Obamamania, Obamabot, Obamathon, Obamamentum— the list of variations on the name “Obama” goes on and on. Is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter”? And what does it mean when someone...
A caller who grew up with 10 brothers and sisters recalls that whenever sibling squabbles erupted, her parents would intervene with a cheery, “Do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?” The children were expected to respond with:...
non’trée n.— «Bay Area waiters have a nickname for many of their customers these days: the non’trée. Non’trée (pronounced “non-tray”) refers to the folks who order appetizers rather than a pricier entree—a popular practice in...
slack fill n.— «An investigation revealed that Mucinex’s packaging violated state law concerning “slack fill,” a term used to describe fake walls, fake bottoms or excessive amounts of non-functional space.» —“Settlement...
depletist n.— « Depletist 1. An individual or group demonstrating apparent negligent or reckless disregard for the environmental consequences of their actions. 2. An individual or group that exhausts non-renewable resources and rejects...
take a walk v. phr.— «These scores include votes cast and non-votes by members present at the time the vote was cast. This practice, known as “taking a walk” is a ploy some lawmakers use to avoid a recorded vote while actually...