183:

(US, sports, slang) A member of the Florida State Seminoles football team.


Double

(US, motor racing) Collectively, both the Indianapolis 500, a day race, and the Coca-Cola 600, an evening race, both of which are run on Memorial Day weekend Sunday. Used concerning racers who (wish[/ed/ing] to) participat[e/ed/ing] in both events, typically using a private jet to travel between Indianapolis, Indiana, after the 500 and Charlotte, North Carolina, to get to the 600.


flagfish

From flag + fish. The red, white and blue stripes and dots are reminiscent of the American flag.

(US) A freshwater fish in the family Cyprinodontidae native to Florida, Jordanella floridae, sometimes kept in aquaria and used in laboratory tests of the biological effects of environmental pollutants.


Hockeytown

From hockey + town, in reference to the sport.

(informal, US, Canada) A nickname for any of a number of cities, towns, or communities in the United States or Canada that have a history and reputation of participating in the sport of ice hockey.


quarter water

From the cost (a quarter) and the main ingredient (water).

A bell rings and Pavlov's law is confirmed every time; the ice cream truck comes up the street and kids start flying from their houses; and we get in line to make our selection of pop sickles, quarter waters, push up pops, and rockets.

2008, Ellington Rudi Robinson, Underneath the Music, →ISBN, page 3:

Well, there's water, and then there's quarter-waters. Ghetto Gatorade.

When I was a kid, quarter water was the drink of choice because it only cost a quarter.

2011, Maurice Patterson, Inner-city Diet, →ISBN, page 30:

I remember those times. The corner bodega shops with the quarter waters and yellow lemon drops and the now and later, Do you remember then?

2013, Yanatha Desouvre, Walk Through This Journey: Volume One, →ISBN:

A city block, chock full of empty heroin bags, used condoms, dirty diapers and expired bus passes. Sewer grates, straining under the weight of quarter water bottles and wrappers from cheap snacks and cakes.

2014, Miss Sixx, 15th & East Capitol, →ISBN, page 69:

(US) A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.


drag ass

drag ass (third-person singular simple present drags ass, present participle dragging ass, simple past and past participle dragged ass)

drags ass (present singular third-person)
dragging ass (participle present)
dragged ass (participle past)
dragged ass (past)

(US, vulgar, slang) To move slowly, or lag behind.


regular order

A call for the regular order asks the chair to restore proper procedure.

(US, politics) The customary formal procedures of a legislative or similar body.


STG

(US, prisons) Initialism of security threat group, a prison gang


paper town

Numerous “paper towns” were created often in an effort to block impending municipal annexation advances by existing municipalities.

2018, Russell M. Smith, Municipal Incorporation Activity in the United States: Patterns, People and Procedures, Springer, →ISBN, page 31:

(US) Synonym of paper township; a town that exists in name only.


en-proverb

sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you

(US) Sometimes you win and sometimes you are defeated; everybody has successes and failures.


slave state

(US, historical) Prior to the American Civil War, any of the states in which the owning of slaves was legal.


K through 12

We know we don't do a good job of tracking children in K through 12 into engineering.

2002, National Academy of Engineering, Committee on Diversity in the Engineering Workforce, Diversity in Engineering: Managing the Workforce of the Future:

(US, education) Kindergarten through twelfth grade.


TRADOC

w:United States Army Training and Doctrine Command

(US, military) Abbreviation of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.


throddy

en-adj

throddy (comparative more throddy, superlative most throddy)

more throddy (comparative)
most throddy (superlative)

How it would please me to get my hands on that throddy birthing body, he said.

2017, Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole, Bloomsbury, published 2019, page 35:

(Northern England, US regional) Sturdy, well-built; plump.


CFA

(US, military) Initialism of candidate fitness assessment.


fly-ass

fly-ass (comparative more fly-ass, superlative most fly-ass)

more fly-ass (comparative)
most fly-ass (superlative)

(US, informal) Very smart, beautiful, or well-dressed.


pay to play

en-verb

pay to play (third-person singular simple present pays to play, present participle paying to play, simple past and past participle paid to play)

pays to play (present singular third-person)
paying to play (participle present)
paid to play (participle past)
paid to play (past)
pay-to-play (alternative)

From sometime practice of charging a fee for admission to a gambling game.

(by extension) To incur a cost to participate in an activity.

(especially US, politics) To make a campaign contribution or illegal payment to avail oneself of business or other opportunities controlled by politicians.


pay to play

Any kind of charge to engage in an activity.

(espeically US, politics) Campaign contributions (or outright bribes or graft) required to avail oneself of certain opportunities controlled by politicians, such as uncompetitive government contracts.


IRF

Immediate Response Force
w:Immediate Response Force

(US military) Initialism of Immediate Response Force.


QRF

(military, US) Initialism of quick react(ion(ary))/response force. An armed military term to define a unit capable of rapidly responding to developing situations, typically to assist allied units in need of such assistance.


FUTA

Federal Unemployment Tax Act
w:Federal Unemployment Tax Act

(US, law) Acronym of Federal Unemployment Tax Act.

(US, finance, by extension) The Federal unemployment tax collected under that act.


Texas tea

en-noun

Texas tea (countable and uncountable, plural Texas teas)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Texas tea.wav

San Quentin’s execution logs indicate that, during six of the prison’s eleven lethal injections, the condemned may have been partly conscious; similar findings have led eight states to suspend use of the chemical mixture—sometimes called Texas Tea—employed in most of the death-penalty states, including California.

2007 July 23, Tad Friend, “Dean of Death Row”, in The New Yorker:

“[…] He was from Texas. Short disgusting little prick. Didn't even know what Texas Tea was. So I told him.” Jim pointed his finger toward Helen. “I said it's what you guys use to kill people now that you've stopped frying them faster than potato chips. Sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, potassium chloride. He didn't say a thing. Dickwad. Just got a little smile on his face.”

2013, Elizabeth Strout, The Burgess Boys, New York, NY: Random House, published 2014, →ISBN, page 60:

(slang, US) A mixture of drugs (pancuronium bromide, potassium chloride, and sodium thiopental) used to execute a person by lethal injection.


fire controlman

fire controlman (plural fire controlmen)

(US, military) A member of the Navy who carries out repairs and maintenance on weapons, computers, and other equipment.


patrol leader

(scouting, US) A youth Scout who leads a patrol, having been elected by fellow Scouts in their troop.


senior patrol leader

senior patrol leader (plural senior patrol leaders)

senior patrol leaders (plural)
SPL (alternative)

The senior patrol leader is the leader of all patrols in his troop, which is the reasoning behind this title.

(scouting, US) A youth Scout, elected by fellow Scouts, who holds the highest amount of authority in their troop in terms of youth members.


gunmetal-gray

(US) Alternative spelling of gunmetal-grey.


BRC

(US, scouting) Initialism of Blue Ridge Council.


poke the bear

en-verb

poke the bear (third-person singular simple present pokes the bear, present participle poking the bear, simple past and past participle poked the bear)

pokes the bear (present singular third-person)
poking the bear (participle present)
poked the bear (participle past)
poked the bear (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-poke the bear.wav

The second sense refers to the use of bears to represent Russia, as a shortening of the idiom "poke the Russian bear" (to anger or threaten Russia and start a war with Russia).

when you mess with the bull, you get the horns

Throughout my training I witnessed several doctors run out of town because their honesty and outspokenness began to poke the bear.

2012, Marty Makary, Unaccountable, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, →ISBN, page 17:

His advice to Zuckerberg, the Times later reported, was “Don’t poke the bear”—avoid incurring the wrath of Trump and his supporters.

2020 October 12, Andrew Marantz, “Why Facebook Can’t Fix Itself”, in The New Yorker:

(US, idiomatic) To deliberately aggravate somebody, especially somebody in a position of power or authority.


swim trunks

From swim + trunks, or shortened from swimming trunks.


bear sign

Dunlap ate hardly any dinner, we noticed, and the very first batch of bear sign turned out, he loads up a tin plate and goes out and sits behind the storehoure in the sun, all alone in his glory.

1903, Andy Adams, The Log of a Cowboy: A Narrative of the Old Trail Days:

When Pearlie arrived next to Smoke and Sally, skidding to a stop in the mud that was a result of the spring rains earlier in the week, he ignored the coffee and grabbed a double handful of the bear sign, while simultaneously tipping his hat at Sally.

2003, William W. Johnstone, Quest of the Mountain Man, page 7:


alphabet agency

en-noun

alphabet agency (plural alphabet agencies)

The names of these agencies were initialisms.

(US) Any of a number of US federal government agencies created as part of the New Deal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.


Bountygate

(informal, US, sports) The New Orleans Saints bounty scandal.


farewell-to-spring

farewell-to-spring (usually uncountable, plural farewell-to-springs)

(US) A wildflower of western North America, Clarkia amoena, that blooms in late spring and early summer


momsplain

en-verb

momsplain (third-person singular simple present momsplains, present participle momsplaining, simple past and past participle momsplained)

momsplains (present singular third-person)
momsplaining (participle present)
momsplained (participle past)
momsplained (past)

(Canada, US, informal) To explain something in a condescending manner to a childless person, presuming that childless people have a lower social status or judgement skills.


Wac

I stepped out of my tent in Marrakech one night to get a bar of candy and caught your dose of clap when that Wac I never even saw before hissed me into the bushes.

1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 172:

(US, slang, historical) A member of the Women's Army Corps, the women's branch of the United States Army from 1942-1978.


