performativity
n.— «Recently, a Harvard teaching fellow, Jen Hui Bon Hoa, sent an e-mail to her students in English 193: Introduction to 20th-Century Literary Theory, informing them that the next day’s lesson would be a “performativity show and tell.” Discussion would center around a set of texts on gender theory, and Ms. Hui Bon Hoa wanted everyone to dress for the occasion. She wanted them to come in drag.» —“What’s Happening At Harvard? Try ‘Performativity’” by Leon Neyfakh in Cambridge, Massachusetts New York Sun (New York City) May 22, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Corey in Buffalo, New York, says her family uses the word unta for “the piece of bread you use to sop up the last bite of what you’re eating.” They also use it as a verb, as in I’m going to unta. Her family is half Sephardic...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...