swoss
n.— «The Civil Air Patrol was neither fish nor fowl, or as the local commander, George E. Haddaway termed it neither swans or gooses, swosses. While they did not officially belong to the armed services, its members were designated as belligerents so they would have prisoner-of-war status in case of capture.» —“History Journal: Civil Air Patrol: WWII’s Minute Men of the sky” by Penny Clark Beaumont Journal (Texas) Jan. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
To joner means to “bring bad luck to” or “jinx.” This term is a corruption of the name Jonah, the biblical figure who initially resisted a divine command. His presence on board a ship supposedly caused a great storm at sea...
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated...