What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
share-house n.— «Many weekenders stay in what is known as a “share-house”, sprawling mansions shared by as many as 30 twenty-to-thirty-somethings, who often sleep six to a room in a scenario that calls to mind the TV shows Big Brother and...
bergy adj.— «“Most of the bergs’ ice is underwater, and they sometimes capsize or calve, so you have to be careful,” he cautions as we paddle near a “bergy bit,” the term for a house-size formation.» —“Of Ice &...
doty house n.— «The building that houses the Gallery was built by a family who moved out-of-state, and it has a unique story of its own. Mike explains the gallery building is an Amish “doty” house; doty being the German word...
witness post n.— «As surveys progressed, various improvements were introduced to secure regularity and convenience of description, by the establishment of base-lines, meridians, and standard parallels, through certain permanent natural...
ragging n.— «The walls are a subtle rose color done with a technique called ragging, in which paint is applied with a rag rather than a brush. The color matches the border of the Art Deco rug.» —“Two Country Houses and One Romance...