When somebody sneezes, we say bless you or gesundheit. But suppose that person coughs. Are you supposed to say something — or are they? Plus, Mexican standoffs, gracious plenty, linguistic false friends, southpaw vs. northpaw, the slang of rabbit...
A listener from Fairfield, Connecticut, wonders why she changes her accent and diction when family members from the Middle East are in town. Truth it, everyone does this. It’s a matter of imitating those around us in order to make ourselves...
hot stain n.— «Because there are what scientists call “hot stains’”…the parts of the Earth now running out of potable water. Hot stains include northern China, large areas of Asia and Africa, the Middle East, Australia...
wasta n.—Gloss: the Arabic word for influence, personal connections; “pull” or “juice.” Note: While not yet fully adopted as an English word, wasta is increasingly familiar to American soldiers serving in the Middle...
Dearbornistan n.—Gloss: a nickname, often derogatory, for Dearborn, Michigan, which has a large population of Muslims. Note: The “-stan” and “-istan” suffixes are often informally affixed to place names in the...
Burnt Rice n.— «The US is also not leaving anything to chance. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has cancelled a scheduled trip to the Middle East and Congo. President Bush will also be on hand should the matter require intervention at...