presticogitation n.— «But back to his word, which is—”presticogitation.” By calling up the related “prestidigitation,” the new word calls up a smile of recognition. [James Vanden] Bosch says of his creation...
scalping n.— «Each autumn, Coachella Valley homeowners, golf course operators and landscapers replace summer Bermuda grass with winter rye in a process called scalping. Bermuda grass can withstand the desert’s summer heat; when it goes...
green bomber n.— «In the run-up to general parliamentary and presidential elections in 2000 and 2002, Mugabe’s war veteran supporters and militant members of his ZANU-PF party, commonly known as “green bombers,” waged a...
appeteaser n.— «Other “appeteasers,” as they call them, include the addictive sweet-potato fries with applesauce, dense corn and black-eyed pea fritters with green chili cheese dip, and crunchy, fluffy hush puppies.» —“When times are...
green air n.— «The days ahead appear to offer more of the same “green air”—the term is derived from the green color code that denotes clean air—that settled into the region following the passage of Friday’s cold front...
semper Gumby n.— «Coasties have one other unofficial motto, borrowed from the Marines—semper Gumby, a reference to the pliant green claymation figure. Semper Gumby is semper paratus reflected off of a funhouse mirror. It’s confidence...