NOC
n.— «Barnes is a neophyte agent, an ex-doctoral candidate in Ottoman history, trained as a case officer under nonofficial cover, “known in the secret language of the club as NOC. As in: knock on wood.” Naive and idealistic, she was “afflicted with the disease, common and occasionally fatal among intelligence officers, of wanting to make the world better.”» —“Fictional Foreign Intrigue” by Alix Madrigal San Francisco Chronicle (California) Apr. 28, 1991. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of...
A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten...