footnoteambush
/ˈfʊtnəʊtˌæmbʊʃ/nounVerified NewA consequential provision hidden in a footnote, annex, or definitional clause of a long bill.
The headline provisions are debated for weeks; the footnote rewrites land law on page 412. Discovery typically postdates enactment.
Etym. — footnote + ambush; the trap is placed where attention is thinnest.
Rel. — amendmentchaff
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-01-power.md
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Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2