Solon often pops up in headlines as a label for legislators. It is actually an eponym, referring to Solon, an esteemed lawgiver from ancient Athens who lay much of the groundwork for the original democracy. Nowadays, however, the term solon is...
Ben Schott’s language blog Schott’s Vocab on the New York Times website held a contest for modern age greeting cards called Get Web Soon. Among the favorites: “Heartfelt condolences on the loss of your data” and...
What’s the correct adjective to describe something associated with the Democrats? Is it Democrat or Democratic? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Democrat vs. Democratic” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this...
Obama n.— «America’s 2008 presidential election loomed large over Ghana’s poll. Supporters of the two main parties talked of their dreams for an “Obama”—here meaning a first-round win—and analysts hoped that the loser would...
lobbocracy n.— «Democracy, which relies on a free and independent press, is now run by what I call a “lobbocracy,” by special interests lobby groups via PR.» —“Spin versus framing: the tragedy of PR” by John S...
ground game n.— «With polls showing an agonizingly tight contest between Hillary Clinton and her Democratic rivals and also among Republicans, the quirky statewide caucuses on Thursday could rest on who has the best “ground game,” in...