quinceanera
n.— «Well-off Mexican-Americans have adopted the Mexican custom, following a tradition of 16th-century Spain, of presenting their 15-year-old daughters to society at events known as Quinceanera balls.» —“Latin Influence Mounts Throughout Southwest” by Lou Cannon in L.A. Washington Post Mar. 26, 1978. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Carpe diem is often translated “seize the day,” but the carpe in that Latin saying can also mean “pluck” or “harvest.” The saying comes from a brief poem by the ancient Roman writer Horace. Addressing a woman desperate to know her fate, Horace uses...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski gathers clues to words that contain æ, the ligature called ash that can appear in such words as Cæsar. For example, what’s a dessert historically served after church services? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...