In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...
Madison in Wilmington, North Carolina, says that whenever her family was about to leave the house, her grandfather would tell them to take Churchill’s advice, which they all understood to be a reminder to use the bathroom before setting out...
Sheree from Boerne, Texas, says her mother used to refer to leftovers as a duke’s mixture. The original Duke’s mixture was a loose, low-quality tobacco sold in a pouch by the same tobacco company that would later donate millions to the...
sniff n.— «The final diagnosis ended up being “idiopathic bilateral lower extremity paresis”—a fancy way of saying both of his legs were weak, and we didn’t know why. We sent him to a nursing home where he could get some...
SaaS n.— «Intacct—the name is short for “Internet accounting”—exemplifies a broad business trend on the Web often called SaaS—short for “software as a service” and pronounced “sass.”» —“Online...
square stocking n.— «Soldiers, sailors and airmen from the Duke of Lancaster Regiment at Basra Airport will be getting one of 24,500 Christmas gift boxes, or “square stockings” as they are affectionately known, sent out by the Ministry of...