What do you call that embellishment at the bottom of old signatures, like the hash-marked line beneath John Hancock’s name? It’s called a paraph, originally used as a distinct mark to protect against forgery. This is part of a complete...
spiritwear n.— «Under the policy, which is formally called “spiritwear” rather than uniforms, students are required to wear khaki or navy blue pants or shorts, oxford, button down or polo shirts, and color restricted shoes, socks, belts...
Time to solve another linguistic mystery. You’re in a restaurant. You overhear a conversation at the next table. The woman says to her friend, “You know, I just love the taste of joe floggers.” And her dining companion replies...
Ahoy, mateys, and welcome aboard another newsletter from A Way with Words! We are delighted to welcome our new listeners from KTOO in Juneau, Alaska, and WCAI, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The smell of leather-bound books and printer's ink is...
chatter n.— «The Scientific Games Corporation, which dominates the scratch-off market and counts states like Texas and Massachusetts as clients, advises lottery managers to increase jackpots to lure players.…“But like any ‘tool,’ an...
yo-yoing n.— «In the wake of a controversy that engulfed the Derby this fall, two respected Island organizations have asked the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) to ban a fishing method known as yo-yoing…a fishing...