The word silly didn’t always have its modern meaning. In the 1400s, silly meant happy or blessed. Eventually, “silly” came to mean weak or in need of protection. Other seemingly simple words have shifted meanings as the English...
Lock the bad guys up in the hoosegow! This slang term for a jail comes from the Spanish juzgado, meaning tribunal. It’s an etymological relative of the English words judge and judicial. This is part of a complete episode.
glassing n.— «Surgeon Gordian Fulde has seen more than his fair share of people sliced open in glassing attacks.…“We get people who we have to stitch up all over their body from being attacked with a glass or a broken bottle...
pickle shot n.— «But eventually he skateboards past a bush that reveals his private parts—at least in outline—for what Hollywood insiders call the “pickle shot.” No spiky hair down there.» —“The Simpsons Movie—The Times...
Blur-Ray n.— «The HD-DVD supporters camp do seem to be slightly more demented than fans of Blu-Ray (or “Blur-Ray” as they hilariously dub it), so I’m more inclined to support the Blu-Ray format.» —“I like horses. I like DVD players...
Iraq war three n.— «We won’t see the gruesome effects of this until long after we’ve pulled out, when it may produce a dictator considerably worse than Saddam. Within the military community there is a worrying new phrase: “Iraq war...