panel beating
n.— «De Villiers and Goosen, according to trial testimony, conducted a blood-oath ceremony pledging secrecy among members of their all-white police riot squad before going into the Craddock township on July 26, 1986, on what white policemen commonly refer to as a “panel beating” expedition. The term, which describes automobile-body repairs, is often used in South Africa in the context of random assaults on blacks by white gangs.» —“Two white South African policemen to hang for murder of black teen” in Johannesburg, South Africa Houston Chronicle May 27, 1988. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated...