skylab
n.— «The sole means of public transport is a motorcycle service, which someone with a curious sense of humor dubbed “the Skylab.” Skylabs appear a few times a day. Up to five people, including women holding infants, cram aboard and pay 75 pesos—about three days’ wages for a farmhand—for a ride into town.» —“Life On The Margin: Village Life In The Philippines” by Robert H. Reid in Salacafe, Philippines Associated Press Oct. 2, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Many of us struggled with the Old English poem “Beowulf” in high school. But what if you could actually hear “Beowulf” in the English of today? There’s a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley that uses contemporary...
The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...