Lo, a Chinese American caller from Oak Park, Illinois, learned English as a second language and uses Oriental for herself without taking offense, but wonders why others object. Applied to people, Oriental can sound dated or condescending because it...
The word zarf means “a metal cupholder,” but a Scrabble enthusiast says other players always challenge his use of that word. He wants to know its origin. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Zarf Origin” Hello...
Like mushrooms in fallen leaves, new words keep popping up overnight. Also, is there an English word that means “the in-laws of your son or daughter“? And what does it mean when someone says, “Well, that was odder than Dick’s...
Af-Pak n.— Note: Also AFPAK. «He is understood to have ordered military chiefs to build a revised strategy on the foundation that his first priority is stopping another terror attack against America from what is commonly referred to as...
compellance n.— «The truth is that most political observers in Pakistan have become knee-jerk and non-cerebral, giving Pakistan’s enemy a handle through what is called “compellance”: get the enemy to do what it wants to do for self...
Busharraf n.— «Polls showed Musharraf’s popularity was in free fall at 15 per cent. Some 64 per cent of Pakistanis said they viewed the president’s backers in Washington as “the single biggest threat” to the nation. And people...
