Grant has the latest headlines from the world of language, including the debate over the name of the home of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Is Beijing pronounced bay-JING or bay-ZHING? Also, a recent court decision concerning an offense that’s...
heritage artist n.— «The revival of ABBAmania again points to the power of visual media rather than radio to fuel a new generation’s discovery of what the industry politely calls heritage artists, which translates as singer-songwriters of...
chop-up n.— «Mr. Albarn brought them as well into the revue, or the “chop-up,” as he called it—a Nigerian term for a feast.» —“Street Energy in a Festive Ruckus of African Grooves and Western Pop” by Ben Ratliff New...
mooching n.— «Photographers, and in particular those shuffling around in bovine fashion attempting to get pictures of Britney Spears, are being arrested for violating laws about loitering on the public pavements.…TMZ is reporting...
A commuter hears a radio report about an organization that’s “giving away condoms like they were going out of style.” But, he wonders, if they’re really “going out of style,” then why are they so popular...
Discover the joys (and temptations!) of two new books of collected wisdom: “The Yale Book of Quotations” edited by Fred Shapiro, and James Geary’s “Guide to the World’s Great Aphorists.” Grant explains why leafing...