The English word rhinestone is a loan translation of French caillou du Rhin, or literally “Rhine pebble,” because these sparkly fake gems were first cut from rock crystal found in the Rhine River. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Laura Maiklem’s book Mudlark: In Search of London’s Past Along the River Thames (Bookshop| Amazon) is a charming memoir about the rewards of scavenging for bits of history along the River Thames. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A...
How should you pronounce the word jewelry? That prompts a conversation about the transposition of letters and sounds called metathesis— not only in jewelry, but many others including realtor, foliage, larynx, and introduce. This is part of a...
mud suite n.— «“They can be the jewelry of the space,” says the designer, who often includes a message center in what she likes to call the “mud suite.” This area can contain anything from a drawer for keys, to shelving for phone books and a...
sunnies n.pl.— «She was wearing loose jeans, a sleeveless white shirt unbuttoned to her sternum and an even larger amount of gold jewelry than usual. “I keep changing my sunnies,” she said as she fished in her Birkin bag for another pair of...
snarewear n.— «Craftswomen in Zambia are turning snares formerly used to illegal kill wildlife into jewelry. Called “snareware,” the handmade jewelry is part of a program that has grossed $350,000 for rural communities and helped protect endangered...