data Valdez n. an accidental release of a large quantity of private or privileged information. Editorial Note: After the 1989 oil spill by the Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The pronunciation of Valdez, in this case, is usually...
gone pecan n. a person who is doomed, defeated, or beyond rescue; a goner. Editorial Note: As noted in the 2003 citation, pecan is pronounced in this expression to rhyme with gone, so it’s something like “puh-KAHN” rather than “PEE...
perp n. a pup or puppy; a dog. Also purp. Editorial Note: In the 1958 citation, “Perp” is the name of a dog. In the 1959 source, a dog is pictured wearing a cowboy hat. Etymological Note: Probably due to r-epenthesis (also known as...
sea turtle n.— «San Francisco-Chinese call them “sea turtles.” In the typical clever Chinese play on words, the word “turtle” has the same pronunciation as the word for “coming home.” Like turtles...
swardspeak n. a cant spoken by Filipino gay and transvestite men. Editorial Note: Swardspeak is a mix of Tagalog (Pilipino), Spanish, English, and other languages spoken in the Philippines and dates back to at least as early as the 1970s. Swardspeak...
quinceañera n. a coming-out party held for a girl’s 15th birthday; a debutante ball or cotillion. Etymological Note: Spanish quinceañera, which also means “a fifteen-year-old girl.” The Spanish pronunciation is similar to keen...