Romanette
n.— Note: A thorough discussion of this word can be found at the Volokh Conspiracy blog. «One bright spot in the colloquy came during Assistant to the Solicitor General Nicole Saharsky’s defense of an expansive view of the law. In discussing the statute at issue, 18 U.S.C. 922 (a)(33)(A)(i) and (ii), justices had been referring, awkwardly, to sections “little eye” and “little eye eye.” But Saharsky had a far better way. She called them “Romanette one and two,” using an obscure but self-explaining and almost whimsical term for a lower-case Roman numeral. “Romanette?” asked Chief Justice John Roberts quizzically. “Oh, little Roman numeral,” Saharsky replied offhandedly. No biggie. “I’ve never heard that before!” said Roberts. “That’s… Romanette.” » —“Assistant to SG Teaches Chief Justice a New Word” by Tony Mauro Blog of LegaTimes Nov. 10, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...
When you had sleepovers as a child, what did you call the makeshift beds you made on the floor? In some places, you call those bedclothes and blankets a pallet. This word comes from an old term for “straw.” And: What’s the story...