radix
n.— «In his letters home to his younger brother, he talks about “radix,” slang for the authorities or police, and about the “bull boy” guards “giving it large,” a reference to threats and the use of violence.» —“‘Coded Letters’ Reveal Briton’s Suffering In Guantanamo” in Cairo IslamOnline.net (Doha, Qatar) Aug. 8, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
We tend to take the index of a book for granted, but centuries ago, these helpful lists were viewed with suspicion. Some even worried that indexes would harm reading comprehension! A witty new book tells the story. Plus, the Latin term bona fides...
An acclaimed poet’s tender poem about holding a newborn for the first time reflects a complex swirl of emotions. And: A caller finds that in her workplace, the expression out of pocket can mean very different things: either “being unavailable” or...