storm center

English

Noun

storm center (plural storm centers)

1. (figurative) A central place of great activity and importance.
   • 1908, Teresa Billington-Greig, “The Storm Centre of the Woman Suffrage Movement”, in The International, page 109:
   • 1910 October 20, Henry Louis Mencken, “On Lawlessness”, in The Evening Sun:

     The storm center of lawlessness in every American State is the State Capitol. It is there that the worst crimes are committed; it is there that lawbreaking attains to the estate and dignity of a learned profession; it is there that contempt for the laws is engendered, fostered, and spread broadcast.

   • 1926, Survey of International Affairs, page 392:

     After the close of the War of 1914-18 the storm-centre of international affairs, which for the past half-century had hovered over the Near and Middle East and for the previous four centuries over Central Europe, had apparently shifted to the Pacific area.

   • 2022 May 4, risky biz, “Another Vancouver hate crime?”, in rec.gambling.poker‎^[1] (Usenet):

     It doesn't look like HE spends his days on a poker newsgroup attempting to convince half a dozen people that he really is a lawyer, really has clients, really practices law, and doesn't pretend that the condo he bought 30 years ago for $200,000 is the storm center of a powerhouse legal practice.