Downton Abbey, a program featured on Masterpiece Theater, provided a handful of colorful expressions that date surprisingly far back. “Like it or lump it,” meaning “deal with it,” is found at least as early as 1830 and takes from the old verb lump...
Buenos! In this week’s archive edition, we consider alternatives to the word “retirement.” We also discuss “swan song,” “bike-shedding,” “tohubohu,” “criteria,” and how to pronounce “crayon.” It’s almost here! The granddaddy of all word-of-the-year...
yngling n.— «A mystery to anyone without an interest in sailing before those Games, the boat drew headlines after the success of the trio—whose sporting prowess was augmented by good looks—and suddenly there was great interest in the racing of what...
protest room n.— «Unfortunately, protests are an integral part of racing, and this scene is all too common, especially at Key West Race Week where 260 highly competitive boats push hard to win races. The sailing is usually aggressive; collisions...
grinder n.— «Some, like Chris Brittle, are called grinders—muscle machines who crank huge winches. Others are trimmers, fine-tuning the line of every sail. Each time we change course, everyone leaps to the nearest rope or winch handle and heaves...
mahogany reef n. a place where alcoholic drinks are served, especially in a seaside community. Editorial Note: This is a jocular expression associated with sailing and fishing. It is sometimes used as the name of an actual drinking establishment...
