Martha and Grant offer gift recommendations for language lovers: Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages, by Guy Deutscher. OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word, by Allan Metcalf. Lost in...
scooter skirt n.— «Europeans, in colder places than Seattle, ride year round (often with something called a “scooter skirt,” a warm blanketlike cover for the rider’s lower body).» —“Take a lesson, Seattle, from...
Outside n.— «One tough lesson she said she learned Outside, as Alaskans often call the rest of the country: the media is not always fair.» —“Palin Returns to Snow and Cold of Home” by William Yardley in Anchorage...
louching n.— «Specially designed for the purpose, it’s shallow-to-flat bowl is decoratively slotted, and a cube of sugar is laid on top. Very slowly, ice cold water is dripped over the sugar cube and slowly drops into the absinthe. That...
spiraling n.— «Also, instead of spending weeks on a particular math lesson, students are introduced to the concepts for a few days and revisit them later. This technique, called “spiraling,” is designed to help students build...
piggybacking n.— «Sometimes schools will have a student start the lesson by driving another student home, a practice known as “piggybacking.” If there is another student in the car, ask where your teen will be driving and...