Did you ever wonder why we capitalize the pronoun “I,” but not any other pronoun? Also, the romantic story behind the term halcyon days, the origin of the phrase “like white on rice,” and the linguistic scuttlebutt on the word scuttlebutt. Plus, a...
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rehydroxylation dating n.— «Researchers from the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh, behind the new technique, called it “rehydroxylation dating” to be used on fired clay ceramics like bricks, tile and pottery. […] The method relies on the...
skimming n.— «The last step in processing is the separation of data into different streams based on the event types apparent in each collision. This process, called skimming, was performed at the computing centers—SLAC, GridKa in Germany, and RAL...
bird dog n.—Gloss: A person who guides an electrical crew to a repair site. «“There’s a lot of sign language for ‘don’t touch,’” said Andy Janosz, a switchman with PSNH in Manchester and the crew’s local “bird dog.”» —“Utility crews on scene in...
zombie n.— «Investments which last for much longer than the five-year standard nowadays often go one of two ways: either the company is killed off by the weight of its borrowings or it becomes what is known as a “zombie”—a business that still...
