Blunkett
n.— «My best friend has been with her boyfriend for over two years and when she lightly dropped a hint of something more permanent in the New Year, he freaked. She is now back on the singles market. After all that investment—emotional, physical, even material. So I’m coining a new phrase for the pre-Christmas break up—it’s called a Blunkett. Everyone I know is having a Blunkett. The tears, the regret …Now, the worst thing about a Blunkett is not only that you hit the Christmas parties flying solo. You also need to start planning early to avoid a truly miserable New Year’s Eve.» —“Welcome to the restive season” by Xanadu Times (U.K.) Dec. 20, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...