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...
optics n.— «Optics. This euphemism for “spin”—as in “getting the optics right”—is big in Washington. We hope it doesn’t make it to Los Angeles.» —“How cliche” Los Angeles Times Jan. 1, 2008...