What’s happening linguistically when someone’s using the second-person singular possessive in a list of items? A Charlottesville, Virginia, caller began wondering that recently after hearing a wood-flooring salesperson say, “You got your maple, you...
D2D n.— «“It’s missionary work turned into a business,” said Cameron Treu, 30, who served his mission in Chile and was recruited into D2D (that is door-to-door in sales lingo) by another former missionary.» —“Door to Door as Missionaries, Then as...
mill and fill n.— «Colo. 131 was on CDOT’s short-list in the region for repaving, Shanks said. “It needed it somewhat badly—when they have to do a full-blown ‘mill and fill’ as they call it, the road clearly needed some rehabilitation,” Shanks said...
suitcase scientist n.— «Maryville resident Bill Cabage, a spokesman for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said ORNL’s frequent fliers are referred to as “suitcase scientists.” Those scientists with their carry-on luggage and laptops are helping keep...
vegecurious adj.— «Tomerlin says about half of Spiral’s customers aren’t vegetarian, but folks she dubs “vegecurious” (sounds vaguely naughty). She advises first-timers to start with more entry-level dishes such as the taco salad or chopped...
witchy-poo n.— «I think the great majority of people don’t care to listen to Natural/Alternative Medicine because they have a stereotypical view of it as wishy-washy, earth-mother, granola, hippy, witchy-poo, etc.» —“ Breakthroughs Are...