(Canada, US, telephony) Alternative form of 411


Cajun navy

(US) an informal organisation of boat owners who assist in flooded areas of Louisiana and Texas


scallion pancake

en-noun

scallion pancake (plural scallion pancakes)

A direct translation of the words "蔥油餅／葱油饼 (cōngyóubǐng)" in English

zh-l

蔥油餅／葱油饼 (cōngyóubǐng)

(US) A Chinese savory, unleavened pancake folded with oil and green scallions.

蔥油餅 /葱油饼

a savory pancake folded with oil and green scallions


Prislam

(US, sometimes derogatory) A variety of Islam to which its adherents converted in prison.


Bloomie's

Grandma said, "Bloomie's is just around the corner from those tall buildings, Amy Elizabeth, and if they weren't in the way, we could see it."

1999, E. L. Konigsburg, Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's:

(US, informal) Bloomingdale's, a US department store.


ASAC

There was this big task force, Reggie was my ASAC. I was twenty-eight years old, right out of the academy. I had this theory on the case. Reggie thought I was full of it.

1994, "Young at Heart" (episode of TV show The X-Files)

My name is "ASAC" Schrader, and you can go fuck yourself.

2013, "Ozymandias" (episode of TV show Breaking Bad)

(US) Initialism of assistant special agent in charge.


diaper pail

(US) A bucket-like receptacle for a baby's used diapers, where they are kept (sometimes in a solution of water and cleaners) until they can be properly washed or disposed of.


fried pie

(US) A small fried dessert pastry, like a small pie or turnover, with a fruit filling.


Wideawake

Named after a nearby colony of wideawakes, or sooty terns.


douchetastic

en-adj

douchetastic (comparative more douchetastic, superlative most douchetastic)

more douchetastic (comparative)
most douchetastic (superlative)

(US, slang) Extremely douchey; highly obnoxious.


hasta pasta

(US, humorous, slang) goodbye; see you later


cyka

Volapük encoding reading of Russian сука (suka, “bitch”); orthographic borrowing from Russian сука (suka, “bitch”).

obor

I was a cyka of the worst sort.

2012, Clare Dowling, Would I Lie To You?, →ISBN:

And you're my cyka now; you're my bitch because you ask to be treated like one.

2015, Jon Land, Strong Light of Day: A Caitlin Strong Novel, →ISBN:

“Yeah, a real cyka.” It wasn't a compliment.

2016, Margaret Stohl -, Black Widow: Red Vengeance, →ISBN:

(US, vulgar, derogatory) A bitch; a contemptible person (usually but not necessarily female).


(US, military) A personnel file detailing the background and history of a member of the United States armed forces.


Martha Washington geranium

en-noun

Martha Washington geranium (plural Martha Washington geraniums)

Named after Martha Washington, the wife of US president George Washington.

(US, flowers, horticulture) Synonym of regal geranium


USAMU

(US, military) Abbreviation of United States Army Marksmanship Unit.


USAMRIID

Infectious Diseases
infectious disease#English

(US, military, pathology) Abbreviation of United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases


rootin' tootin'

head

rootin' tootin' (humorous superlative rootinest tootinest)

rootinest tootinest (humorous superlative)
rootin', tootin' (alternative)
rootin'-tootin' (alternative)
rooting tooting (alternative)
rooting-tooting (alternative)

Possibly from rooty-toot (“something loudly exciting, boisterous, or riotous”, noun) (chiefly US, slang), from rooty-toot (“to make a tooting sound; to act in a jaunty or lively manner”, verb), ultimately imitative of a trumpet’s sound, perhaps also influenced by toot (“to go on a drinking binge or spree”) (US, slang), or tootin', tooting (intensifying adjective) (US, slang).

/ˈɹuːʔn̩ ˈtuːʔn̩/

[ˈɹuɾn̩ ˈtuɾn̩]

I am happy to second the nomination of that rootin’, tootin’, son-of-a-gun from Pennsylvania, Jimmy Van Zandt.

1933 August 31, George K. Brobeck, “Fifth Business Session, August 31, 1933”, in Proceedings of the 34th National Encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 27 – September 1, 1933 […] (73d Congress, 2d Session, House Document; no. 152), Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, published 1934, →OCLC, page 110:

The theme song “Up and Down the Monon,” written by John A. McGee, follows: […] UP and down the Monon / Everything is fine, / ’cause that rootin’, tootin’ Monon / She’s a Hoosier line!

1947 March 8, John A. McGee, quotee, “Indiana Society Celebrates Monon Centennial”, in Samuel O. Dunn, editor, Railway Age, volume 122, number 10, Philadelphia, Pa.: Simmons-Boardman Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 509:

This is to remind you that you get two individual packages of the rootinest-tootinest, sweetinest flakes in Kellogg's Variety Pack.

1965 April 23, “Did You See this Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Advertisement in This Issue? [advertisement]”, in George P. Hunt, editor, Life, volume 58, number 16, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 17:

Hewson maintains its high standards with this rootin’, tootin’, killin’, maimin’, shoot ’em up. Not to be missed by arcadey types.

1989 May, Sean Kelly, “Eliminator [video game review]”, in Teresa Maughan, editor, Your Sinclair, number 41, London: Dennis Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 74:

Creative destruction was popularized in a way [Joseph] Schumpeter hadn’t meant it, as a celebratory sorry-suckers catchphrase for rootin’-tootin’ Wild West American capitalism as a permanent condition, where the rich and tough and lucky win and the losers lose hard.

2018 December 25, Kurt Andersen, “College-educated Professionals are Capitalism’s Useful Idiots”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-08-07:

"Howdy, pardners! I'm Chip! The rootinest, tootinest root vegetable this side of the Boise River," he said in a fake Western drawl. The pre-recorded words came from speakers mounted on the walls. Chip clutched a basket brimming with real potatoes against his red flannel shirt.

2020, Allison Marks, Wayne Marks, chapter 6, in Benny Feldman’s All-star Klezmer Band, Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Green Bean Books, Pen & Sword Books, →ISBN, page 34:

(US, informal, traditionally associated with the Wild West) Loudly exciting or impressive; boisterous, riotous.


postfederal

No other major industrialized democracy puts its cities in the circumstance that American cities face in the postfederal era of needing to attract investment through local entrepreneurial activity.

2001, Matthew Burbank, Gregory Andranovich, Charles H. Heying, Olympic Dreams: The Impact of Mega-events on Local Politics, page 8:

(US, economics) Of or relating to a period when cities in the United States can no longer rely on federal funding and must seek local sources.


dick print

dick prints (plural)
dickprint (alternative)
dick-print (alternative)

"You're the one on display,” she said nodding towards his dick print.

2011, Angel B., Loving Rainy Days, page 211:

Damn, is that his dick print? I wondered as I was talking to him. He had looked away for a brief second and I got a real good look at his crotch area, momentarily.

Im starting to think your little pretty boy ass on some gay shit yo? i speak to Devondre,he look up from my dick print quick as fuck like he was caught, then try and play it off.

2015, Anthony Hawkins, The Black Roses and the Urban Tales, page 174:


asston

(slang, vulgar, US, humorous) A large amount; an assload.


INDOC

(US, military) Abbreviation of indoctrination.


dill pickle

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-dill pickle.wav

Shortribs Enlivens Court Proceedings by Calling Beany a “Dill Pickle”

1977 [c. 1908], Harry Conway Fisher, edited by Bill Blackbeard, A. Mutt, a Complete Compilation, 1907-1908, page 47:

Wasn't I the big dill-pickle to stake 'em to a Greek revolution.

2010 [1918], Robert W. Chambers, The Laughing Girl, page 278:

"Ah—" he exclaimed angrily, "somebody tell me why I don't quit you, you big dill pickle!"

2012 [1917], Robert W. Chambers, The Dark Star, page 96:

One famous American company employs such “dill pickles” only in their purchasing division.

2015, Ján Košturiak, Everyday Reflections, page 20:

He’d make a spanking fine husband, but Anna’s no dill pickle. She knows marriage means obedience.

2017 November 13, Jennifer Kincheloe, “Jupiter! Why I Love 1900s Slang”, in Criminal Element:

(slang, US, dated) A foolish person. [early 20th c.]


California fuchsia

en-noun

California fuchsia (plural California fuchsias)

(US) A highly variable species of herbaceous perennial native to California and other parts of western North America, Epilobium canum, with showy flowers reminiscent of fuchsias.


bull gravy

(US, slang, euphemistic) Nonsense; bullshit.


Surekill Expressway

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Surekill Expressway.wav

(US, humorous) The Schuylkill Expressway, a freeway through southwestern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia, known for its high incidence of traffic accidents.


in-state

tlb

(US, also Australia, India, Malaysia, Nigeria)

in-state travel

The Michigan football team’s annual tilt with in-state rival Michigan State will be a 7:30 p.m. ET game.

2017 September 26, Rachel Lenzi, “Michigan-Michigan State”, in The Diehards Network, archived from the original on 2017-09-26:

Existing or occurring within a single state.

an in-state student

Of or from the state where an institution is located, especially a public or state-funded college or university.

in-state tuition

Out-of-state tuition is generally two to three times higher than in-state tuition for each of the years, regardless of institution type.

2007, Ronald G. Ehrenberg, What's Happening to Public Education? The Shifting Financial Burden, page 172:

Applicable to or available to individuals of or from the state.


Arizona perfume

(US, slang, dated) The poison gas used for execution in a gas chamber.


a buck's a buck

a buck is a buck (alternative)
a buck is a buck is a buck (alternative)

“When you play for money,” said Mrs. Prudence Reynolds of Short Hills. N.J., “the temperament changes. A trophy is a trophy, but a buck's a buck.”

