Decisions by dictionary editors, wacky wordplay, and Walt Whitman’s soaring verse. How do lexicographers decide which historical figures deserve a mention or perhaps even an illustration in the dictionary? The answer changes with the times. •...
Why do we differentiate linguistically between an actor and an actress, but don’t make a similar distinction between a male doctor and a female one? The profession of being an actor was initially limited to men, so the word actress came later...
A calliope — that organ often found on steamboats or at circuses — ends like Penelope, not cantaloupe. The word originally comes from the Greek muse of eloquence and epic poetry, though the sound of a calliope today is associated more with carnival...
social papers n.pl.— «A clarification is in order: real “social papers” are not boxed cards with your initial from your corner stationer. Social papers are made with hand-cut dies, a universe of fonts and stock in shades like creamy ecru...
stationery wardrobe n.— «Ms. Kargman, the author of social satires like “The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund,” out this spring, is not only conversant with the phrase “stationery wardrobe,” she has one of her own. It includes miniature raspberry...
slow design n.— «Her products are examples of Slow Design, which is not so much a metabolic term as it is a philosophical one. Slow means that Alabama Chanin is run on the tenets of the Slow Food movement, which essentially challenges one...