Architecture Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Architecture, housing, buildings, architects, blueprints, etc. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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scarecrow house n. Even when potential buyers know what happened within the walls, attractive homes with lethal histories often are quickly snapped up.…Wilmington agent Vivian Kelleher said buyers eligible for Veteran’s Administration mortgages often swoop in and buy the properties she dubs “scarecrow houses.” [English Architecture] [full cite] (Aug. 21, 2005)

scrim n. “Scrims” were a new word to me. They are shallow areas of gently flowing water (the water comes out from one side and drains at the opposite side). These are only about 1/8-inch deep, shallower than the sole of a shoe. Besides the fun of walking through the scrims (and having dry shoes in a few steps), was just watching the patterns of reflections change over the course of a minute or two. The water flow increases and decreases in a regular rhythm, causing the reflection of the canopy to blur and then become distinct. [English Architecture] [full cite] (Dec. 7, 2007)

shiesty adj. Regarding yesterday’s rant against an unsavory real estate broker, a savory broker emails, “It’s too bad that shiesty brokers like the one in the FSBO story ruin the reputation for good, ethical brokers in NYC.” [English Architecture] [full cite] (Aug. 21, 2004)

shipwrecked n. Sometimes, said Shakofsky, the property is so contaminated that the cost of cleanup exceeds the value of the property. Such “upside down” or “shipwrecked” properties, as they’re called in the business, send land into purgatory. [ Language English Register Jargon Subject Architecture] [full cite] (Nov. 13, 2005)

shotgun valley n. Shotgun valley. See “ragtown.” [English Architecture Urban Planning & Zoning] [full cite] (May. 13, 2005)

slow design n. Her products are examples of Slow Design, which is not so much a metabolic term as it is a philosophical one. Slow means that Alabama Chanin is run on the tenets of the Slow Food movement, which essentially challenges one to use local ingredients harvested and put together in a socially and environmentally responsible way. [English Apparel, Appearance, & Fashion Architecture] [full cite] (Feb. 4, 2008)

snagging report n. Once we had requested our snagging report from New Build Inspections (NBI), by using the easy to fill in application form online, we were delighted to receive a most expert and extremely prompt service from this company.…Our report has highlighted over 200 issues, which range from absolutely vital to mildly desirable and everything inbetween.…NBI suggested we negotiate with the builders to agree on completion dates for the work to be done before exchange of contracts. We will be working on this with our solicitor from now on. [English United Kingdom Architecture Construction & Buildings] [full cite] (Apr. 26, 2006)

snagging report n. Working with builders, investors, estate agents and private buyers InspectaHomeSpain have been providing new property inspections, more commonly known as snagging reports. [English Architecture Construction & Buildings] [full cite] (Apr. 26, 2006)

snoring room n. Benjamin Schreier, one of the partners of Affiniti Architects in Boca Raton, is working on custom designs for two couples in Palm Beach County that include what some folks call “snoring rooms.” The area where the snorer can retreat is a large sitting room or office off the master bedroom with a chaise or a sofa that the person sleeps on. They are separated from the bedroom with French doors. [English Architecture Houses & Housing] [full cite] (May. 13, 2007)

snout house n. Bored with mere breezeways that connected detached garages to houses, homeowners sought to bridge the distance with direct access to kitchens, laundry centers and dens. Garages doubled, even tripled in size to accommodate second pantries, wood shops and sports lockers. Often these structures jutted toward the street, creating what is euphemistically called a “snout house” and throwing off any respectable sense of symmetry—unless you bought out the neighbors and added on a wing. [English Architecture Urban Planning & Zoning] [full cite] (Apr. 30, 2006)

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