OMG, text messaging! It’s destroying the English language, corrupting young minds, turning us into illiterates. It’s probably shrinking the ozone layer, too. Or is it? In his new book, Txting: The Gr8 Db8, David Crystal offers a...
Let’s say that you’re getting diesel therapy at o-dark-thirty. What are you getting and when are you getting it? A New Jersey contestant from the National Puzzlers’ League learns the meaning of these terms in this week’s...
Finally, just in time for holiday get-togethers, Grant and Martha provide some linguistic family therapy to solve a mother-daughter conflict over whether nummy is a legitimate term. Mom says it’s perfect for describing a delicious meal, but...
pop n.— «Mike Rehmus, editor of Model Engine Builder, a magazine published five times a year in Vallejo, Calif., said that the builders of miniature internal-combustion engines seemed to have in common a “satisfaction of making something...
therapism n. a culture or ideal of mental therapy, empathy, or sharing of feelings, especially as a cure. Editorial Note: This term was popularized, although probably not coined by, novelist Fay Weldon. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
rollator n.— «To improve this resident’s gait, staff worked closely with him, helping him ambulate more regularly. Therapy staff taught him how to use a rollator walker.» —“Pulling together for restraint reduction” by...