boxcar bill
n.— «Often members of both parties’ leadership introduce what’s called “boxcar” bills—bills with general titles, like “tax changes”—that contain no text. They are introduced just in case, at the end of a session, the bill file is needed for last-minute action.» —“Rating the legislators: How we did it” Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, Utah) Mar. 26, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A listener in Park City, Utah, says she and her fellow ski enthusiasts are having heated debates about the word nonplussed. It originally meant “at a loss,” from Latin non plus, meaning “no more,” suggesting a situation in...
How are lakes named? Does the proper name of a lake come first, as in Candlewood Lake, or does the word Lake precede the proper name, as in Lake Erie. It’s a question that’s long puzzled limnologists, the people who study lakes. The...