checkweighman means A person, elected by miners, whose task is to check what the mine owner's weighman states has been the amount of coal that has been mined; used especially if the miners' wages are related to production. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
Why “checkweighman” is a great word
CHECKWEIGHMAN — [Noun] A miner-elected official whose sole duty is to independently verify the weight of coal recorded by the company's weighman, thereby determining the workers' pay. From English 'check' (to verify) + 'weighman' (one who weighs goods) + the agent suffix '-man'. Unlike the company 'weighman' (who represents the owner's interest in the measurement) or an 'auditor' (a detached examiner of accounts), the checkweighman embodies a foundational mistrust, a democratically appointed guardian against systemic short measure. He is the grimy finger tracing figures on a slate in a lamp-lit shed, the collective gaze of the shaft watching the scales, and the fragile parchment of a contract stained with coal dust—a testament that even in the darkness below, a simple balance can be a revolutionary act.
Etymology
From check + weigh + -man.
noun
- A person, elected by miners, whose task is to check what the mine owner's weighman states has been the amount of coal that has been mined; used especially if the miners' wages are related to production.