In theatrical parlance, an 11 o’clock number is a showstopping tune late in a musical, which usually coincides with the protagonist or other major character having a life-changing realization. An example would be the song “So Long...
Land of milk and honey, Judgment Day, and root of all evil are well-known phrases that first appeared in English translations of the Bible. There are several less obvious ones, though, including bottomless pit, meaning an abyss, which first appears...
You know those words whose meanings never seem to stick in your mind, no matter how many times you flip back to the dictionary? Martha wrestles with the term atavistic, meaning “the tendency to revert to ancestral characteristics.” She now remembers...
A California man says that he thinks he is increasingly hearing locutions like “50 is the new 30” and “pink is the new black” and “blogs are the new resumé.” He’s curious about the origin of this X is the...
road to Damascus n. a religious conversion; a revelation, especially about one’s self; in other figurative uses, denoting a change in attitude, perspective, or belief. Also road to Damascus experience. Editorial Note: From the biblical story of St...
fundagelical n.— «I was channel-surfing past some religious shows on TV today—and I realize that a lot of fundagelical preachers love to use the Book of Revelation as a tool to try scaring people.» —“saturday morning...