What’s the origin of the warning phrase down goes your shanty!? This bit of menacing slang pops up in letters written by Civil War soldiers. One wrote, “If I ever get a chance to draw sight on a rebel, down goes his shanty.” It has...
knobology n.— «Students take readily to the computerized training. Byron Hull, who manages training for the Air Route Traffic Control Centers, refers to the computer savvy of the new recruits as “knobology,” a neologism that describes the...
Hello, everybody, it’s another newsletter from A Way with Words. Over the weekend, our latest episode concentrated on the ever-popular topic of words people mispronounce on purpose, the pronunciation of “beaux arts,” and the...
Tomnibus n.— «A product of Democratic frustration with the tactics of Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician who has become the Dr. No of the Senate, the Tomnibus is a $10 billion collection of Coburn-blocked measures...
snizzle n.— «I remember when Gary coined the word “snizzle”…There just wasn’t a way to describe the stuff that’s not quite snow but not quite drizzle.» —“Former Tulsa meteorologist passes away” KJRH...
wedding moon n.— «The resort offers a deal to those who are about to be married—guests who stay five night or longer are treated to a free wedding. Reynolds has also planned “wedding moons,” as she calls them, in Cozumel, Mexico; Hawaii...