You may have heard the advice that to build your vocabulary you should read, read, and then read some more – and make sure to include a wide variety of publications. But what if you just don’t have that kind of time? