POSSLQ was devised by a worker at the U.S. Census Bureau as an acronym for Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters or Partner of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters. Pronounced “possle-cue,” this term caught on briefly in the...
The Oldsmobile car was introduced in 1897, and shortly thereafter people began using the term oatsmobile or hay-burning oatsmobile to mean “horse.” OATS is also an acronym for Older Adult Transportation System. This is part of a complete...
Among knitters, SABLE is an acronym for “Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy,” a joking reference to “a supply of yarn so huge that there’s no way you could possibly knit it all before you die.” This is part of a...
The new Downton Abbey movie is a luscious treat for fans of the public-television period piece, but how accurate is the script when it comes to the vocabulary of the early 20th century? It may be jarring to hear the word swag, but it was already at...
What’s the best way for someone busy to learn lots of new words quickly for a test like the GRE? Looking up their origins can help. Or, record yourself reading the words and definitions and play them back while you’re doing other chores...
IOKIYAR n.— «Americans abbreviate a lot, even when it’s sarcastic. Take IOKIYAR.The acronym stands for, “It’s OK If You’re A Republican.” It’s used to describe words or actions that would cause firestorms if the responsible people were...