contradancing
n.— «Contradancing is a type of American folk dancing. English country dancing (think Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennett from “Pride and Prejudice”) was introduced to France in the early 1700s, where the French are believed to have changed “country dance” to contredans, which translates, depending on which theory one believes, to “opposites dance” or “across dance.” The French term was then reintroduced as contradance in England and a young America.» —“Contradance Comes to the Sandhills” The Pilot (Pinehurst, S.C.) Apr. 6, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...