socks and knocks n.pl. the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen commonly found in pollution. Etymological Note: A literal pronunciation of the characters that make up the chemical notations SOx, representing various oxides of sulfur, and NOx, representing various oxides of nitrogen. A third related term, ROx, is explained in the 2001 citation. All of the lower-case exes in the chemical notations, properly represented, would be subscript. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
How do social media algorithms shape the way we communicate? A new book argues that the competition for clicks is changing the way we speak and write, from the so-called “YouTube accent” to the surprising evolution of the word preppy. Also: A...
How do you pronounce rooibos? The name of this tea comes from the Afrikaans words rooi bos, meaning “red bush.” Rooibos is pronounced ROY-boss, but it’s also called bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. This is part of a complete episode.
Related