gauging
n.— «The nearby Irving, Grand Prairie and DeSoto districts also ban grills, and some also address gauging—the process of placing increasingly large items in the ears to stretch the lobes.» —“Dallas-area school district bans mouth ‘grills’” in Arlington Houston Chronicle (Texas) July 10, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
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...