supermajor
n.— «Only 10 years after “supermajor” entered the oil industry’s lexicon, the term is already showing its age. At the end of 2000, once the oil industry’s mega-mergers were completed, the combined market capitalisation of ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP was about $700bn—nearly two-thirds of the global sector’s total. These days, the supermajors represent just 23 per cent.» —“Oil ’supermajors’ 10 years on” Financial Times (United Kingdom) Jan. 9, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Tess from southeastern Pennsylvania wonders about the origins of coleslaw. It comes from Dutch koolsla, meaning simply “cabbage salad.” The cole part shares its root with kale, the cauli in cauliflower, and the kohl in kohlrabi. All these words go...
High school students in Alabama share some favorite slang terms. If someone tells you to touch grass, they’re telling you to get a reality check — but the last thing you’d actually want to touch is dog water! Also, the history of the word hangover...