beans n.pl.— «There’s an old joke in baseball that players hate rain delays even more than fans do because postponing the first-pitch time makes it hard for them to judge exactly when to take their “beans.” Also known as...
fonetography n.— «Nokia, which has coined the rather unlovely word “fonetography” to describe photos taken using a mobile, has invited artists and photographers—among others, Tracey Emin, Sir Peter Blake, Nan Goldin, David...
contrasexual n.— «Sociologists have identified a new breed of “contrasexual woman,” so-called because their aspirations run counter to the conventional values for their sex.» —“Ben Jones’s diary” by Jamie...
standfirst n.— «Each article has a headline printed in large bold letters, followed by a brief description, called a standfirst, and a byline, which is the reporter’s name.» —“Primary: Writing Made Simple” by Mary...
dutching n.— «In Dick’s Bar, the camera sways a little, dutching and panning, as if to suggest that you the viewer the customer, the barfly has already had a few.» —“Bar room blues” by Matt Lucas Guardian (U.K...
wags n.pl.— «Pictures of the wives and girlfriends (or Wags as the FA’s acronym calls them) of the Euro 2004 England team, or of the wives and girlfriends of the 1999 US Ryder Cup team, for instance, show a classic feminine look where...