It’s the business of business jargon. Say you’re in line at the drugstore. Does it bother you if the cashier says, “Next guest”? In department stores and coffeeshops, does the term “guest” suggest real...
Did you ever wonder why we capitalize the pronoun “I,” but not any other pronoun? Also, the romantic story behind the term halcyon days, the origin of the phrase “like white on rice,” and the linguistic scuttlebutt on the...
The term Melungeon, applied to a group of people in Southeastern Appalachia marked by swarthy skin and dark eyes, has been used disparagingly in the past. But Melungeons themselves reclaimed that name in the 1960s. The Melungeon Heritage website...
Grant gives Martha a little Greek test with the word leucomelanous. Leuco, meaning “white,” and melano, meaning “black,” together refer to someone with a fair complexion and dark hair, like Snow White or Veronica from the...
skin tenting n.— «There is a simple way to tell if you are dehydrated, Rodriguez said, and it is a technique called “skin tenting.” In this technique, pinch and lift up the skin on the back of the hand to form a tent, then...
jacket fries n.pl.— «They’re what some restaurants call “jacket fries”: oblong slices of fried skin-on Idaho potato. Crisp at the edges but thick enough to be fluffy in the middle, they’re a lovely hybrid of chip and french...