scan (a quick cursory . . . ) n.: Cook’s tour
The “Cook” in this term refers to Thomas Cook, the nineteenth-century English travel agent whose organized tours were the first travel packages in which everything was arranged for the customer. The term is also used to refer to a tour that shows only the highlights of a place or thing. Also, a note on the word “scan” itself: Its formal definition is “to examine something closely and carefully,” which is the opposite of how many people use it. In fact, its usage in the sense of “skimming” has become so common over the years that this opposite sense of the word is now considered acceptable as well. The word “perusal” has gone through a similar lexical journey, although its use in the sense of “skimming” is considered somewhat less acceptable.]
The 2006 NBA Finals pits a pair of first-timers, the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, in one of the more intriguing and potentially exciting NBA Finals in years. … Not only are the franchises new to this event, so, too, are most of the players. Therefore, here is a Cook’s tour, if you will, of the two teams who have the NBA’s eyes and ears for up to the next two weeks. (Peter May, “Comparisons That Don’t Factor into Decision,” Boston Globe, 6/7/2006.)
