BOB
n.— «But the mason bee earns an “A” for effort from orchardists and gardeners. This native of Washington, common throughout the West, is one of our hardest-working pollinators. Mason bees have a sweet tooth for fruit trees, and for this reason they are often called orchard mason bees. Because of their distinctive color, they are sometimes referred to as blue orchard bees, or BOBs.» —“Gardener’s little helper” by Debbie Cafazzo News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington) Feb. 28, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old seeks a more positive term to describe how she feels about her age. And: a linguist helps solve a famous kidnapping case, using the...
The mascot for Horace Mann Elementary School in Washington, D.C. is a centaur, that mythological creature that’s half-man, half-equine. Say the name of the school several times quickly, and you’ll see why. This is part of a complete...