gapology
n.— «The idea of a “gap” or an impending “crisis” has its political uses—goading the public to do things it might not wish to do—but there are numerous skeptics who think it is a bogus concept. “Gapology,” they call it. These include neutral experts, economists and social thinkers, who have no allegiance to the oil industry but who think the dynamic of price-and-profit will prove stronger than government edicts.» —“Fuels Crisis a Matter of Perception” by William Greider, J.P. Smith Washington Post July 24, 1977. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...
What exactly is a planet? Controversy over this question led to Pluto’s redefinition, along with a brand-new English word. And: Some people now use the phrase all the things! to mean and whatnot or you know what I mean. This new sense of all...