A.Word.A.Day gives us what sounds like an obvious band name from the 60s. (It happens to be the name of a band in 2010.) The twist to the hippy-sounding nom de groupe comes in the definition.
Star Chamber
PRONUNCIATION:(star CHAYM-buhr)
MEANING:noun: A court or group marked by arbitrary, oppressive, and secretive procedures.
ETYMOLOGY:After the Star Chamber in the Palace of Westminster in London. It was the site of a closed-door court appointed by King Henry VII of England in the 15th century. Notorious for its abuse of power — rulings made in secret, no appeal — it was abolished by the Long Parliament in 1641. The chamber was so named because its ceiling was decorated with stars.
USAGE:“‘This is the most incredible Star Chamber proceeding, the most incredible lack of due process I’ve ever heard of,’ Mitchelson said. ‘I’m the alleged perpetrator, and I was not even invited.’”
Edward J. Boyer; Mitchelson Angry, Vows to Block Aid for Two Women; The Los Angeles Times; Jan 25, 1989.
