teachback n.— «Asking questions doesn’t ensure that patients understand the answers. For that reason, many doctors now advocate a method called teachback. First, a doctor explains the situation to the patient in language that’s as plain...
postman’s holiday n. a vacation or holiday spent in a pastime similar to one’s usual employment. Editorial Note: This is a synonym for the far more common “busman’s holiday,” which dates to at least 1893. Thanks to Al Rotches for...
peeler log n.— «The reason for this is quite simple. It’s my understanding that plywood is made by shaving thin strips or “plys” of veneer from large logs (ie old-growth). These logs are called “peeler logs.” Well, most of the “peeler...
yo-yo financing n.— «The consumer signed a financing contract with the dealer without fully understanding the terms, or the contract was incomplete or not in writing. The customer assumes the credit deal is finalized and the car is theirs...
backpacker n.— «This is the main thing i detest about these corny, revisionist backpackers : they’re all newjacks who started listening to rap in the 1993 when “36 chambers” came out and have no concept or understanding of early 80s rap...
Anthropocene n.— «As we rapidly enter a new Earth system domain, the “Anthropocene” era, the debate about distinguishing human effects from natural variability will inevitably abate in the face of increased understanding of...