red mercury

British  

noun

1. a supposedly radioactive substance that could be used in a bomb made from nuclear waste, widely believed to be part of a confidence trick in which gangsters sold useless material to terrorists in the early 1990s

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Example Sentences

Surely a good home insurance policy, a solid lock on the door, and a reliable pet sitter are better alternatives, even if you’re the proud-yet-paranoid owner of a Red Mercury stamp.

From Slate

This version of the red mercury story was different from the one about the all-healing elixir buried with the pharaohs.

From BBC

The prosecutor, Mark Ellison, told the jury: "The Crown's position is that whether red mercury does or does not exist is irrelevant."

From BBC

And a rival theory emerged - that the US government had surreptitiously spread red mercury rumours as a way to entrap terrorists.

From BBC

However, if you are still tempted to go online to purchase red mercury for a miracle cure, then can we perhaps also interest you in buying some magic beans?

From BBC