Kent in Dallas grew up calling the groove between the nose and upper lip a berber, a childhood coinage that even a makeup-counter consultant briefly adopted. The standard anatomical word is philtrum, also called the infranasal depression. It comes...
The word borborygmic means “pertaining to rumblings in one’s tummy or intestines.” It derives from borborygmus (“bor-buh-RIG-muss”), a term for intestinal rumbling and a vivid example of onomatopoeia. Its bubbly B sounds make borborygmic especially...
kilowatt laundering n.— «Electricity sold by CEZ of the Czech Republic to Romania for 40 euros per MW was later resold by electricity traders in the Greek stock market for 80 euros to 90 per MW. The practice is known as ‘kilowatt...
To-ga! To-ga! To-ga! John Chaneski’s latest quiz, “Classics Class,” has the hosts rooting around for the ancient Greek and Latin origins of English words. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Classics Class...
kyriarchy n.— « Kyriarchy—a neologism coined by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza and derived from the Greek words for “lord” or “master” (kyrios) and “to rule or dominate” (archein) which seeks to redefine...
test bank n.— «In the UA’s Greek Life system, houses are homes not only to members but also to the tests, notes and study guides of greeks who have come before them. The tests and other materials, stuffed into filing cabinets and closets...
