Starting this year, Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants not only have to spell words correctly. A controversial new rule means they’ll have to answer vocabulary questions, too. Also, when it comes to reading text, do you prefer...
scamera n.— «In case you haven’t noticed, many counties and municipalities around Mississippi, most notably Jackson, have placed cameras at street intersections in an attempt to enforce traffic violations.…The proponents of what I...
line-jumping n.— «Then the discussion may also trigger talking about the unofficial, but well acknowledged move by parents living out in the county to have their children enrolled in the Starkville school system. The city district...
sermo-mercial n.— «Church pastors have won trips to London and $1000 by mentioning Disney’s film The Chronicles of Narnia in their sermons. That contest staged by a Christian marketing firm has coined the term “sermo-mercial”...
back door draft n.— «One individual advised that he is being involuntarily recalled for placement in the Army Reserve, despite having been out of the Army for over two years. Apparently the referenced action is being taken because of the...
foot fault n. in jurisprudence, a minor criminal or procedural violation; a legal misstep. Etymological Note: This is a direct borrowing from net-based sports, such as tennis, badminton, and volleyball, where a foot fault is the placement of a foot...