A new online archive of Civil War letters offers a vivid portrait of the everyday lives of enlisted men. These soldiers lacked formal education so they wrote and spelled by ear. The letters show us how ordinary people spoke then. • Is there a single...
A flea market is a type of bazaar, usually outdoors, where vendors of secondhand and discount goods sell their wares. But why flea market? The term probably reflects the influence of two linguistic strains: In 18th-century New York City, the Fly...
full-pay n.— «Many colleges discount tuition an average of 30 to 40 percent. Still, by offering even a relatively small cut, colleges get students who pay a hefty price. “The full-pays are few and far between,” said Greg Eichhorn, the...
double cropping n.— «Sardi said the Edcon deal, which was concluded last year when Bain bought the retailer for R25bn, remained SA’s biggest private equity transaction. But, said Sardi, the debt on the Edcon deal was trading at a...
bottom fisher n.— «Some of the new capital comes from what are called “bottom fishers”—investors who are willing to buy some of the dicey IOUs from banks at a healthy discount.» —“Is It Over?” by Irwin M...
bottom currency n.— «If she were to pay for all her transport, food and accommodation expenses when she is away from home, she would make very little profit. So to boost her profit margins, she pays using what is known as “bottom...