The slang of paragliding includes the terms cus, pronounced like “cues,” and cumies, also known as cumulus clouds, which indicate good lift is available. For paragliders, the term cloud street refers to a line of cumulus clouds that...
A listener who works with computers asked about the difference between premise and premises, especially when it comes to the idea of on- or off-premises computing. Going back to the 1600’s, the term premises has meant a “location”...
A TV meterologist in Morehead, Minnesota, wonders about the word sky. Is it incorrect to use it in the plural? We often refer to the skies over a large area, as in “the skies over Kansas.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript...
Back in 1867 a newspaper in Nevada used the verb pungle to lovely effect: “All night the clouds pungled their fleecy treasure.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “More Pungle” We were talking about the word...
Peter, calling from the coastal town of La Jolla, California, asks for a word for the bright pools of silver light that form on the ocean when sunbeams poke through cloud cover. Albedo describes the proportion of light a surface reflects, and...
fallstreak hole n.— «“Hole punch clouds,” also known as “fallstreak holes,” occur when patches of high cloud freeze and fall as ice crystals, leaving a dramatic gap behind.» —“Holes over Louisiana” Cloud...