spectacular
n.— «Target is no stranger to Times Square. It leased a large sign—known in the parlance of the outdoor industry as a spectacular—at the northeast corner of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, one block west of Times Square Tower. Target’s lease on the Eighth Avenue sign, featuring bull’s-eyes and a Lava Lamp, has expired and is not being renewed.» —“Target Aims at Times Square” by Stuart Elliot New York Times July 1, 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...
Carl in Sebastopol, California, was reminded of his childhood on New York’s Lower East Side while ready Harry Golden’s book For 2 Cents Plain (Amazon), the title referring to how customers ordered a plain glass of seltzer. For a little...