Ever drop a reference that just makes you sound, well, of a certain age? Grant and Martha discuss language that’s lost on other generations. Why is the entree the main course? Shouldn’t it come first? And why is the letter k silent in “knot” and...
Some business owners give their establishments names like “Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe.” What most people don’t realize is that the letter Y in this case is a vestige of a letter we no longer use, and has a “th” sound. More about this letter here. This is...
alli-oops n.— «s a result of a nationwide campaign to sell GSK’s new weight-loss drug Alli, (AKA Orlistat, AKA Xenical), it quickly became the fastest selling over-the-counter weight-loss medication. […] But don’t let the scare mongers put you off...
dark derivative n.— «In his testimony, Greenspan recommended to Congress that regulation of Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivatives between private parties was not necessary. These derivatives are referred to as “dark derivatives” as they take place...
cliff effect n.— Note: Related to digital cliff. «Over-the-air digital television is an all-or-nothing proposition, Lewin said, meaning a television will either show a picture as clear as cable, or no picture at all. It’s commonly called the...
ticktock n.— «As to whether he backed Mr. Geithner’s decision to introduce the bank bailout plan before arriving at specifics, Mr. Summers, well schooled in Washington’s ways, invoked newspaper slang for behind-the-scenes tales. “I just don’t do...