swimmer n.— «In Australia, Russian and Chinese swimmers were second and third in the medals table, at the time of writing—a marked improvement on last year. These countries are also producing more “swimmers” in capital markets, where it is a...
shell-mouthed adj.— «The Patriots are notorious around the NFL for being shell-mouthed about injuries. Players are forbidden to discuss even their own.» —“Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything” by Charles P. Pierce Oct. 31...
bubblehead n.— «Drivers are divided into “incredibly nutty drivers” and “incredibly wacky drivers” with names to match—such as “Commodore Bubblehead,” who “seems to have spent a little too much time bumping his head on the hatchways in the...
infolaxis n.— «Also, he’s leading research into how fire ants in a particular colony exchange chemical information with one another. Anderson has coined the term “infolaxis” to describe the exchange phenomenon. The coinage comes from...
Hollywood no n.— «Confused because the production executive hot in pursuit of your screenplay last week isn’t returning your calls this week? Well, meet the Hollywood “no.”» —“Proper Etiquette—What a High Concept!” by Connie Benesch Los Angeles...