haji mart n. among American military in Iraq and Afghanistan, a flea market, bazaar, or roadside vendor. Editorial Note: Often capitalized as if it is a proper noun, probably by comparison to American retail chains “Wal-Mart” and “K-Mart.” Usually derisive or jocular. Etymological Note: haji ‘an Iraqi or Afghani local; a Muslim’ + mart ‘market.’ (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...
Loretta in Shreveport, Louisiana, wants to know what lexical and dialectal clues linguists look for when guessing where someone is from. She also wonders: Do people with long careers in the military or who grew up in a military family have a...