Do people who work together sound alike? Yes! Over time, they may begin to develop similar patterns of speech, or what might be called an “occupational accent” that helps them communicate efficiently. Also, lots of familiar words in English got...
The English language has been greatly enriched by borrowings from the languages of Asia. Barely scratching the surface, we have from Japan skosh, tycoon, tsunami, origami, yen, kimono, futon, and karaoke. From Chinese comes yen, kowtow, gung ho, and...
What do you call those convenient props in illustrations and movies that cover up the naughty bits? A listener remembers an old illustrated copy of The Emperor’s New Clothes that made clever use of twigs and berries for covering, well, the twigs and...
hot body n.— «The reverse kimono dress is what the garment industry calls a hot body, meaning it sells so well that a designer makes it for more than one season, often tweaking it by using a new fabric.» —“Michelle Obama’s Thakoon Dress” by Teri...
open the kimono v. phr.— «In this situation it’s essential for ABC to inform readers as to the disciplinary action taken. Was the offending reporter fired? Suspended? Given a stern talking to? Was a note put in their file? Maybe. ABC could also...
open the kimono v. phr. to expose or reveal secrets or proprietary information. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)