Scottish disease
n.— «Where MS comes from and what triggers it remains a mystery, but it is believed to be at least partly hereditary. It is sometimes known as the “Scottish disease” as this country has the highest concentration in the world. It can also be found abroad in areas which have a large Scottish community.» —“Hope for MS sufferers as city scientist nears breakthrough” by Gareth Rose Scotsman (Glasgow, Scotland) July 28, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If there’s a logophile on your gift list, you have lots of choices, including a new trivia game for language-lovers and a murder mystery for the word-obsessed. Plus, if someone calls you a schmoozer, should you be flattered or insulted? And if...
Susie Dent’s murder mystery Guilty by Definition (Bookshop|Amazon) follows a lexicographer in Oxford who becomes a sleuth of a different kind, seeking the culprit in a long-unsolved killing. A lexicographer herself, Dent includes lots of obscure and...