This week’s language headlines include the publication of new slang dictionary, and an entire book devoted to that tiny piece of punctuation, the period, and a tip-off about audio recordings of famous authors whose voices would otherwise be...
negawatt n.— «I think the most promising new energy source isn’t new, and it isn’t a source. It is energy efficiency. We still have a lot of low-hanging fruit—what Amory Lovins refers to as the negawatt. The most efficient thing you can...
haute barnyard n.— «In accordance with prevalent Haute Barnyard motifs, the rooms of this West 69th Street restaurant are colored in hues of mossy green, and the walls decorated with photographs of giant, dewy farmer’s fruit. The menu is...
hail cannon n.— «He also has what’s called a hail cannon, which uses a sonic boom to bombard hailstones so they break up and are less damaging to fruit.» —“Drought creates thirst for hi-tech farming” in Sydney...
slip stem adj.— «Most muskmelons are what is called slip stem. That is, when the melon is ripe, a very gentle tug on the fruit will instantly detach it from the stem.» —“Master gardener answers Frequently asked...
permablitz n.— «Palmer is one of the inventors of the permablitz, an event in which people donate time and plants to help create an environmentally friendly space growing fruit, herbs and vegetables. The phenomenon began in April last...