conk
n.— «Often the first thing that is observed is what is called a conk—this is a diagnostic sign. The conk starts as a button-like growth that forms near the base of the trunk. This mushroom manifestation eventually changes into a shelf fungi; half-moon in shape and up to 8 inches wide and 2 inches thick.» —“Fairly common Ganoderma butt rot affects palms” by Ralph Mitchell Sun-Herald (Florida) Sept. 10, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
For a deep dive into the world of emoji, check out Keith Houston’s new book, Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of the Emoji (Bookshop|Amazon). Emoji offer what’s called paralinguistic restitution, that is, restoring to written language...
A caller who grew up in Wisconsin says his spouse, who’s from Florida, teases him for such things as pronouncing bagel like “BEG-el” and dagger as “DEG-ger.” They’re just products of his isolect, the regional variants from his particular dialect of...