birth tax n.— «Reid has been more than willing to stand up to the Administration on every issue from protecting Social Security to blocking federal nominations of extremist judges. And he’s coined some nifty phrases, as well, like calling...
Fedders house n. a cheaply made apartment building, specifically those featuring highly visible window air conditioner sleeves bearing the brand name “Fedders.” Editorial Note: This term is specific to New York City and is usually...
hooked adj.— «A small fraction of the convicts who leave Illinois’ prisons each year are “hooked,” as it goes in prison parlance. That is, they are hooked up to a home-monitoring device—those bands of rubber equipped with a...
aw shucks defense n.— «The legal strategy is now called in legal circles the “Aw Shucks Defence,” a term coined by the prosecutor, Assistant US Attorney William F Johnson, as he concluded the argument against Mr Ebbers in...
Fedders house n.— «Last year, a group took to the streets to protest the loss of their homes to condominiums and co-ops—buildings they have labeled “Fedders houses” after the air-conditioning units that protrude from the...
Fedders building n.— «The recent proliferation on detached house blocks of multi-family housing, characterized by some as “Fedders buildings” for the name on the air-conditioning sleeves, prompted local officials to request...