flapper n.— «In the early 1930s he sold his shares and paid £24,000 for an unlicensed dog track—a “flapper,” as they are called—upon whose land Walthamstow was built.» —“The last days of Walthamstow Stadium” by...
Welcome to another newsletter from A Way with Words! This past weekend we aired the episode in which we talked about "grouch bag," the pronunciation of "patronize," the origin of "dead heat," and the use of the German...
banjee n.— «Most band members wore tank tops emblazoned with the word “banjee” (a slang term for gay men of color who project a tough image).» —“Live: Hercules and Love Affair” by Ann Powers Los Angeles...
cud n.— «Major Die Breaks are often referred to as “cuds,” a slang holdover term from the 1960s that stuck. A cud occurs when a section of the die face and corresponding shank breaks away and leaves a void in the die in its...
This week’s Slang This! contestant is from Boston. She shares a slang phrase making the rounds among her friends at MIT: “find your pants.” She then tries to guess the meaning of the slang term boilover and the obscure word...
Welcome to another newsletter from A Way with Words! This newsletter was originally supposed to go out on Monday, May 12th, but our service provider had a snafu and the messages disappeared into the ether. There are a lot of creatures on planets...