conehead
n.— «Conehead. This has nothing to do with the space-alien routine made famous on Saturday Night Live. In Los Alamos, it means scientist, stemming from the unflattering “pointy-headed”—meaning too intellectual. Somehow, the folks at the lab have turned it into a badge of honor. They might say of someone whose intellect is in doubt, “His cone isn’t all that sharp.”» —“The New Mexican Lexicon” by Tom Sharpe Albuquerque Journal (N.M.) Jan. 10, 1997. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
There are eight major planets, but more than a million minor ones, including asteroids. If you discover one, you get the honor of naming it. The Dictionary of Minor Planet Names includes minor planets named for rock bands, jazz musicians, poets, and...
After our conversation about nighttime wakefulness, a Sacramento, California, woman shares the funny story behind the term she and her husband use for that phenomenon: squeegee. This is part of a complete episode.
Related