1977, Steve Cady, “Warm Weather Is Most Upsetting Factor To Platform Tennis Players at Forest Hills”, in New York Times, retrieved 2017-10-02:

It shouldn't matter whether a murderer tips you or a businessman. A buck's a buck. There's no morality attached to money.

2000, Adam Berlin, Headlock, →ISBN, page 110:

Anything that involves money is business to me. Granted, this is only pocket change to you, but a buck's a buck.

2011, Linda Turner, chapter 5, in Christmas Lone-Star Style, →ISBN:

And if many of the lawyers I work for are jerks, well, a buck's a buck.

2012, David Housewright, chapter 2, in The Holland Taylor Mysteries: Penance, →ISBN:

(chiefly US) Every dollar of income counts toward one's financial well-being; money is a strong motivator, even in unpleasant situations.


I'm your huckleberry

Uncertain, but dates to the late nineteenth century in the United States. Compare huckleberry in the sense "person of little consequence", or the idiom huckleberry above a persimmon.

The other day, while enjoying a social game of seven-up with that pure and gentle poet, Jim Lowell, I said, “Jim, let’s take a drink.” Tears bedimmed his gentle and pure orbs, as in faltering accents he replied: “I’m your huckleberry.”

1879 April 16, Joseph Cook, “Ultimate America”, in Puck, page 84:

See here, if you want me to go into this or any other deal with you, I’m with you to the limit. If you don’t, and you just wish me to go along as your private secretary and professor of wisdom-toothing, I’m your huckleberry, and I’ll pay my own board-bills besides.

1907, Edwin Lefevre, Sampson Rock of Wall Street: A Novel, page 177:

Holliday took a quick step toward him. “I’m your huckleberry, Ringo,” replied the cheerful doctor. “That’s just my game.”

1927, Walter Nobel Burns, Tombstone: An Iliad of the Southwest, →OCLC, page 138:

(dated, informal, US) I am your partner; I will join you; I will work with you; I will fight you; I will dance with you.


ACMI

w:American College of Medical Informatics

(US) Initialism of American College of Medical Informatics.


mass shooting

en-noun

mass shooting (countable and uncountable, plural mass shootings)

There is no consensus on what constitutes a mass shooting; different groups define it differently, depending on circumstances including the number of victims, whether the victims are killed or wounded, and whether the shooting occurs in a public place. The Gun Violence Archive[…] defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people were killed or injured.

2023 March 28, Daniel Victor, “U.S. Mass Shootings in 2023: A Partial List”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(chiefly US, crime) The shooting of multiple people over a short period of time, particularly when there are many victims and in which the victims are targeted indiscriminately.


give someone Jesse

en-verb

give someone Jesse (third-person singular simple present gives someone Jesse, present participle giving someone Jesse, simple past gave someone Jesse, past participle given someone Jesse)

gives someone Jesse (present singular third-person)
giving someone Jesse (participle present)
gave someone Jesse (past)
given someone Jesse (participle past)

(US, slang) To give someone a scolding or a beating.


junioritis

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-junioritis.wav

From junior + -itis, on the pattern of senioritis.

One of the main causes of junioritis is procrastination and burnout stemming from the idea of the daunting future.

2022 April 20, Madeline West, “Junioritis- Yes it is a Real Thing”, in The Fairfield Mirror:

Seniors are not the only ones who experience a drop in motivation once the second semester begins. As a junior, I contend that junioritis is a struggle as well and that it’s perhaps even more dangerous than senioritis.

2023 August 2, Lauren Lentz, “Junioritis: A Lesser-Known Condition”, in The Uproar:

There’s now freshmanitis, sophomoritis, and junioritis.

2024 May 6, Carly Heffernan, “What Even is Freshmanitis?”, in The Port Press:

(US, humorous, rare) A tendency of juniors in high school to slack off as if they were seniors with senioritis.


swunny

"Well — I swunny! — That beats me — Never minded!" He got up and stretched himself — and looked at Anthony. "Never minded!" he said — and went slowly out, turning over London in his mind.

1913, Jennette Lee, The Taste of Apples, page 345:

“Well I'll swunny, that lil' booger jus' kicked an' kicked . . . He wuz so active Miz Betty an' I know'd that made Caroline feel more at ease with tha pregnancy an' all . . .

2011, Wanda Conley Lopez, The Man from Little Junction: Meet Ol' Jeb, page 73:

(intransitive, US, dialect) swear (in the phrase I'll swunny or I swunny, expressing wonderment)


LOH

(US military aviation) Acronym of light observation helicopter.


frathole

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-frathole.wav

(US, slang, derogatory) An obnoxious frat boy.


city desk

There were many human interest stories culled from the police-court news or from anything else that came to the city desk.

1940, Helen Hughes, News and the Human Interest Story, page 21:

(Canada, US, newspapers) The department or staff responsible for reporting and editing local news.


glorified rice

(US) A dessert salad made from rice, crushed pineapple, and whipped cream, often decorated with maraschino cherries.


hoco

hocos (plural)
HOCO (alternative)
HoCo (alternative)

(Canada, US) Clipping of homecoming (“tradition in colleges and high schools”).


rich kid

/ˈɹɪt͡ʃ ˌkɪd/

They were very happy, these poor little folks, to be invited to a dinner party, given by “that rich kid, Alex.”

1893, Mabel Putnam, chapter VI, in Alex Goodwin’s Deed, San Francisco, Calif.: C. A. Murdock & Co., page 29:

The defendant, Albert Butler Chatham, in the words of his attorney, is a spoiled rich kid with a mania for automobiles.

1978 February 27, Homer Thornberry, Circuit Judge, “United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Albert Butler Chatham, Defendant-Appellant. No. 77-5226. United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.”, in Federal Reporter […] (Second Series), volume 568, St. Paul, Minn.: West Publishing, →OCLC, page 447:

"The more money you are given, the less happy you're apt to be," says John Sedgwick, author of the blockbuster book Rich Kids. "That's especially true of rich kids who inherit such great wealth that they never have to support themselves. […] Rich kids live strange and isolated childhoods and go on an endless, fruitless search for happiness."

1994 November 22, Paul Hanley, “New book reveals: Rich kids REALLY ARE miserable!”, in Weekly World News, Lantana, Fla.: Weekly World News, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 5:

It was only a few days after her kidnapping that theories began to develop in radical circles that Patricia Hearst planned her own kidnapping. According to prevailing conjecture, she was a rich kid out for fun, rebelling against the social restrictions of upper-class life.

1995, Kathleen Barry, “Patricia Hearst: Prototype of Female Sexual Slavery”, in The Prostitution of Sexuality, New York, N.Y., London: New York University Press, →ISBN, pages 255–256:

No one, save for the heroine (Jennifer Love Hewitt, passable as a Final Girl), is very likable, with several characters being outright assholes, primarily Ryan Phillippe’s inexplicably douche-y rich kid.

2017 October 27, Alex McLevy, “Making a Killing: The Brief Life and Bloody Death of the Post-Scream Slasher Revival”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 2018-03-05:

(US, informal, somewhat derogatory) A child, adolescent or young adult from a wealthy family, especially one who flaunts his or her wealth or privilege.

aberaskume

child or young adult from a wealthy family


no-roll

(US) Of meat: not graded by the USDA and thus having no stamp of quality rolled on the carcass.


en:2006 transatlantic aircraft plot security reaction

(US, colloquial) A restriction on air travel in the United States, such that passengers may carry liquids on board as long as they are in 3.4-ounce containers that fit in a single 1-quart bag.

(Canada, US, telephony) Alternative form of 311


LAC

Los Angeles Clippers
w:Los Angeles Clippers

(Canada, US, basketball) Initialism of Los Angeles Clippers.


FARA

Prosecutors also said Wednesday their side “does not intend to reference allegations that the defendant violated FARA or improperly coordinated with the Obama Administration,” referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people who lobby on behalf of foreign clients to register beforehand with the US government.

2024 August 7, Marshall Cohen, “Prosecutors claim Hunter Biden once agreed to lobby US on behalf of Romanian businessman”, in CNN:

Foreign Agents Registration Act
w:Foreign Agents Registration Act

(US) Acronym of Foreign Agents Registration Act.


granny's fanny

en-noun

granny's fanny (plural granny's fannies)

(US, informal) A kind of basket with two lobes, used for safely carrying eggs etc.


bullshit artist

bullshit artist (plural bullshit artists)

(slang, vulgar, chiefly US) A person who exaggerates, flatters, or promulgates nonsense.


1000 meters

1000 meters pl (normally plural, singular 1000 meter)


backpack funding

In reference to the backpacks in which students carry their belongings to school.

(US, education) A form of education funding where money is allocated to individual students and not to school districts.


whistleberries

From whistle + berries, a reference to the flatulence they cause.

“Hambone, how's for chuck?”
Hambone removed pipe from mouth, slowly. “Wal, I reckon I still got a few whistleberries left. Some sonofabitch stew mabbe. A few shot biscuits.”

1951, Frederick Feikema Manfred, Riders of Judgment, Second, published 2014, →ISBN:


Computergate

(US, slang) A 1981 controversy around allegations that the staff of US politician Jerry Brown deliberately destroyed computer cards in order to obstruct an investigation into his campaign.


Spingate

(US, slang) A 2013 controversy around the manipulation of the finish of the Federated Auto Parts 400 stock car race, during which one driver went into a deliberate spin.


ten-cent tour

(Canada, US, informal) A basic or makeshift tour; a quick trip around.


Indian bread

(Canada, US) Unleavened bread made and consumed by indigenous peoples of the Americas; bannock.


