suspense adj.— «Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Army’s term for a deadline is a “suspense,” sometimes abbreviated simply “S:” and followed by a date. The first time I was told that I had to “meet a suspense,” I didn’t know where to...
gamer regret n.— «The dirty secret of gamers is that we wrestle with this dilemma all the time. We’re often gripped by what I call “gamer regret”—a sudden, horrifying sense of emptiness when we muse on all the other things we...
tampon rock n.— «The other day I came across one of the most descriptive and appropriate genre titles. The lead singer of Dragonette called her previous work “Tampon Rock.” This genre is girls or women with guitars or a piano...
campsickness n.— «“Campsickness refers to the opposite of homesickness,” said Schafer. “These are kids who come back from camp after having a really good experience and miss their friends.”» —“Coping With...
iliac furrow n.— «“I am filled with bitter resentment and burning envy at the sight of this young fellow’s pronounced iliac furrow.”…“There is reason to envy someone skinny enough to have such a pronounced apollo’s belt...
secret season n.— «This latter half of spring, after the spring breaks have ended, is often called the “secret season” on the coast, because awe inspiring natural delights like these are quite common, but the beaches are generally...