Some interesting words, May 2020

Some recent additions to the list of interesting words.

night economy: a segment of the service industry that, in the U.S., will be crushed if the federal government fails to provide further relief

coal operators: coal mine ownership, possibly a regionalism

gun thugs: employed by coal operators

zoomies: jocular term for radiation and radioactive particles, probably mainly U.S. Navy

basket house: venue where unpaid performers pass around a basket for tips (spurred by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

gas spring: device that uses compressed gas cylinders, pistons, and a constricted opening to store and exert force. (Came up because the gas springs on my Mom’s new wheelchair were adjusted for too much force.)

Alford plea: I can’t really explain, nor do I know why I came across this, since it doesn’t seem to be a construct in D.C. or Md. law

scale-of-two counter (via R.V. Jones in Studies in Intelligence)

tonal merger (photography)

track time (railroad maintenance of way)

terminal clean: a hospital disinfecting process, carried out before a facility opens

process water: provided to industrial facilities, and unsuitable for drinking

5/1: a building type, five stick-framed floors over one reinforced concrete floor

necessary and proportionate (human rights law)