boo word
n.— «Whatever their politics may be, the students interviewed were not—by their own perceptions—“liberals.” The world [sic] “liberal” has for them become, to use the jargon, a “boo” word, even a term of accusation.» —“Annual Education Review: 17 Campus Whites Express Their Views” by Arnold Beichman New York Times Jan. 12, 1970. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
After our conversation about towns with extremely short names, many listeners wrote to tell us about Why, Arizona. Others pointed out that there are towns called Ely in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada. Other super-short appellations include Rye, New...