IED
n.— «The Marines, of course, are getting better and better at eyeballing these improvised explosive devices, as they call them, IEDs. But [the Iraqis] are very clever, too…in terms of how they create them.» —“Reporter: Marines in Fallujah appear ‘geared up’” by Scott Peterson CNN Apr. 27, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
Book recommendations and the art of apology. Martha and Grant share some good reads, including an opinionated romp through English grammar, a Spanish-language adventure novel, an account of 19th-century dictionary wars, and a gorgeously illustrated...