NAGPRA

w:Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act

(US, law) Initialism of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.


regular Joe

(US, informal) Alternative form of Joe Average (“typical average person”)


pony engine

en:small auxiliary engine to warm and start a larger engine

(Canada, US, dated) A small gasoline engine serving as an auxiliary to a diesel engine (mainly in older designs from the 1930s to 1950s), providing heat to warm it up and, when engaged with a clutch, providing cranking to start it up.


neighborhood electric vehicle

neighborhood electric vehicle (plural neighborhood electric vehicles)

From neighborhood + electric vehicle. From being a vehicle class appropriate for local (neighborhood) use, but not suitable for longer distances (such as metropolitan areas), or high speeds (such as expressways), that is electrically powered.

(automotive, US) A low-speed low-weight short-range electric vehicle.

club car

a similar vehicle used to shuttle people around shopping mall and airport concourses


Cornish game hen

Cornish game hen (plural Cornish game hens)

(US) A young broiler chicken (not an actual game bird, nor necessarily female) sold whole.


IEP

IEP child

Individualized Education Program
w:Individualized Education Program

(US, education) Initialism of Individualized Education Program.


dime museum

(US, historical) A cheap show similar to a carnival.


bell cow

bell cows (plural)
bellcow (alternative)

When Carlos Hyde was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, it was presumed he would eventually take over Frank Gore's role as lead back for the Niners. Now that Gore signed in Indianapolis, the door is wide open for Hyde to seize that opportunity. "He looks the part as far as a bellcow running back," Bleacher Report NFL analyst Chris Simms said of Hyde.

2015 August 13, “Chris Simms: ‘Carlos Hyde can be a stud in the NFL’”, in FOX Sports:

Goldman is used to taking the lead. In fact, The Wall Street Journal’s Susanne Craig reported that other firms were standing by on a “Lloyd watch,” waiting to see what precedent would be set by Wall Street’s traditional bell-cow. As those firms now make their own inevitable bonus decisions, they will have to settle for “me-too” stories.

2008 November 17, Jack Flack, “How Goldman Spun the Inevitable Into Big News”, in The New York Times:

When the issue is a political one, reporters tend to watch for the reactions of certain “bell cow” journalists.

1986, Peter Hannaford, Talking Back to the Media, New York: Facts On File, page 29:

(US, figurative) A leader; an influencer.


mailbox rule

(US, law) An exception to the general rule of contract law stating that acceptance of an offer takes effect when a letter enters the postal system.


APUSH

(US, education) Acronym of Advanced Placement United States History.


see you in the funny papers

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-see you in the funny papers2.wav

Probably a humorous elaboration of see you or see you later (“a phrase used at parting, and not necessarily implying that the person being addressed will be seen later by the speaker”). The funny papers are the pages of a newspaper containing comic strips; the implication appears to be that the person addressed will do something ludicrous which will end up featured in a comic strip.

Bye, Bye, I'll see you in the funny papers. See?

1915 January 13, “The ‘fish’ and ‘whick’: Had a little conversation about the school work”, in W[illiam] Y[oast] Morgan, editor, The Hutchinson News, last edition, volume XXVIII, number 275, Hutchinson, Kan.: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 12, column 6:

I'll see you in the funny paper.

[1919 April 18, “Famous last lines”, in Harold R. Hall, editor, University Daily Kansan, volume XVI, number 120, Lawrence, Kan.: Department of Journalism, University of Kansas, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1, column 5:

"S'long!" he waved brightly. "See you in the funny papers …"

1926 October, Sara Haardt, “Jackson, Tennessee”, in Julian Starr, Jr., editor, The Carolina Magazine: The Official Literary Publication of the Students of the University of North Carolina, volume 57, number 1, Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, →OCLC, page 37:

"I'll see you in the funny papers." This is the remark that Alice White passed to Arthur Lake on the beach near Los Angeles last summer. It was a bit of current slang, but Alice little dreamed it would come true. But it has. A few months later Arthur was assigned to play the title role in First National Pictures' screen version of the famous funny paper comic, "Harold Teen." Miss White was given the role of Giggles in the picture.

1928 May 20, “Flashbacks and fadeouts”, in The Washington Post (Features), Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4, column 3:

[T]a-ta see you in the funnypaper

[1929, William Faulkner, “June 2, 1910”, in “The Sound and the Fury”, in The Sound and the Fury & As I Lay Dying, New York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, published 1946, →OCLC, page 130:

Well, I'll see you in the funny papers, and by that I mean the Alumni office at two tomorrow afternoon.

1947 December 27, Lawrence Williams, “Virgil Oliphant’s Christmas Present”, in William L. Chenery, editor, Collier’s, volume 120, number 26, Springfield, Oh.: Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 28, column 3:

Though [Russell] Myers puns a lot, it was interesting to note that when he said goodbye, he did not tack on the quip, "see you in the funny papers." He probably knows that everyone would.

1975 September 29, Bob Koppany, “Cartoonist Myers bewitches millions with Broom Hilda and his other characters”, in Jim Stebinger, editor, UCLA Daily Bruin, volume XCVI, number 2, Los Angeles, Calif.: Communications Board, ASUCLA [Associated Students UCLA], →OCLC, page 5, column 2:

Just before leaving my room, after tucking me into bed, my dad would turn off the light and say, "See you in the funny papers." Somehow, even though I was just a little kid … he knew.

1989, Lynn Johnston, “A Look Inside For Better or For Worse”, in A Look Inside … For Better or For Worse: The Tenth Anniversary Collection, Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel Publishing, →ISBN, page 62:

(US, humorous, informal, dated) Goodbye; see you later.


nature's candy

(Canada, US, informal) Any sweet-tasting fruit.


hitch one's wagon to a star

en-verb

hitch one's wagon to a star (third-person singular simple present hitches one's wagon to a star, present participle hitching one's wagon to a star, simple past and past participle hitched one's wagon to a star)

hitches one's wagon to a star (present singular third-person)
hitching one's wagon to a star (participle present)
hitched one's wagon to a star (participle past)
hitched one's wagon to a star (past)

Coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay "Civilization" (1870).

[Emerson] was not afraid to be homely and racy in expressing thought of the highest spirituality. "Hitch your wagon to a star" is a good instance of his favorite manner.

1891, Henry Augustin Beers, “The Concord Writers 1837-1861”, in Initial Studies in American Letters:

Well, he was done, he solaced himself. He had hitched his wagon to a star and been landed in a pestiferous marsh.

1909, Jack London, chapter 41, in Martin Eden:

So if you've had enough of life as an employee and you're planning to set up your own home-based business, do the sensible thing and hitch your wagon to the fastest rising star today — the Internet.

2002, Luis S. R. Vas, Business Ideas You Can Turn Into Cash:

Pick a star, or hero, or whatever product/service/idea you are presenting, and hitch your wagon to it.

2014, Ozana Giusca, More and Better Customers - Blogging Action Plan, page 19:

(Canada, US, idiomatic) To commit to an aspirational goal or course of action that will lead to fulfillment.


garapata

[…] principally among the former were the garapatas, a vicious species of wood-tick, which swarm almost every leaf and plant growing near the ground […]

1873, United States. Navy Department, Annual Reports of the Navy Department, page 188:

One of the worst annoyances of their visit to Uxmal was that whenever they moved about they became covered with garapatas. The garapata is a tick so small that it is hardly perceptible to the naked eye, but it is capable of making a bite or sting like that of a red ant or a hot needle.

1890, Thomas Wallace Knox, The Boy Travellers in Mexico, page 508:


skeary

en-adj

skeary (comparative more skeary, superlative most skeary)

more skeary (comparative)
most skeary (superlative)

Pronunciation spelling
pronunciation spelling


skear

en-verb

skear (third-person singular simple present skears, present participle skearing, simple past and past participle skeared)

skears (present singular third-person)
skearing (participle present)
skeared (participle past)
skeared (past)


Bob Lincoln

Imitative of the bird's call, like bobolink.

[…] my first impression was, "there is a Bob Lincoln."

1840, Philip Henry Gosse, The Canadian naturalist : a series of conversations on the natural history of Lower Canada, page 131:

(US, Canada) The bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus).


(US, obsolete) Reading of fictional phone numbers that begin with 555 with “KL” being “5” on a dial pad.


mooley

(US, ethnic slur) Alternative form of moolie (“black person”)


moolinyan

Derived from a Calabrian dialect word for Neapolitan mulignana. Doublet of melongene.

(US, ethnic slur) Alternative form of moolie (“Black person”)


BTFO

I only knew it had something to do with plans for a diversity panel during BTFO.

2017, Melinda Worth Popham, Grace Period: My Ordination to the Ordinary, →ISBN:

(US, education) Initialism of Before the Fall Orientation.


a hit dog will holler

a hit dog hollers (alternative)
the hit dog hollers (alternative)

(US) An offended or defensive response to a statement suggests that the statement applies to the person complaining.

potrefená husa nejvíc kejhá

an offended or defensive response to a statement suggests that the statement applies to the person complaining

se koira älähtää, johon kalikka kalahtaa

excusatio non petita, accusatio manifesta


KSP

Kentucky State Police
w:Kentucky State Police

(US) Initialism of Kentucky State Police.


sixplex

(US) A building divided into six separate residences or commercial premises.


fiveplex

(US) A building divided into five separate residences or commercial premises.


sevenplex

At an average price of $60,000 and hard construction costs of about $30 per square foot, the sevenplex has been a primary factor in the success […] The D&S Co. used 14 sevenplexes with 98 units on a 5.5-acre site […]

1980, Professional Builder, Apartment Business:

(US) A building divided into seven separate residences or commercial premises.


nineplex

(US) A building divided into nine separate residences or commercial premises.


tenplex

(US) A building divided into ten separate residences or commercial premises.


twelveplex

(US) A building divided into twelve separate residences or commercial premises.


hair trigger

/ˈhɛɹˌtɹɪɡɝ/

(figurative, US) Any unstable situation.


arowana

arowanas (plural)
arahuana (alternative)
arawana (alternative)
aruana (alternative)

Borrowed from New Latin, specific epithet of Osteoglossum arowana (now Osteoglossu bicirrhosum), borrowed from Guyanese Kari'na arawana (“the fish Osteoglossum bicirrhosum”; or a like form in Macushi), borrowed, probably via Nheengatu arawanã, from Old Tupi aruanã.

A freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae.

(US) Scleropages formosus (Asian bonytongue)


threeplex

(US) A building divided into three separate residences or commercial premises.


star route

The blank contracts for these routes bore a number of stars.

(US, historical) A postal delivery route by means other than railroad or steamboat.


squirl

“Git up that tree. Look here at this squirl, Benjy.”

1929, William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury, Folio Society, published 2016, page 6:


school district

en-noun

school district (plural school districts)

(Canada, US) An administrative unit responsible for public primary and secondary schools in a particular locality; the area under the jurisdiction of such an administrative unit.

skoledistrikt

governmental district for public schools


WHAP

Advanced Placement World History
w:AP World History

(US, education) Initialism of Advanced Placement World History.


Dearbornistan

From Dearborn + -i- + -stan, with regard to its majority Arab population.

(US, slang, derogatory, ethnic slur) The city of Dearborn, Michigan.


MSHA

(US, mining) Acronym of Mine Safety and Health Administration.


lay chilly

en-verb

lay chilly (third-person singular simple present lays chilly, present participle laying chilly, simple past and past participle laid chilly)

lays chilly (present singular third-person)
laying chilly (participle present)
laid chilly (participle past)
laid chilly (past)


sun kink

(US, rail transport) A buckle in railroad track caused by extremely hot weather, which could cause a train to derail.


lamb pie

"Dave! Oh, Dave!" she called, and when Dave looked up at her she threw him a smile, one of her best smiles. "He's a lamb pie!" she cooed […]

1940, The American Magazine, volume 130, page 150:

“Do you realize,” Qwilleran said, “that I haven't met our host?” Joy seized his hand. “You haven't? I'll take you to the kitchen. Robert Maus is a real lamb pie.”

1986, Lilian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Saw Red:

1996, Tales from the Crypt, "A Slight Case of Murder" (season 7, episode 3) at around 10 min 45 sec
I don't think you get it, lamby pie. I'm driving your car out of here.

(colloquial, chiefly US) A charming person; a sweetheart.


swamp ass

(US, slang, vulgar) The condition of having an unpleasantly warm and moist anal region.


trip slip

(US, railways) A strip of paper on which a conductor must punch a hole when a fare is taken.


give a hoot

give a hoot (third-person singular simple present gives a hoot, present participle giving a hoot, simple past gave a hoot, past participle given a hoot)

gives a hoot (present singular third-person)
giving a hoot (participle present)
gave a hoot (past)
given a hoot (participle past)

I don't care for a glorious name— / I wouldn't give a hoot for fame;

1909 July 25, Wilberforce Jenkins, “A True Philosopher”, in Munsey's Magazine, volume 41, number 4, Light Verse, page 595:

Give a hoot — don't pollute!

1971 September 15, United States Forest Service

(chiefly US slang, idiomatic) To care about; to place value on something.


pledgeling

(US, informal) A pledge (“applicant to a college fraternity”).


NYI

Apr 7, NYI (35-47) beat DET, 4-3 OT.

2018, unknown, 2017-18 New York Islanders Roster and Statistics, Hockey Reference

Tor 5, NYI 4

2018, Steve Dangle, LFR11 - Game 78 - Brooklyn Barbecued - Tor 5, NYI 4, Sportsnet

NYI (25-20-5) at VGK (32-12-4)

2018, unknown, “New York Islanders at Vegas Golden Knights - Box Score”, in Fox Sports:

(Canada, US, ice hockey) Abbreviation of New York Islanders.


NYR

NYR offered to move Lundqvist in February.

2018, TSN staff, NYR offered to move Lundqvist in February, TSN

Quinn informs BU he's taking NYR job.

2018, unknown, New York Rangers, Rotoworld:

Jesper Fast selected as recipient of NYR Player's Player Award for 3rd year in a row.

2018, unknown, Jesper Fast Selected as Recipient of NYR Player's Player Award for 3rd Year in a Row, KO Sports

(Canada, US, ice hockey) Abbreviation of New York Rangers.


VGK

He let VGK defenseman Shea Theodore have the passing lane that Theodore used to get the puck through a lot of bodies to an open Tomas Nosek.

2018, Alex Kushner, Eric Stephen, “The Golden Knights beat the Capitals in a dramatic Stanley Cup Game 1”, in SB Nation:

Game 1: Winnipeg 4, VGK 2

2018, TC Martin, “VGK Best in the West, Stanley Cup Finals Next”, in Las Vegas Sports Network:

NHL Playoff Appearances: 28 (WAS) vs. 1 (VGK)

2018, Cam Ellis, “2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2018 Tale of the Tape: Washington D.C. vs Las Vegas”, in NBC Sports:

Vegas Golden Knights
w:Vegas Golden Knights

(Canada, US, ice hockey) Abbreviation of Vegas Golden Knights.


NJD

Carey Price joined Jacques Plante for an incredible Canadiens record in tonight's game against NJD.

2018, BarDown staff, Carey Price joined Jacques Plante for an incredible Canadiens record in tonight's game against NJD, BarDown

Yegor Yakovlev signed a 1 year $925,000 contract with New Jersey (NJD).

2018, unknown, New Jersey Devils 2018 Salary Cap Table, Spotrac

2018, Justin Blades, 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: NJD vs. TBL, CBJ vs. WSH, TOR vs. BOS
NJD vs. TBL

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Eeli Tolvanen (NSH), Rasmus Sandin (TOR), Ty Smith (NJD), Adam Boqvist (CHI), Denis Gurianov (DAL), ...

2019 October 1, “NHL Trophy Talk: 31 Calder Candidates”, in The Hockey Writers:

(see title)

2019 October 6, “Sabres' Jack Eichel: Goal and assist vs. NJD”, in CBS Sports:

Travis Zajac – Passed Scott Niedermayer for fifth place in GP in NJD franchise history with 893 (Feb. 7, 2019 vs. NYI).

2019 October 11, “DEVILS SATURDAY: New Jersey visits Boston (MSG, 7 pm)”, in Times Herald-Record:

(Canada, US, ice hockey) Abbreviation of New Jersey Devils.


LAL

(Canada, US, basketball) Abbreviation of Los Angeles Lakers of Los Angeles, California, USA, in the National Basketball Association (NBA)


drunk as a boiled owl

(simile, US, colloquial) Thoroughly drunk; inebriated.


hotter than a pistol

en-adjective

hotter than a pistol (comparative form only)

"Carl Perkins and I were in Amory, Mississippi, with Elvis. Now Elvis, of course, was hotter than a pistol. He had his second record out."

1988, Steve Turner, “Interview with Johnny Cash”, in The Man Called CASH, published 2005, →ISBN:

Leasing activity is frenzied throughout Manhattan. . . . "Broadway is hotter than a pistol and you have to shoehorn your way into SoHo," reports Faith H. Consolo.

1993 September 12, Claudia H. Deutsch, “Commercial Property/Analyzing Trends”, in New York Times, retrieved 2018-01-10:

Joey Logano, who's hotter than a pistol, won the NASCAR Chase race at Kansas Sunday.

2015 October 20, Norris McDonald, “Autos: Racing Roundup”, in The Star, Canada, retrieved 2018-01-10:

(idiomatic, chiefly US, Canada) Exceptionally popular, productive, or marketable.


bastard toadflax

en-noun

bastard toadflax (usually uncountable, plural bastard toadflaxes)

Any of several related hemiparasitic plants in the family Santalaceae.

umbellate bastard toadflax, common comandra


Edsel

The automobile marque is named after Edsel Ford (1893–1943), son of Henry Ford. Compare German Etzel.

Tom Paris: Harry… I think we built an Edsel.
Harry Kim: A what?
Tom Paris: A lemon. A disaster waiting to happen.

1998, Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Joe Menosky, “Timeless”, in Star Trek: Voyager, season 5, episode 6, spoken by Tom Paris:

(US, informal) Any unwanted product or commercial failure, especially one given much publicity.


spelling word

(US, education, set phrase) A word, especially among several others, for which the spelling is supposed to be memorized and practiced before an upcoming quiz or test in which all of such words are covered.


Joe Lunchbucket

Alluding to the container in which many employees bring food to work.

(US) Joe Average; the typical working man.


teacher workday

teacher workday (plural teacher workdays)

teacher workdays (plural)
teacher work day (alternative)

(education, US) A day when students do not attend school, but when teachers still come to school to work.


Ferguson effect

From the name of the city of Ferguson, Missouri. The term was coined by police chief Doyle Sam Dotson III and popularized by a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Heather Mac Donald.

(US) The idea that increased scrutiny of police following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has led to an increased crime rate (or sometimes murder rate) in major US cities.


Kuwaitize

en-verb

Kuwaitize (third-person singular simple present Kuwaitizes, present participle Kuwaitizing, simple past and past participle Kuwaitized)

Kuwaitizes (present singular third-person)
Kuwaitizing (participle present)
Kuwaitized (participle past)
Kuwaitized (past)


pledgemaster

(US) A member of a fraternity who takes charge of new pledges.


pledgeship

en-noun

pledgeship (countable and uncountable, plural pledgeships)

(US) The role or status of being a pledge in a fraternity.


line officer

commissioned officer
commissioned officer

(US) A commissioned officer who exercises general command authority and is eligible for operational command positions.


