spizzerinctum
n.— «For the explosive substance in the bomb hydrogen, he substituted knowledge, and for uranium, the fuse, spizzerinctum. This he defined as “energy ambition and the will to succeed.”» —“Publishers Told Power By Educator” in Chicago Evening Sentinel (Holland, Mich.) Oct. 13, 1961. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...
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...