Lorelei from Wakefield, Virginia, learned the word nonce from the Spelling Bee game in The New York Times. When she looked up the definition of nonce, she saw it described as an adjective that is coined for or used for one occasion. She found this...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s brain teaser features two- and three-word expressions that end with an ee sound. For example, what two-word title might apply to a song about a participation dance with a distinctive tune and lyric structure that...
In the name of the wee man, a Scots exclamation Dorothy of Fort Worth remembers from Glasgow, is a minced oath in which the wee man refers to the devil. The same words can also simply mean a little fellow, as in a pet name for a grandson. A...
Scottish cringe n.— «Over the past week, as it became clear a decision on Megrahi’s future was imminent, many Scottish pundits and opposition politicians were consumed by what is called the Scottish cringe—the idea that some decisions are...
rapey adj.— «Is Paul Janka A Wee Bit Rapey?…You already knew he was a pervert. Turns out his tactics borrow heavily from the date rape handbook!» —“Fresh Intelligence: Is Paul Janka A Wee Bit Rapey?” by Neel...
deadstock adj.— «Legions of collectors are standing, zombielike, in the wee hours outside shoe stores, waiting for them to open, mumbling words like “deadstock” and “F.O.T.B.” These people, mostly young men, are...
