Quiz Guy John Chaneski’s puzzle is inspired by the periodic table, and involves adding the chemical symbol for an element to one word in order to form an entirely new word. For example, if you take the hat from a baseball fan and add helium to...
Nothing like that old-book smell. And if you open up an old volume and think you detect notes of vanilla, there’s a good reason. That intoxicating scent is the result of lignin, a chemical compound in plants used for making paper. It has a...
functional food n.— «Too many kids are taken in by claims of health benefits in products that have been enhanced by chemical additives, including fiber, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. The industry calls these “functional...
grassoline n.— «The liquid—known as green gasoline—is the chemical equivalent of traditional gasoline, but cleaner and less expensive. According to its inventor, that means the green gas, also referred to as grassoline, has the potential...
nester n.— «Contractors often are hired by the chemical industry for specialized work and to keep costs down. Some are so imbedded in the work force they are called “nester” contractors, with long careers in one place, while...
foot filler n.— «The cosmetic procedure, familiar the world over as a quick fix injection to iron out wrinkles, is now being employed as a cure for a condition dubbed “stilettotarsal,” when pain hits the soft tissue on the...