mermaid tear
n.— Note: Nurdles are defined here. «More alarmingly, research has shown that small plastic pieces, also termed nurdles or “mermaid tears”, act like sponges, absorbing pollutants and other harmful substances. When consumed by living organisms and passed along the food chain, the pollutants become “biomagnified” and can reach dangerously high concentrations, a particular risk if / when their host fishes find their way onto our dinner plates.» —“Beyond guilt’s horizons a plastic invasion fleet gathers” by Catherine Cheung Courier (Ballarat, Victoria, Australia) June 14, 2008. (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...
If you’re in a book club, how do you decide what books to read? There are lots of different ways, depending on your group’s goals. And is it ever wise to correct someone who mispronounces a word? Sometimes you have to decide if...