In this week’s episode, Martha and Grant discuss not-to-be-believed articles about language from the satirical newspaper The Onion, including one headlined “Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs.” By...
tin whisker n.— «Four weeks ago, the “tin whisker,” as it is known in the electronics industry, bridged a line of conductive material, called a “trace,” on the circuit board in Unit 3’s computer monitoring system...
drab adj.— «I have worn nothing but switchable clothing when out and about in drab for the past 6 months, with no notice. I wear either oxford-cut blouses or women’s turtlenecks, along with slim-fit ladie’s Levis and Reebok Princess...
smurfing n. the making of a series of small transactions to escape the regulatory notice a single larger transaction might attract. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
noisy withdrawal n.— «“Noisy withdrawal”—where lawyers are required if necessary to resign with notice to the SEC where there has been a serious breach of securities law.» —“Let me in, I’m a lawyer” by Jon...
kalo-kalo n.— «One of my brother’s friend’s…is a Nissan salesman (notice how he dropped the Maxima into the conversation), he referred to your car as a “kalo kalo” (fruit machine) for gas. And all the gadgets on it, I...