haltura
n.— «“Haltura” is a word which has been used frequently by the Russian actor during Bolshevism and signifies an extra job on the outside of his own theatre. The “haltura” apparitions are staged without any artistic aims, and interest the actor only as a means by which he can earn an extra few million rubles. » —“Off Stage and Us Again” by Nikita Balieff New York Times Magazine June 24, 1923. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Space Cadet (episode #1514) 12/24/2018: We have books for language-lovers and recommendations for history buffs. • How did the word boondoggle come to denote a wasteful project? The answer involves... [more]
Howling Fantods (episode #1513) 12/17/2018: Are there words and phrases that you misunderstood for an embarrassingly long time? Maybe you thought that money laundering literally meant washing drug-laced dollar bills,... [more]
Cootie Shot (episode #1510) 12/10/2018: Perfect sentences and slang that tickles your mind! A new book of writing advice says a good sentence "imposes a logic on the world's weirdness"... [more]
Bottled Sunshine (episode #1512) 11/19/2018: If you catch your blue jeans on a nail, you may find yourself with a winklehawk. This term, adapted into English from Dutch, means "an... [more]- Care Package (episode #1511) 11/12/2018: Sending someone a care package shows you care, of course. But the first care packages were boxes of food and personal items for survivors of... [more]
You must log in to post a comment.