hashtag n.— «What does it mean when somebody puts a number sign before a word in an online post? That’s called a hashtag, for the hash mark preceding the word (right, yet another name for the symbol we also call the number sign and the...
Bangle-butt n.— «BMW’s own Chris Bangle started making controversy with his “flame surfacing” design theme.…Other designers use the name Bangle as a term for a project gone wrong, and “Bangle-butt” has become...
screamer n.— Note: In print journalism, “screamer” can also refer to a large, bold headline. «The exclamation mark—or “screamer,” as it is sometimes called by journalists—is often derided as the most brash and...
ghetto slot n.— «Come September, classical music on Radio 2 will go from 12 hours of programming to five, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.—what die-hard fans refer to as the “ghetto slot.”» —“Revamp misses...
tumbling n.— «Some Irish were able to buy tickets out of the country. “They were going to be driven off the land because they were unable to pay rent when the crops failed.…The landlord would come with a constable and do what...
violin hickey n.— «Also visible, up close, is the distinct dark red mark on New’s neck that makes some strangers stare or whisper. But don’t blame her husband, principal trombonist John McPherson. He’s great with his lips, but New’s love...