Back when George W. Bush was a student at a New England prep school, he took to the thesaurus to impress a teacher, and wound up using a synonym for the wrong meaning for tear. Hence, the telltale phrase lacerates falling from my eyes wound up in...
The language of restaurant menus. Need a dictionary to get through a dinner menu? Research shows the longer the description of a particular dish, the more expensive it will be. Plus: What’s the best way to use a thesaurus? DON’T —...
You’re falling asleep, then suddenly snap awake. There’s a term for that: hypnagogic startle or hypnic jerk. This is part of a complete episode.
Why do we say someone is on the wagon when they abstain from drinking alcohol?
heaving n.— «The changing temperature of our winters causes garden soil to expand and contract. This process can literally lift a plant out of its planting hole in the garden. This process is known as heaving. Many newly planted...
sticky-wage theory n.— «The reason is something called the sticky-wage theory. Economists have long been puzzled by the fact that most businesses simply will not cut their workers’ pay, even in a downturn. Businesses routinely lay...