CHIRLA

w:Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles

(US) Acronym of Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.


Huk

Clipping of Hukbalahap, from Tagalog Hukbalahap, an abbreviation of Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (“People's Army Against the Japanese”). The initial word itself where the abbreviation comes from is from Tagalog hukbo (“army”), which itself is derived from Hokkien 服務 /服务 (ho̍k-bū, “service”).

abbrev

But sooner or later, there will be decisions to make: I cannot go to your country for I am known as a Huk; you could not stay in mine if your sympathies for us are discovered.

1963, William J. Pomeroy, The Forest, a Personal Record of the Huk Guerrilla Struggle in the Philippines, page 31:

Whether portrayed as masculine warriors, female seducers, or wayward mothers, Huk Amazons were regarded as extraordinary and unconventional Filipinas: communist guerrillas trained to fight as soldiers against the government and women who lived in the forests, fraternized with men, and had children outside marriage.

2009 April 22, Vina A. Lanzona, Amazons of the Huk Rebellion: Gender, Sex, and Revolution in the Philippines, Univ of Wisconsin Press, →ISBN, page 31:

(Philippines, US, historical) A member of the Hukbalahap.


defense attorney

en-noun

defense attorney (plural defense attorneys)

辯護律師 /辩护律师

a lawyer who represents defendants in legal proceedings

A lawyer who represents defendants in legal proceedings.

A lawyer who regularly represents defendants who have insurance and is chosen by the insurance company.

A lawyer who regularly represents criminal defendants.


red flag warning

red flag warning (plural red flag warnings)

During red flag warnings, firefighting agencies will alter their staffing and equipment resources dramatically to accommodate the increased forecast risk.

2014, Jeffery Sims, The No-Nonsense Guide to Heat Wave, Drought, & Hot Weather Safety:

(meteorology, US) A warning issued by the United States National Weather Service that conditions are ideal for wildfires.


ESOP

Another factor is that ESOPs had a rocky beginning, which for a while made them appear sketchy. A few widely publicized companies set up ESOPs purely as defenses against hostile takeovers.

2016 September 8, John Case, “The Life-Changing Magic of Turning Employees Into Shareholders”, in The Atlantic:

Employee Stock Ownership Plan
w:Employee Stock Ownership Plan

(business, US) Acronym of Employee Stock Ownership Plan.


City of Angels

Latin: Angelopolis

A calque of Spanish Pueblo de Los Ángeles (“City of the Angels”).

der

(US, colloquialism) Synonym of Los Angeles, California.


awesomeosity

(US, slang) awesomeness, fantasticalness (quality of being awesome).


CAATSA

w:Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

(US, law) Initialism of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.


wheel-barrow man

en-noun

wheel-barrow man (plural wheel-barrow men)

At the outset of the reformatory process in Pennsylvania, it was thought that a salutary effect would result from long continued, visible, or public punishment, by degrading labour in the streets or upon the highways ; ... and many persons, now living, can distinctly remember when convicts (sometimes called “Wheel-barrow Men”) were to be seen at work in the streets of Philadelphia with a chain and clog upon the neck or leg, and other badges of degradation and guilt.

1845, Pennsylvania Journal of Prison Discipline and Philanthropy, page 3:

Are crimes more frequent in that country than in the other States ? Are there more executions ? I believe there have been as few as in any part of the Continent, and those which have token place have been generally of emigrant convicts, or fugitive •wheel-barrow men ; he would be bold to assert that in no State on the Continent is there more order, sobriety, and obedience to good government; more industry and frugality; nor is there any trace of the influence of slavery on the character of her citizens.

1860, Thomas Hart Benton, Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856:

Under the former system, the convicts of Philadelphia were obliged to perform labor in the public streets under degrading circumstances. These prisoners were called " the wheel-barrow men," and were often exposed to insult and ill-treatment by the mob.

1876, The First Century of the Republic: A Review of American Progress:

"wheel-barrow men" — felons from the county jail who were condemned earlier by a strange law to sweep the streets "publickly and disgracefully weighted down with irons."

1967, Negley King Teeters, Jack H. Hedblom, "... Hang by the neck ...": the legal use of scaffold and noose, gibbet, stake, and firing squad from colonial times to the present, page 119:

And moreover, the aforesaid Centinel, as a false traitor, &c. in order to fulfil those his most horrid and diabolical treasons, and traiterous compassings, imaginations and purposes aforesaid, and to leave nothing undone, which envy, hatred, malice, ambition and a diabolical heart could suggest, did collogue with certain wheel-barrow men, convicts and criminals, now in the new gaol of the city and county of Philadelphia, ...

1986, John P. Kaminski, Gaspare J. Saladino, The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, Volume XVI, →ISBN:

This act, passed on September 15, 1?86, hoped "to produce such strong impression upon the minds of others as to deter them from committing like offenses" by sentencing convicts to "hard labor, publicly and disgracefully imposed." Chained and clogged, these "wheel-barrow men" worked by day cleaning and repairing public roadways and buildings.

1987, Glen A. Gildemeister, Prison Labor and Convict Competition With Free Workers in Industrializing America, 1840-1890, page 6:

The roads were repaired and maintained by "wheel-barrow men," convicts sentenced for lesser crimes and assigned to work projects.

1990, Paul Joseph Travers, The Patapsco: Baltimore's River of History, page 73:

(US, historical) A convict sentenced to hard labor in the 1800s, especially one sentenced to work maintaining the roads.


skidoo

en-verb

skidoo (third-person singular simple present skidoos, present participle skidooing, simple past and past participle skidooed)

skidoos (present singular third-person)
skidooing (participle present)
skidooed (participle past)
skidooed (past)
skiddoo (alternative)

Uncertain. Perhaps related to skedaddle. Attested since the early twentieth century.

There goes the supper gong! Annie, you and Mary had better skidoo out of this room or you'll get so many demerits you won't be out of bounds to go home in June.

1917, Nell Speed, Back at School with the Tucker Twins:

(informal, Canada, US, intransitive) to depart, especially to depart quickly


skidoo

skidoos (present singular third-person)
skidooing (participle present)
skidooed (participle past)
skidooed (past)

On several evenings, after Glen had finished his work and returned to Resolute, we skidooed out to the Parcol and sat in wait for ‘Sea Biscuit’.

1985, Hugh Miles, Mike Salisbury, Kingdom of the Ice Bear, page 79:

Even skidooing on the farm in my younger years was not that much fun though I recall one time after a storm, I had gone skidooing and I hit some unexpected snow drifts that sent that skidoo flying into the air one minute and plummeting back down the next.

(Canada, US) To drive or ride on a snowmobile


grouper trooper

en-noun

grouper trooper (plural grouper troopers)

(US, slang) A game warden responsible for protecting fish.


Indian agent

(historical, US) A person authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the United States government.


Louisiana Purchase

(historical, US) The acquisition of the Louisiana territory (828,000 square miles or 2.14 million km²) by the United States from France in 1803.


booger sugar

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-booger sugar.wav

Compound of booger + sugar, alluding to the common application involving nasal inhalation.

Nurse Hall: Is there any reason we shouldn't do a full workup? / Steve Denube: Ignorance is bliss; that's about it. Hangover's worse than usual but that's probably from the drinking and recreational drug use. / Nurse Hall: We'll ignore the ganja and booger sugar markers.

2019, Justin Benson, directed by Justin Benson, Synchronic, spoken by Nurse Hall and Steve Denube (Rhonda Johnson Dents and Anthony Mackie), XYZ Films, →OCLC:

By the time they get here we'll already have the story of the senator's legislative director in the wrong woman's car with a snout full of booger sugar on the front page of the Globe and the Herald.

2023, Cait Duffy, directed by Omar Madha, "A Night at the Symphony" (Reacher), Shaun Sipos (actor):

(US, slang) Cocaine drugs in powder form.


bust on

en-verb

bust on (third-person singular simple present busts on, present participle busting on, simple past and past participle busted on or (colloquial) bust on)

busts on (present singular third-person)
busting on (participle present)
busted on (participle past)
busted on (past)
bust on (colloquial participle past)
bust on (colloquial past)

Mr. Moffatt explained different signals that students use to express friendship, like "busting" on one another. To "bust on" someone is "to deflate their pretensions by means of aggressive verbal mockery." Mr. Moffatt explained that students only "bust on" their friends.

1989 April 9, “Campus Life: Rutgers Anthropologist Examines Sex Life On the Raritan”, in New York Times, retrieved 2018-02-16:

Three days after Nets Coach John Calipari called a reporter a "Mexican idiot," the team publicly apologized today. . . . "The way I understand it, what Cal was trying to do was bust on Garcia," Fenech said. "Once he saw Garcia's reaction, he realized he didn't think he was kidding."

1997 March 24, Selena Roberts, “Ethnic Insult From Calipari Results in Apology by Nets”, in New York Times, retrieved 2018-02-16:

His wife bought him his first Utilikilt four years ago, but it took him six months to get up the courage to wear it outside. He finally decided to debut it at a local beer festival. "A lot of guys were busting on me," he recalled. But others wanted their picture taken with him, asking where they could get their own kilts.

