Teen slang from the South, and food words that are tricky to pronounce. • High schoolers in Huntsville, Alabama, told Martha and Grant about their slang, including a term particular to their hometown. • How do you pronounce the name of that tasty...
The housing shortage in crowded urban areas has led to ever smaller domiciles known as micro-units. Even smaller ones are sometimes called nano units or gnat flats. This is part of a complete episode.
The English language has no shortage of words that mean nonsensical talk, including one that’s piqued a listener’s curiosity: How did flannel come to mean “empty chatter” or “hot air,” as in “Don’t...
DISCO n.— «Senior officials of different power distribution companies (DISCOs) also termed the current loadshedding unprecedented, especially in rural areas, and said the present shortage was a catastrophe in Pepco’s history...
meter n.— «“Thirty meters. Take it or leave it!” said a vendor who gave his name only as Ephraim. In street parlance, a million Zimbabwe dollars is a meter.» —“Impoverished Mozambique becomes new shopping destination for...
spotter n.— «Cal Fire blamed the delay on a shortage of military helicopter managers, better known as spotters—trained wild-land firefighters who help military pilots position water drops and communicate with firefighters in the air and...