Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
Brian in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reports hearing an older person talk about getting the receipt for a dish, using the word receipt in the same way that others might use the word recipe. The use of receipt as a synonym for recipe, as in “a set of...
Ron in Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up hearing relatives ask for a receipt when they wanted a recipe, as in getting the instructions for a good cake. That usage is old-fashioned but well established. Both receipt and recipe go back to Latin...
academic steroid n.— «When she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a sophomore at UC Berkeley, Ashley welcomed her prescription for the amphetamine Adderall. Juggling a full load of classes with athletic pursuits and a...
wet reckless adj.— «Blood tests after her traffic stop Sept. 27 found prescription drugs, but neither booze nor dope. So she was allowed to plead “no contest” to what’s known in California as “wet reckless”—that is, reckless driving with booze or...
detailer n.— «The sale of prescription data, in which individual patients’ identities have been removed, has become a lucrative industry. The information is purchased from pharmacy chains and the companies that manage drug benefits for employers...
