stiffs n.pl. in soccer, a reserve or second-string team or its players; a league, figurative or real, of such teams. Editorial Note: Usually constructed with the definite article: the stiffs, similar to baseball’s the minors. Etymological Note: This...
road to Damascus n. a religious conversion; a revelation, especially about one’s self; in other figurative uses, denoting a change in attitude, perspective, or belief. Also road to Damascus experience. Editorial Note: From the biblical story of St...
sandbox n. the Middle East; a country in that region. Editorial Note: Usually constructed with the definite article: the sandbox. There are many literal uses of sandbox to refer to a desert or sandy land or country. Other senses of sandbox include...
dog-whistle politics n. a concealed, coded, or unstated idea, usually divisive or politically dangerous, nevertheless understood by the intended voters. Also dog whistle issue. Editorial Note: A dog whistle is often used as a figurative device for...
shutter man n.— «One of the funniest versions of paeksu husbands are the so-called shutter men (셔터맨), men who only need to raise and lower the shutter of the shop of their wives. The stereotype concerns especially...
ghetto pass n. figurative or literal approval from Black Americans or the hip-hop music community (of a non-Black person or a now-successful Black person); the street cred of someone known for keeping it real. Etymological Note: This term was...
