Among ham radio enthusiasts, the word Elmer has become an affectionate term for an experienced ham radio operator who mentors a novice. It’s also used as a verb: Elmering someone means helping a new ham. The term was coined in a 1971 magazine...
“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning.” Martha talks about this weather proverb, which has been around in one form or another since ancient times. Grant shares a favorite weather word: slatch. Also this week:...
Barbara from Del Mar, California, works in a church mentoring program and wants a warmer alternative to mentee, which to her ear swims a little too close to manatee. Protégé is a well-established possibility, though it can suggest a favored or...
suitcase provider n.— «The vast majority of these are very small—in many cases, one-person enterprises or, in the vernacular, “suitcase providers.”…The traditional view is that a “suitcase provider” is a bad thing because it implies someone who is...