An obstacle that, when encountered, releases an unintended flood of previously unknown information, that leads to a drastic modification of behavior.
Mark Sanford's tigerhydrant, a mysterious trip to visit his lover in Argentina, resulted in his political downfall.

If it wasn't for the New York Time's tigerhydrant, Elliot Spitzer would still be the governor of New York today.
by Geedrarob December 17, 2009
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