Middle East lite
n.— «That generic, anyplace quality is part of the public face of Dubai, which some of its many foreign residents tend to compare to Disney World, or even Las Vegas. It is Middle East lite, as a friend living here puts it. It is less complicated, less densely layered and, as a result, maybe less unnerving than destinations in the region like Istanbul, Cairo or our home base, Jerusalem.» —“A Modern Oasis Stands Apart In the Mideast” by James Bennet New York Times Feb. 15, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...