One of the most powerful words you’ll ever hear — and one of the most poignant — isn’t in dictionaries yet. But it probably will be one day. The word is endling, and it means “the last surviving member of a species.” The...
Beth in Springhill, Tennessee, wonders which is correct to denote a particular grouping of furniture: bedroom suit or bedroom suite? Both are correct, although their use varies from region to region. If you don’t want to invite controversy...
Is it worth using proper pronunciation if it makes you sound ignorant or misinformed? Contrary to the common understanding, the word forte is actually pronounced “fort.” Grant describes forte as a skunked word; it’s a losing...
Quiz Guy Greg Pliska has a puzzle in which participants try to guess a word that could logically go before or after each of a trio of words. For example, if the three words are “nest,” “calories,” and “suit,” the...
Pennsylvania tuxedo n.— «To deer hunters in Pennsylvania and beyond, it introduced the Classic Hunt Coat. Combined with matching snow pants—in open black-on-deep-cherry-red “Heritage Plaid”—it was the uniform of the day for those pursuing...
yowie suit n. a shaggy camouflage coverall or clothing outfit, also known as a ghillie suit. Editorial Note: Occasionally just yowie, especially in attributive uses. Here’s a good picture of a yowie suit. Etymological Note: The suit is said to...