2007 August 19, Nick Miroff, “Kilt Shop Reveals A Loyal Clientele Itching to Be Free”, in Washington Post, retrieved 2018-02-16:

Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen took time out from shooting the 2018 movie Book Club on Monday to take in the eclipse, goofy glasses and all. While Bergen was rocking Instagram, however, Fonda actually posted less-than-perfect pics on Twitter that busted on the former "Murphy Brown" star. "Watching eclipse on set of BOOK CLUB," the Grace and Frankie star wrote. "Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and I are rapt. Candice Bergen could care less#SolarEclipse2017."

2017 August 22, Christie D'Zurilla, “Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Jane Fonda and Mary Steenburgen get shady during the eclipse”, in Los Angeles Times, retrieved 2018-02-16:

(US, idiomatic) To make a joke concerning; to ridicule or make fun of.

(US, slang, African-American Vernacular) To hit or attack (someone); to insult (someone); to snitch on (someone).


perfection salad

en-noun

perfection salad (countable and uncountable, plural perfection salads)

Coined by Mrs. John E. Cook of New Castle, Pennsylvania, USA, for a submission to a magazine recipe contest sponsored by gelatin maker Knox in 1904.

(US, cooking) A terrine or jello-style vegetable loaf made with lemon vinaigrette flavored gelatin, filled with a chopped garden salad or green salad, popular in the United States during the early and mid 20th century.


blue shirt

If a prosecutor argues a case in which a blue-shirt was murdered on the job, attacks on a rescuer may be a factor in seeking the death penalty.

2002, J. A. Karam, Into the Breach: A Year of Life and Death with EMS, New York, NY: St. Martin's Press, →ISBN, page 61:

emergency medical service
emergency medical service

(US, medicine) An emergency medical service worker; a paramedic.


Red Shirt

Red Shirts (plural)
red shirt (alternative)
red-shirt (alternative)

The Red Shirts are 'Ordies', or ordnance handlers.

1997, Peter Darman, Warfare at Sea, →ISBN, page 74:

The red lights of the Red Shirts joined the probing.

1988, George C. Wilson, Supercarrier: an inside account of life aboard the world's most powerful ship, the USS John F. Kenedy, →ISBN:

The Red Shirts were the serious ones: they loaded and armed the weapons on the aircraft.

2011, Max Gallimore, From Here to Caprock, →ISBN, page 266:

(US navy) Alternative form of redshirt (“sailor who handles ordinance”)


pet store

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pet store.wav


S corporation

S corporations (plural)
S corp. (alternative)

S refers to Subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code.

federal government
federal government#English

(business, US) A closely held corporation that makes a valid election to be taxed by the federal government.


C corporation

C corporations (plural)
C corp. (alternative)

C refers to Subchapter C of the Internal Revenue Code.

(business, US) Any corporation that is taxed separately from its owners.


FD&C

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
w:Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

(US) Initialism of Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.


Deerfielder

(US) Someone from any of several places called Deerfield.


Deerfieldian

en-adj

Deerfieldian (comparative more Deerfieldian, superlative most Deerfieldian)

more Deerfieldian (comparative)
most Deerfieldian (superlative)

(US, rare) Of or pertaining to any of several places called Deerfield.


Eisenstadt

en-proper-noun

Eisenstadt (countable and uncountable, plural Eisenstadts)

(US, law, sexuality, US politics, informal, uncountable) Ellipsis of Eisenstadt v. Baird. A 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case that expanded legalized contraception, expanding access to contraceptives to unmarried couples, and effectively legalized premarital sex, under the Equal Protection Clause following the Griswold ruling; and reaffirmed the existence of a right to privacy under due process following the 14th Amendment.


head rag

head rags (plural)
headrag (alternative)

This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT going to show in the store.

1937, Zora Neale Hurston, chapter 6, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, University of Illinois Press, published 1978, page 86:

1941, Sallie Carder (interviewee) in Federal Writers’ Project, Slave Narratives, Volume 13, Oklahoma Narratives, p. 27,
During my wedding I wore a blue calico dress, a man's shirt tail as a head rag, and a pair of brogan shoes.

1981, Toni Morrison, interview with Charles Ruas in Danille Taylor-Guthrie (ed.), Conversations with Toni Morrison, Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1994, p. 114,
[…] black women slaves in this country were not, by and large, domestics in the house, with the headrag. They worked out in the fields […]

Twain chooses here one of the most powerful and persistent racial markers with which to identify Roxana—her head rag. From this moment on, Roxana is “black”—her race does “show.”

2007, Linda A. Morris, chapter 3, in Gender Play in Mark Twain: Cross-Dressing and Transgression, Columbia: University of Missouri Press, page 73:

2014, Nikky Finney, Introduction to Jimmy’s Blues and Other Poems by James Baldwin, Boston: Beacon Press,
Hansberry died from cancer at the age of thirty-four, soon after her great work, A Raisin in the Sun, yanked the apron and head rag off the institution of the American theater, Broadway, 1959.

(US) A head covering comprising a piece of cloth wound around the head and knotted in the front, often associated with African American women.


snake vine

snake vines (plural)
snakevine (alternative)

(US) false Solomon's seal, Maianthemum racemosum


jerkhole

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-jerkhole.wav

Blend of jerk + asshole; possibly originated as a euphemism.

(Canada, US, slang, derogatory) An obnoxious person; a jerk.


on a wonder

1836, John Mason Peck, letter to college treasurer Dr. Haskell, cited in Austen Kennedy de Blois, The Pioneer School, New York: Fleming H. Revell, Chapter 4, p. 70,
I have taken responsibility in this matter and made a bargain, in which I doubt not every trustee will concur. As I like to put you all on a wonder I will not be very particular now—but only observe that Divine Providence has already more than answered our expectations.

1907, United States Senate, Hearings before the Committee on Military Affairs concerning the Affray at Brownsville, Texas, on the night of August 13 and 14, 1906, Washington: Government Printing Office, p. 406,
Q. Have you ever heard of any conspiracy, or any agreement among the men, to not tell about it?—A. No, Sir
Q. Or to hide knowledge of it?—A. No, sir. The most that I have heard among the men, everybody was on a wonder as to who it was that did do it, did do the shooting.

It was bad enough for white people, but when one of your own color could be so different it put you on a wonder. It was like seeing your sister turn into a ’gator.

1937, Zora Neale Hurston, chapter 5, in Their Eyes Were Watching God, University of Illinois Press, published 1978, page 76:

This is me! Johnny Earthquake! I rassle with light’nin, put a cap on thunder! Set every mammy-jammer in the graveyard on a wonder!

1969, Charles Gordone, No Place to Be Somebody, London: Samuel French, published 1970, act I, page 17:

1993, David Edwards, interviewed in Alan Lomax, The Land Where the Blues Began, New York: Pantheon, p. 402,
Just continually changing like that, catching different trains, I get one or two thousand miles away from home and I get the blues and it put me on a wonder.


disenamor

en-verb

disenamor (third-person singular simple present disenamors, present participle disenamoring, simple past and past participle disenamored)

disenamors (present singular third-person)
disenamoring (participle present)
disenamored (participle past)
disenamored (past)

The divine reality of the religious experience in our lives is something we cannot create or produce with our own spiritual powers even if we are wholly enamored of God and labor to disenamor ourselves of the world. This Valdes considers a selfish desire. He repudiates all forms of human initiative or cooperation in creating the Christian experience.

1970, José C. Nieto, Juan de Valdés and the origins of the Spanish and Italian reformation:


(automotive, US) A performance measure for automobiles, that measures elapsed time. The time taken for an automobile that starts from a standing start, and accelerates to 100 mph (roughly 160 km/h).


Adam and Eve on a raft

(US, slang, when ordering food) Two eggs (poached or fried) on toast.


division of labor

division of labour
division of labour#English


dorkweed

(slang, Canada, US, derogatory) dork; idiot


bisweptual

From bi- + sweep (“rowing style in which each rower has only one oar and rows on one side”) + -ual, in analogy to bisexual.

affix

(US, rowing) Able to row sweep on either port or starboard with equal or near-equal proficiency.


bisweptual

(US, rowing) A person who is bisweptual.


way enough

weigh enough (alternative)
way 'nuff (alternative)

(Canada, US, rowing) A coxswain's order for rowers to cease rowing immediately.


way enough

en-verb

way enough (third-person singular simple present way enoughs, present participle way enoughing, simple past and past participle way enoughed)

way enoughs (present singular third-person)
way enoughing (participle present)
way enoughed (participle past)
way enoughed (past)
weigh enough (alternative)
way 'nuff (alternative)

(Canada, US, rowing) To stop rowing after a "way enough" command.


twenty-five cent word

en-noun

twenty-five cent word (plural twenty-five cent words)

The old man chuckled. “Well, you can bandy twenty-five cent words all you want, but— Say! we’ve never had a talk like this before, have we? […]”

1950, Jack Kerouac, chapter 11, in The Town and the City, New York: Harcourt, published 1983, page 331:

1988, Howard Rosenthal, Not With My Life I Don’t: Preventing Your Suicide and That of Others, Muncie, Indiana: Accelerated Development, Inc., Chapter 4, p. 18,
Some of the most incredible cases I have ever worked with involve the act of pulling strands of hair from one’s own head. Psychiatrists and psychologists have a twenty-five cent word for this behavior. They call it Trichotillomania.

Remember that while the English language has lots of “twenty-five cent” words like perturb or effrontery, statuesque or decorous, it also has lots of essential short, sturdy words like of or but, say or stop or glow.

2015, Barbara Baig, Spellbinding Sentences, Blue Ash, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, Section 2, Chapter 4, p. 37:

(Canada, US, dated) Synonym of ten-dollar word.


tard guard

(Canada, US, slang, offensive) A person employed to look after people with mental disabilities, particularly involving restraint and protecting the person from harming himself or others.


strict construction

strict construction (plural strict constructions)

(US, law) A narrow interpretation of a law, especially a law that contains ambiguity


weeder class

While the benefits of weeder classes may be dubious in the short run, they definitely pay dividends in the long run. They spur necessary competition among students, which prepares them for the rigors of upper division classes and their careers.

