jumping visa n.— «Two Vietnamese detainees escaped from Maribyrnong Detention Centre on Saturday and a third broke his leg trying to jump the fence yesterday. The two scaled the facility’s fence following a volleyball game. “They...
Obamamania, Obamabot, Obamathon, Obamamentum— the list of variations on the name “Obama” goes on and on. Is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter”? And what does it mean when someone...
Pope’s nose is a jocular name for the fatty tail end of a turkey, the part also called the parson’s nose, or more anatomically, the uropygium. Holly in Oregon heard the expression from a nun in Alaska and wondered whether it was irreverent. It fits...
We hear the word maverick a lot lately, but where did this term for a stubborn nonconformist come from? Martha tells the story of the Texas politician who inspired the word, and whose grandson apparently coined another familiar English word...
chemical rapping n.— «At a subsequent press conference senior FEI officials said capsaicin was a prohibited substance because its pain-relieving properties were potentially performance-enhancing. It also had...
uppie n.— «Upland sandpiper stands with a very erect posture for a shorebird. It often will perch on a fence post and make its distinctive wolf whistle call. The “Uppie” has a brown mottled back and a white breast, with black...