jitterbug
n.— «Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogar and James Cagney in the movies, “Gangbusters” on radio, bubblegum “war cards” depicting atrocities, and “zoot suit” riots among the jitterbug set were widely deplored as symptoms of national sickness.» —“Observer” by Russell Baker New York Times Dec. 29, 1963. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
A young caller from the Hudson Valley of New York wonders about his grandmother’s use of stemwinder to praise a speech she thought was excellent. In the early 1800s, people used pocket watches that had to be wound with a tiny key. Once someone...