square stocking
n.— «Soldiers, sailors and airmen from the Duke of Lancaster Regiment at Basra Airport will be getting one of 24,500 Christmas gift boxes, or “square stockings” as they are affectionately known, sent out by the Ministry of Defence.» —“Soap Star Jennifer Is A Real Trooper” Evening Mail (Cumbria, United Kingdom) Nov. 30, 207. (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...
The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystical you feel like you’re close to another dimension of space and time. There’s a term for such locales: thin places. And: did you ever go...