A listener in Billings, Montana, says his brother is an English teacher who corrects his pronunciation of forte, meaning “strong point.” Pedants will insist that it should be pronounced like “fort,” not “FOUR-tay,” but that reflects an assumption...
libero n. in volleyball, a restricted, roaming back row player. Etymological Note: From Italian adj. libero ‘free,’ a shortened form of battitore libero ‘free beater,’ a similar position in soccer that originated with a Milanese team in the late...
spiedie n. a food dish of marinated meat chunks, usually cooked on a skewer and sometimes eaten as a sandwich. Also spiedi. Editorial Note: This word in the US appears to be special to New York State near Binghamton and Syracuse. Etymological Note:...