Dad
n.— «Highlights were as plentiful as notes he extracted from his acoustic guitar. “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me” struck a nerve, especially when he explained that “Dad” was shorthand for Baghdad the same way “Nam” was short for Vietnam.» —“Concert review: Richard Thompson” by Ralph Berrier Jr. Roanoke Times (Virginia) Oct. 30, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Kinbank is a new database that illustrates the global diversity of family terms. English, for example, specifies sibling relationships with just one of two terms: sister or brother. But most other languages have even more specific terms. In...
Barbara Kingsolver’s book Demon Copperhead is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield set in today’s Appalachia. Martha shares memories of a long-ago visit to Kingsolver’s family farm in Virginia, where they...