(guh.RAZH muh.hawl)
n.
A large or opulent garage or parking structure. Also: garage mahal, garage-mahal.
Example Citations:
Baylor's $ 15 million parking garage, with steeples and towers, has been called "Garage Mahal" and will house a Starbucks.
— photo caption, The Dallas Morning News, July 13, 2003
Built at a cost of $80 million, the Garage at Post Office Square has 1,400 spaces, seven underground levels, a polished granite lobby, brass sheathing on its benches and Mozart softly playing in the elevators. The entrance and exit ramps are so expertly camouflaged with wrought iron and magnolias that they are virtually hidden except from the road at street level. Plus, there is the park on top.
— William M. Bulkeley, "Call It Garage Mahal: Lowly Parking Area Becomes Attraction," The Wall Street Journal, July 18, 1994
Earliest Citation:
From here, a dream shop takes form with tools that either physical space or your back pocket couldn't afford at an earlier date. This may include tools such as a bead blaster and parts cleaner or expensive fixtures like a tire machine and diagnostic scope. If you lust over a lathe, drill press, or other precise machining tools, go for it! And of course, having plenty of supplies on hand is also a convenience that will save frustration during late-night thrashes. This includes gaskets, paints, solvents, cleaning supplies, and an assortment of silicone sealants. Add these things to the tools and ideas we covered in the first two parts of this story along with a large space to work in and you, too, can have your own version of the Garage Mahal!
— Cole Quinnell, "Build a dream shop: hot rod heaven," Hot Rod, December 1992
Notes:
The nickname Garage Mahal (a nicely juxtapositional play on India's opulent Taj Mahal) shows up quite a bit in car racing and hot rod circles, where it refers to a large garage that is well-stocked with tools, parts, and supplies (see the earliest citation, below). Note, too, that the headquarters of Dale Earnhardt Inc. — named after the NASCAR driver who died a few years ago — is often called the Garage Mahal.
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New words. 2013.