When it comes to learning new things, what’s on your bucket list? A retired book editor decided to try to learn Latin, and ended up learning a lot about herself. There’s a word for someone who learns something late in life. And when it...
A hike in San Diego’s Mission Trails Regional Park has Martha pondering terms for turkey vultures. A flock of vultures in flight is called a kettle, a committee, or a volt, while a group of vultures feeding on carrion is called a wake. This is...
bush wife n.— «I met three rape victims—euphemistically called bush wives—in a priest’s home not far from the eastern Congolese town of Bunia.» —“Hillary’s Gutsy Mission” by Eliza Griswold Daily Beast Aug. 7...
extinction n.— «But the thing is, as Natasha points out, the language of the slot machine industry belies its ultimate aims. There’s a term bandied about at the trade shows: “extinction.” We need to design for extinction, we...
grunter hunter n.—Gloss: a pig-hunter in Australia. «They call themselves “grunter hunters,” but the small army of Australians who spend their weekends stalking wild pigs through the bush are finding themselves increasingly...
alleycat n.— «The Staten Island Invasion was a type of race known as an “alleycat,” a high-speed scavenger hunt that has become popular among messengers and bike enthusiasts around the country. Alleycats are like marathons for the anti...