screamer n.— Note: In print journalism, “screamer” can also refer to a large, bold headline. «The exclamation mark—or “screamer,” as it is sometimes called by journalists—is often derided as the most brash and...
Where do you put those exclamation points and question marks– do they go inside or outside the quotation marks? Can you say, “We have the answer!”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Do Question Marks and...
black spider memo n.— «The notes, mostly hand-written, are known to recipients as the “black spider” memos in which Charles enthusiastically details his beliefs on particular political topics, using lots of underlining and...
spooty adj. bad, crappy. Also n., something that is bad or crappy. Editorial Note: The use of spooty in the first citation is probably a typographical error for spotty, meaning “pimply.” Etymological Note: Probably popularized by the...
boojack n. a newspaper boy who attracts customers with shouts. Editorial Note: The most similar word I could find was bootjack, ‘a contrivance for pulling off boots,’ but the similarity is superficial. Another similar word, and more interesting in...
psych interj.— «psych (pronounced sy-y-y-k) an exclamation, means telling a lie. “Robert said Michael Jordan was his dad and then I yelled, ‘Psych! Psych!’”» —“L.A. Speak” by Kathleen Moloney, Mary...