The word antidisestablishmentarianism first appeared in the 1890s, denoting “opposition to ending the Church of England’s status as the official state church”—the disestablishment of the church, in other words. This word didn’t take off in the U.S...
Giving your baby an unusual moniker may seem like a great idea at the time. But what if you have second thoughts? One mother of a newborn had such bad namer’s remorse, she poured out her heart to strangers online. Speaking of mothers and daughters:...
Jay in Florida Home, Florida, grew up in a small North Florida community with five jook joints, places to dance, drink, gamble, and get into trouble. Jook, often juke, appears to have reached American English through Gullah communities in South...
After passing by an establishment featuring adult entertainment, an Asheville, N.C., man began wondering: When did the word adult come to refer to “material not suitable for children”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Adult...
next-war-itis n.— «“By keeping Gates in there you have a guy who’s really pushing for, ‘Hey, let’s get off this next-war-itis crap,’” said Barnett, using the term Gates coined to describe the defense establishment’s obsession with a hypothetical...
DFD-er n.— «The trip to Rockaway Beach involves riding the A train over a different sort of New York landmark: Jamaica Bay. At the 116th Street stop is a busy area with delis and beach shops and, where 116th Street meets the ocean, an open-air...
