basement Betty
n.— «In response to “The Chosen One,” which states that Katie Martin “could be perceived as a less-than-likeable, glorified ‘Basement Betty’ without formal training or even a traditional storefront,” I would like to dispel some common myths held by retail florists regarding floral designers like myself.…Retail flower shops and others in the floral industry should not be too quick to criticize Basement Bettys. Our goal is not to compete directly with retail shops.» —“Letters: Two Sides of the Coin” by Karla Ramirez Floral Management May, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
If you’re in a book club, how do you decide what books to read? There are lots of different ways, depending on your group’s goals. And is it ever wise to correct someone who mispronounces a word? Sometimes you have to decide if...