watermelon

plural watermelons

1. countableuncountableA plant of the species Citrullus lanatus, bearing a melon-like fruit.
2. countableuncountableThe fruit of the watermelon plant, having a green rind and watery flesh that is typically bright red when ripe and contains black seeds.
3. countablederogatoryslanguncountableAn environmentalist with socialist leanings, an ecosocialist.

   According to this distorted view of life, environmentalists are watermelons – green on the outside, red on the inside – who want to impose regulation, “the slippery slope to socialism”, on the use of tobacco, ozone-destroying chemicals and greenhouse gases.

   2010 August 7, Robin McKie, “Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M Conway”, in The Observer, →ISSN

4. countableuncountableA pinkish-red colour, like that of watermelon flesh (also called watermelon pink).
5. countableuncountableA project that is presented as on schedule when it actually has parts that are falling behind.

   [see title]

   2021 April 24, Sumir Karayi, “Combatting the Watermelon Effect to Improve Digital Experience”, in CIO, IDG Communications, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2021

   2 more examples

   The nuts and bolts of any project are transparency. If the project status is transparent, the watermelons can’t arise. If anybody is able to get the information, it will be difficult to hide something.

   2011 August 8, Marc Löffler, “Watermelon Reporting”, in DZone, AnswerHub

   As a PMO [project management officer], wherever I see watermelon reporting, I encourage the PM [project manager] to be brave and honest enough to ask for help.

   2015 September 17, Ken Burrell, “Watch out for watermelons in project reports”, in LinkedIn

6. colloquialcountableslanguncountableA breast, especially that of an adult or adolescent female human.

   Synonyms: assets, babylons, balloons, baps, badonkers, bangers, bazongas, bazookas