A man who owns a parrot says that when people see his bird, they invariably ask the question “Polly wanna cracker?” He wonders about the origin of that psittacine phrase, meaning parrot-like. One of the earliest uses of the phrase so far...
sea kitten n.— «People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals—believes calling fish sea kittens will make sea food less appealing.» —“PETA’s latest idiotic demand” Courier Mail (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) Jan...
gulch n.— «For Glyn Willacott, there was never a dull moment aboard HMS Cardiff. The 59-year-old served as a weapons engineer between 1982 and 1985, travelling to the Falklands, the Persian Gulf and, of course, back to the ship’s home...
snuba n.— «For an unusual type of underwater exploration in the Red Sea try what the Israelis call snuba. It’s a combination of scuba diving and snorkeling. Divers, who must be at least 8 years old, wear fins and a mask but breathe...
white top n.— «To get to Bamiyan Province about a hundred miles due west of Kabul, the Afghan capital, Mrs. Bush flew by helicopter. There was none of the airborne luxury of the so-called “white tops”—the Sikorsky Sea Kings that usually...
sandbox sailor n.— «The official term for Navy people in Army jobs is “individual augmentees” but they call themselves “sandbox sailors.”» —“A Long Way From The Sea” by Jennifer Grogan in Camp Bucca, Iraq TheDay...