jitterbug
v.— «“How can you stop the fighting?” The question puzzles Vincent. He cannot imagine a world in which there is no such “jitterbugging.”…He has been “jitterbugging” since he was about 13 and he is 17 now. But he says he does not enjoy it.» —“Youth Gang Members Tell Of Lives, Hates and Fears” by Harrison E. Salisbury in New York City New York Times Mar. 25, 1958. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...
After our conversation about towns with extremely short names, many listeners wrote to tell us about Why, Arizona. Others pointed out that there are towns called Ely in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada. Other super-short appellations include Rye, New...