1661
n.— «The technical term for this—where you look pullable from behind, with your slashed mini, straggly Joss Stone hair and macrame ankle bracelet, but when swivelled around, look more like someone eligible to collect a pension—is 1661. (Get it? Sixteen from the back, 61 from the front.) Oh, dear. Perhaps that’s what I am: the ultimate 1661. Yet isn’t a certain amount of self-delusion necessary in order to cope with the horrible, galloping inevitability of old age?» —“1661;Is 45 really that old?” by Christa D’Souza Times (London, United Kingdom) Dec. 4, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If someone tells you it’s flisky or flobby outside, do you need to take an umbrella? A new book about England’s soggy climate includes 188 terms for rainy weather. Americans have their own joking names for local weather, from June Gloom in Southern...
If you’re ever near a sundial, step closer and look for a message. Many sundials bear haunting, poetic inscriptions about the brevity of life. Plus, language development in toddlers: why and how little ones pick up the exclamation Uh-oh! And a new...