A new online archive of Civil War letters offers a vivid portrait of the everyday lives of enlisted men. These soldiers lacked formal education so they wrote and spelled by ear. The letters show us how ordinary people spoke then. • Is there a single...
A flea market is a type of bazaar, usually outdoors, where vendors of secondhand and discount goods sell their wares. But why flea market? The term probably reflects the influence of two linguistic strains: In 18th-century New York City, the Fly...
petroliana n.— «That’s spawned a legion of hobbyists who hoard auto-related collectibles. People go crazy over what’s called “petroliana,” service station artifacts like signs, gas pumps and globes, oil cans, car wax tins and...
haji mart n. among American military in Iraq and Afghanistan, a flea market, bazaar, or roadside vendor. Editorial Note: Often capitalized as if it is a proper noun, probably by comparison to American retail chains “Wal-Mart” and...