In this episode, Grant offers a peek at some expressions he’s nominating for the American Dialect Society’s 2007 Word of the Year vote in January, 2008. Will it be w00t, subprime, or something else? You can also check out Grant’s...
computon n.—Gloss: in information technology, a measure of power or capacity of devices or systems such as storage, networks, or computer processors. Note: The more common spelling is “computron.” «A computon is a measurement...
tulies n.pl.—Gloss: the boondocks or the middle of nowhere. Note: Out in the tules/tules means “out in the boondocks” or “far away.” Encarta says that “to be in deep tules” is a Hispanic English expression meaning “to be in...
postman’s holiday n. a vacation or holiday spent in a pastime similar to one’s usual employment. Editorial Note: This is a synonym for the far more common “busman’s holiday,” which dates to at least 1893. Thanks to Al Rotches for...
no-shop period n.— «Avaya has agreed to be bought out by Silver Lake and TPG Capital, two private equity firms with significant technology holdings, but analysts have said Avaya likely will be saddled with more debt by the deal...
spello n.— «I was around for a few momentous typos and spellos (a term my friend uses for words that are misspelled not by accident, but because you really didn’t know the right spelling and didn’t check.) I got to witness e-mail pouring...