It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
The new book Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language is a smart, engaging, introduction to language and linguistics in general. It’s also rich with insights about how we communicate online. With verve, wit, and nerdy delight...
sputtering n.— «Metal ion creation in the semiconductor industry relies on a technique called sputtering. Traditional sputtering relies on a gas such as argon being heated to plasma and then contained by a magnetic field between a layer...
OMG, text messaging! It’s destroying the English language, corrupting young minds, turning us into illiterates. It’s probably shrinking the ozone layer, too. Or is it? In his new book, Txting: The Gr8 Db8, David Crystal offers a...
fat washing n.— «Although in this case it’s bacon-flavored bourbon, and the process, known as a fat washing, is different from a typical infusion. Essentially, beverage director Paul Westerkamp renders bacon, combines the grease with...
rubbering in n.— «Tires were taken to the speedway for the race that Grant said were identical to the setup that was tested, and Pemberton said Friday’s practice session went normally. But it became apparent Saturday that the abrasive...