tap-tap n.— «I was cheering them on when a tap-tap, the gaily painted bus, careened into the crowd and knocked a paper mask flying.» —“Progress In Haiti: Leopards In Sneakers Instead of Tonton Macoutes” by Herbert...
stooper n.— «The man, who declined to be interviewed, is part of a horse racing subculture made up of people known as stoopers. Much like people who spend afternoons wandering the beaches with metal detectors searching for treasure in the...
haji n.— «We were pretty much told that they were nobodies, that they were just enemy combatants. I think that giving them the distinction of soldier would have changed our attitudes toward them. A lot of it was based on racism, really...
French hours n.— «[Billy Wilder] also likes the French hours—noon to 7:30 P.M. “In Hollywood, with the five-day week and early hours, one can make fifty silly errors before one begins to work.”» —“Production Views Along...
fairy ring n.— «Everyone who is accustomed to the country knows a “fairy ring” when he sees it. Each ring is only a belt of grass of a much darker green than that surrounding it.…If the grass of these “fairy...
take a drink n.— «“If you take a drink”—river parlance for going overboard—”float feet first downriver and we’ll get you out.” » —“Into the Heart of Idaho by River, Seeking Solitude and Thrills” by Wendy...