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
In Cockney rhyming slang, apples and pears is a synonym for “stairs,” and dustbin lids means kids. Plus, sniglets are clever coinages for things we don’t already have words for. Any guesses what incogsneeto means? It’s the...
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...