witch’s broom n.— «Others are freaks of nature that arrived on a “witch’s broom.” That’s the term for a mutation that sometimes occurs on the branch of a normal tree and is characterized by a tight, dense mass of abnormally...
OTB n.— « The OTB line of boots and topsiders uses footwear technology developed for high-performance boat shoes worn by U.S. Navy SEALs, according to OTB Footwear, of Scituate, Mass. OTB stands for “over the beach,” navy...
flybrid n.— «Nearly every F1 car will be a flybrid in 2009, as the race series tries to become more relevant to mass market trends. It’s also trying to convince potential fans it’s a “green” sport.…A flybrid is hybrid...
win n.— Note: This is a slang us of “win” as a mass noun. «Wow, I never knew the Smooth Criminal video was a tribute to Astaire! This is great, full of win.» —“Astaire/Jacko mashup video: Smooth Criminal” by...
Hey-o! It's another newsletter from A Way with Words This past weekend's show was completely new. We tackled the expression "put a snap on the grouch bag," how to pronounce "patronize," and the rise of the German word...
What’s the trouble with using the expression “drink the Kool-Aid” to connote blind, unquestioning obedience to a politician? A caller is bothered by the grisly origin of the phrase—a reference to the 1978 mass suicide in Jonestown...