Big Mother
n.— «When a pupil doesn’t show up for school without advance notice from the parents, the school contacts the parents immediately. None of this is thought of as being the least bit unusual. This is childhood in the ’90s. Big Mother is watching you. Mrs. McClelland accepts it as a necessary part of parenting, imposed by the world that preys on children.» —“Worries about violence are eroding children’s freedom Fear in the neighborhood” by Pete McMartin Hamilton Spectator (Ontario, Canada) Mar. 19, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Rowan in Ottawa, Ontario, says her Irish mom used a puzzling word to indicate a sort of restless discontent not caused by anything in particular. It may be neamhchinnte, which means “uncertain” or “indecisive.” This is part...
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...