Decisions by dictionary editors, wacky wordplay, and Walt Whitman’s soaring verse. How do lexicographers decide which historical figures deserve a mention or perhaps even an illustration in the dictionary? The answer changes with the times. •...
coolered adj.— «Players that hold a big hand but run into a bigger hand are now officially “coolered” in the poker lingo. It’s a word that’s attached to nearly every sob story where the hero ran into a losing situation that they feel was impossible...
son stroke n.— «Even before summer has arrived, Hyderabad cricket is suffering from a peculiar “son stroke.” Certainly, it’s not a crime to see one’s son play cricket at any level. But, what happens is when it comes to picking the team on sheer...
self-licking ice cream cone n.— «For grateful military leaders, there was merit in reinforcement for its own sake. One senior general compared the existing force to a “self-licking ice cream cone”—so small and weak that it consumed most of its...
yogi v.— «Yogi-ing—v. in the words of the lama in Rudyard Kipling’s “Kim’”encouraging the charitable to attain merit.” Usually in the form of a meal, ride or gear.» —“Glossary Of Hiker Terms” by Norma Jean DeVico Times (Trenton, New Jersey) Sept...
burrowing n.— «The panel also recommended a proposal aimed at curbing the practice known as “burrowing” in which political appointees nearing the end of a gubernatorial administration take a protected Merit System job.» —“Merit System panel...