1661
n.— «The technical term for this—where you look pullable from behind, with your slashed mini, straggly Joss Stone hair and macrame ankle bracelet, but when swivelled around, look more like someone eligible to collect a pension—is 1661. (Get it? Sixteen from the back, 61 from the front.) Oh, dear. Perhaps that’s what I am: the ultimate 1661. Yet isn’t a certain amount of self-delusion necessary in order to cope with the horrible, galloping inevitability of old age?» —“1661;Is 45 really that old?” by Christa D’Souza Times (London, United Kingdom) Dec. 4, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Angela calls from Albany Township, Maine, because she’s puzzled by the slang she hears from younger professionals in her field. She designs wigs and styles hair for actors, and recently she’s heard them use the word eat in a new and...
When you had sleepovers as a child, what did you call the makeshift beds you made on the floor? In some places, you call those bedclothes and blankets a pallet. This word comes from an old term for “straw.” And: What’s the story...