2015 November 18, Aurash Jalalian, “Weeder Courses Are Par For the Course”, in The Bottom Line:

Many may argue that pass-fail is the “easy way out.” However, a pass-fail weeder class may be more helpful than a traditional weeder class. Pass-fail gives students flexibility and time to learn content and material at their own pace.

2024 September 16, Opinion Department, “TIAS | It’s Time to Weed Out Weeder Courses”, in The Cornell Daily Sun:

(US, education, colloquial) An introductory university course that is designed to "weed out" those students who are not able to pass it.


weeder course

Occasionally, people who oppose weeder courses contend that they disincentivize learning and force students to study just for the sake of achieving “the grade.” In some ways, the opposition is right on the money.

Practically, it can be seen clearly that weeder courses are not equalizers. In fact, they exacerbate inequality and continue to push wealthy and privileged students to the top while putting down minority and low-income students.


hall monitor

(US) A person responsible for maintaining order in a school's corridors and halls.


butt bag

Each carried a shielded crimson dive light, invisible from the surface, which gave objects a gray, pallid distortion. They were also equipped with a knife strapped to one calf, a small P-6 pistol holstered on the other, a compact butt bag of tools, and a short bang stick armed with a twelve-gauge shotgun shell to ward off sharks.

1990, Charles Ryan, The capricorn quadrant, →ISBN, page 15:

The social worker obliged him this, after which Phael abruptly asked for the return of his butt bag and left the room.

1994, Thomas L. Kuhlman, Psychology on the Streets: Mental Health Practice with Homeless Persons, →ISBN:

"I got everything in my butt bag. No, I won't take it off during flight . . . I'll just move it around to the front.”

2010, Ann Wade, Seeing in Darkness: A True Story of Friendship and Courage, →ISBN:

“Oh, and nice butt bag, loser,” she added. “Goes great with your yoga outfit.”

2014, Todd Clark, The Ice Cream Kid: Brain Freeze!, →ISBN:


Dearborner

(US) A person who is living in or from Dearborn, Michigan.


Dearbornian

en-adj

Dearbornian (comparative more Dearbornian, superlative most Dearbornian)

more Dearbornian (comparative)
most Dearbornian (superlative)

(US, rare) Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Dearborn, Michigan.


Philippine mahogany

en-noun

Philippine mahogany (usually uncountable, plural Philippine mahoganies)

(US) Any of several species of tree whose wood resemble mahogany (Swietenia spp.) in some ways, such as tanguile (Dipterocarpoideae spp.), red lauan (Shorea negrosensis), white lauan (Parashorea macrophylla), tiaong (Shorea teysmanniana), almon (Shorea spp., esp. Shorea eximia), mayapis (Dipterocarpoideae spp.), bagtikan (Dipterocarpoideae spp., esp. Parashorea malaanon and Parashorea warburgii).


Menlo Parker

(rare, US) Someone from or living in Menlo Park, California.


vampire taco

(US) A certain type of grilled taco with a crusted tortilla that is usually served at restaurants.


street taco

(US) A type of open-faced taco with a soft corn tortilla shell, typically sold in street carts.

Every time I went there all I looked for were strippers, street tacos, and the donkey show.

2012, Adam Carolla, Not Taco Bell Material:

(US, slang) A prostitute that walks the streets.


quadruple whole note

quadruple whole note (plural quadruple whole notes)

(US, music) A musical note equal to two double whole notes.


Tri-Delt

Tri-Delts (plural)
Tri Delt (alternative)
Tridelt (alternative)
TriDelt (alternative)

(US, colloquial) A member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority.


school resource officer

school resource officer (plural school resource officers)

(US, law enforcement) A police officer stationed at a school, such as a high school.


saltyback

en-adj

saltyback (comparative more saltyback, superlative most saltyback)

more saltyback (comparative)
most saltyback (superlative)

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[Sparrow Saltskin:] All the good I done was to get Frankie saltyback at me.

1949, Nelson Algren, The Man with the Golden Arm:

(US slang, dated) Irritated, annoyed, soured.


carqual

(US, military) Abbreviation of carrier qualification: a series of test maneuvers by which a ship demonstrates its fitness for sea duty.


Tomcatter

(US, military, slang) A member of VFA-31, a strike fighter squadron of the US Navy.


Chicago lightning

He said: "Thanks, friend; but you're wasting your time. You better warn Crocker. If that louse makes a play for me, he'll get hit with Chicago lightning!"

1946, Joseph Thompson Shaw, The hard-boiled omnibus: early stories from Black Mask, page 388:


dime dropper

dime droppers (plural)
dime-dropper (alternative)

From the idea of dropping a dime (coin) into a payphone to make a call.

Although this story predated the Kunkle episode, something told me that with dime-droppers afoot, both men and women naturally become more cautious. After all, informality could be misinterpreted, and as the Navy puts it, discovery in these cases is a "career ender."

2005, Richard F. Miller, A Carrier at War: On Board the USS Kitty Hawk in the Iraq War:

“We go to the streets, a few dime droppers just got released yesterday, they still might know something"

2009, Abisai Estrella, A Reason for Retribution, page 193:

All those submitted complaint forms from the snitches, rats, and dime droppers about us "The Cash Bunch " and our ruling profitable empire, marking us as nigger misfits, drug smuggling monkeys tarnishing the prestige omega oasis of Wilhelm Prep and what have you.


skinny drink of water

en-noun

skinny drink of water (plural skinny drinks of water)

skinny drinks of water (plural)
scrawny drink of water (alternative)
gangly drink of water (alternative)

Based on the earlier long drink of water.

Some skinny drink of water was raising the most sand of all, going at it whole-hog with one old man.

2006, Ivan Bunin, Night of Denial: Stories and Novellas, →ISBN, page 226:

At one point McGregor had coughed and the skinny drink of water involuntarily slid his chair back from the table.

2011, Christopher Brookmyre, One Fine Day In The Middle Of The Night, →ISBN:

I thought earlier that a skinny drink of water like him would be unconscious after a load of shots but no such luck.

2012, Helena Close, The Clever One, →ISBN:

(US, slang) A person with a thin, gangly build.


elwife

(US, dialect) Alternative form of alewife (“the fish”)


scripture cake

(US, Christianity, cooking) A cake whose recipe references lines from the King James Bible as ingredients in encoded form, where the ingredient is a noun found in that verse. The recipe is used to induce biblical learning and rote memorization of this particular edition of the Bible.


roll up the sidewalks

en-verb

roll up the sidewalks (third-person singular simple present rolls up the sidewalks, present participle rolling up the sidewalks, simple past and past participle rolled up the sidewalks)

rolls up the sidewalks (present singular third-person)
rolling up the sidewalks (participle present)
rolled up the sidewalks (participle past)
rolled up the sidewalks (past)

'Japanese nightlife can be frantic,' Joanna said, 'but they start to roll up the sidewalks early by Western standards.'

2012, Dean Koontz, The Key to Midnight: A gripping thriller of heart-stopping suspense, →ISBN:

“No night life, I'm afraid,” he'd told her, “They roll up the sidewalks at 8 PM."

2012, Jacqueline Rhoades, The Alpha's Mate, →ISBN:

But, remember in Harrogate, they roll up the sidewalks at 6:00 PM, except Thursdays.

2016, Lon R. Maisttison, The Saga of Global Rescuer, →ISBN, page 177:

(US) To close all commercial businesses for the day.


Federal

(chiefly US, law) Alternative form of federal


truck farm

(chiefly US) A small-scale farm larger than a market garden but smaller than a full-scale farm involving the use of tractors or livestock.


bag up

bag up (third-person singular simple present bags up, present participle bagging up, simple past and past participle bagged up)

bags up (present singular third-person)
bagging up (participle present)
bagged up (participle past)
bagged up (past)

(slang, US) To be arrested or picked up by the police.


unwoke

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Finally, there came his involvement with Markle. […] a woman of colour and a feminist whose presence in his life would soon require that he forcefully denounce racism and sexism in the British press (and, I trust, among his more un-woke friends and relations).

2018 May 5, Margo Jefferson, “No Cinderella: Margo Jefferson on the real Meghan Markle”, in The Guardian:

Today’s culture war is being waged not between religion and secularism but between groups that the Catholic writer Matthew Schmitz has described as “the woke and the unwoke.”

2022 June 2, Nate Hochman, “What Comes After the Religious Right?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(colloquial, chiefly Canada, US) Not woke, especially in social justice contexts.


oil bug

(petroleum industry, slang, US, dated) A microfossil, particularly a foraminiferan.


bug-man

"Bug-men" lead hunt for black gold: Searching for oil with a microscope

(petroleum industry, slang, US, dated) A micropaleontologist, particularly a foraminiferologist.


prefreshman

(US, sometimes attributive) A student who has not yet become a freshman.


FMEA

w:Florida Municipal Electric Association

(US) Initialism of Florida Municipal Electric Association.

Florida Music Educators Association
w:Florida Music Educators Association

(US) Initialism of Florida Music Educators Association.


fern bar

The bartender placed their pints on coasters advertising Smiles, a fern bar that used to be a few blocks up the street.

2019, Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys, Fleet, page 161:

(US, slang) An upscale bar or tavern catering to single yuppies, usually decorated with ferns or other greenery.


frog-strangler

(US, dialectal) A very heavy downpour of rain; toad-strangler.