L.A. SPEAK : Postal Parlance
animals: n . postal employees who work outside on docks, loading and unloading mail trucks.
baby buggy: n . a large, canvas-sided cart used to transport mail between work stations within a post office.
bomb: n . when the volume of mail that must be sorted is particularly heavy. “Every Christmas, we get hit with a bomb. “
early out: n . a short shift that results from a light volume of mail. “It’s slow today, we should get an early out. “
nixie: n. a piece of mail on which the city and ZIP code do not match.
outsides: n . oversized parcels.
skin the rack: v. to take mailbags for distribution to local post offices. “It’s 1:15; let’s skin the rack and get moving.”
zombie: n . a postal worker who has been assigned to the graveyard shift.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.