The English word prestige derives from the Latin word praestigia, which means “trick,” “deceit,” or “illusion.” Its meaning evolved to connote “glamorous, impressive influence.” Originally in English...
Mark from Los Angeles, California, asks about gank, slang for stealing, as in ganking someone’s fries. The verb is strongly associated with African American Vernacular English and appears in hip-hop lyrics at least as early as a 1987 NWA song...
“Don’t be frontin’!” Naomi, a college student in Denton, Texas, asks about fronting, slang for putting on a false front, bluffing, or pretending to be something you’re not. The verb traces back to 1800s pickpocket slang, where a “front” distracted...
Scottish cringe n.— «Over the past week, as it became clear a decision on Megrahi’s future was imminent, many Scottish pundits and opposition politicians were consumed by what is called the Scottish cringe—the idea that some decisions are...
cuffing n.— «Cheaters can be a problem, Mr. Crum said. Some cheats prefer a method called “cuffing,” in which “loaded” dice, weighted to land on a certain number, are slipped into a pant leg and stealthily pulled out during a game...
micro-expression n.— «The TSA aims to have 500 “behavior detection officers” (BDOs) in airports by the end of this year. The job of the BDOs will be that of examining passengers for “body language and facial cues…...