desk-traction n.— «“Desk-tractions”—a term coined by British secretarial recruitment consultancy Office Angels for the workplace distractions that cause workers to lose their focus—cause 33 per cent of employees to waste more than...
wife beater n.—Gloss: in the United Kingdom, a strong alcoholic drink, so-called because it may encourage fighting. Often specifically applied to the beer brand Stella Artois. Note: This is obviously a different use of the term than the one...
jacket n.—Gloss: Richard Allsopp’s Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage defines this as “the child of a married woman and a man who is not her hustband” or “any child whose paternity is denied.” Note: The term is...
showie n.— «Lew Osborne has been a travelling “showie” all his life, bringing four rides, including the Mega Drop, and 12 sideshow games to the Perth Royal Show that starts this weekend.…A showie is a person who travels...
racer chaser n.— «What Cowes does have lots of is yachty totty, or “racer chasers,” as the sailors call them. All the girls love a sailor, and there are plenty of them here; 70 per cent of the 1,000 or so crew members this...
C diff n.— «We are told that 60,000 hospital patients this year will catch the superbug Clostridium difficile.…Cases of “C diff,” as it is known in the trade, have risen by 22 per cent in the past year, affecting more than...