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black robe syndrome n. I hope that I don’t forget all the things I’ve learned, what I like and don’t like in a judge. I hope I don’t get the black robe syndrome, where you suddenly think you’re a little smarter, because you’re not. [English Law Slang] [full cite] (Jul. 12, 2006)

black scale n. The pentatonic scale is sometimes called the black scale, as so many Negro spirituals are pentatonic: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Deep River” were named. (I happen to know that Wings’”Mull of Kintyre” is also pentatonic, but that wasn’t mentioned.) The definitive version is Mahalia Jackson’s. [English Music] [full cite] (Mar. 26, 2007)

black sky n. The second is that there is a balance to be struck between the positive and the negative—“blue sky” and “black sky”, in the parlance of strategists—and that there has been too much thunder from each side. [English] [full cite] (Mar. 7, 2005)

black spider memo n. The notes, mostly hand-written, are known to recipients as the “black spider” memos in which Charles enthusiastically details his beliefs on particular political topics, using lots of underlining and exclamation marks. His aides have strongly defended his right to correspond with ministers, asserting that it is “part of his role” as King-in-waiting to represent to the Government views that might otherwise not be heard. [English United Kingdom New or Nonce] [full cite] (Feb. 28, 2006)

black spot n. The motoring association has criticized the traffic authorities for not installing speed traps at the province’s “black spots” where they might be expected to reduce the number of accidents. [English Automobiles & Transportation Urban Planning & Zoning Jargon] [full cite] (May. 18, 2006)

black spot n. A black spot is an acronym for any place or a particular area where bags, handsets or other handy valuables are often snatched by pickpockets who have studied such areas and knew quite well that a large number of people come to the area to transact business, which makes it easy for them to spot and identify their victims. [English Nigeria Crime & Prisons] [full cite] (May. 2, 2007)

black starting n. The loss of four major transmission lines from Hawaiian Electric’s Kahe power plant last night triggered an island-wide blackout.…HECO was woking last night to restart its generators at Kahe and Waiau, a process called “black starting.” The utility said power was to be restored beginning with areas on the west side of the island. [English Jargon] [full cite] (Jan. 2, 2009)

black swan n. Finance is about numbers, and some numerical analysis will always be needed to see trends and plan investment strategies. But there are limits to numerical jugglery, and this is the underlying message of the current round of financial turmoil. Any amount of historical data fed into computers will not help economists and traders have a perfect understanding of the future. Financial alchemy will often create dust rather than gold. Rare events—call them black swans or fat tails—can make incredibly smart types look like fools. [English Money & Finance Slang] [full cite] (Mar. 19, 2008)

black swan event n. On Black Monday, October 19, 1987, the Dow Jones index, for reasons still being debated, fell 508 points, almost a quarter of its total. (The current equivalent, for comparison’s sake, would be a 3,200-point loss on one day.) The drop turned out to be a “black swan event,” a weirdly poetic economist’s term meaning, basically, a fluke (though few people remember it, the Dow still eked out a positive finish for the year). [English] [full cite] (Feb. 7, 2008)

black water n. A brave West Australian Government is considering asking its residents to at least think about drinking recycled sewage water. In Victoria, the Bracks Government has firmly ruled it out and the Liberals agree there is no need for a move to drink what is known as black water. [English Environment] [full cite] (Jan. 7, 2007)

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