quinceañera
n.— «Cuban Americans mark their daughter’s turning fifteeen with an elaborate party, called a quince. The “sweet fifteen bash,” which has evolved from the Hispanic quinceanera, is a Latino debutante ball, complete with feasting and choreography of mambo and conga dancing.» —by Charlene C. Giannetti The Rollercoaster Years Aug. 4, 1997. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...