Sure, there’s winter, spring, summer, and fall. But the seasons in between have even more poetic names. In Alaska, greenup describes a sudden, dramatic burst of green after a long, dark winter. And there are many, many terms for a cold snap...
Hayley, a poet, grew up in Kansas City, then moved to Minnesota’s Twin Cities. After the last two winters there, she’s begun to wonder: Have English speakers ever referred to more than four seasons in English? Do other cultures measure...
denning n.— «A biologist at the scene admitted to an independent wolf scientist that the 6-week-old pups were held down and shot in the head, one by one. This inhumane practice, known as “denning,” has been illegal for 40...
snowmachiner n.— «He is a champion snowmobiler…er…snowmachiner (as they say in Alaska.)» —“Bashing God by Dissing Sarah” by Jeffrey Lord American Spectator Sept. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued...
broom v.— «The number of wolves in the refuge is increasing, and biologists are beginning to see browse that is “broomed,” a term used to describe willows that have been topped and are mushrooming, Aderman said.» —“Number of twins...
soul boarding n.— «Riding the steep aspects and deep powder of the backcountry are what many snowboarders call “soul boarding,” and it is by far the most popular form of the sport.» —“Two snowboarders with Fairbanks ties try to...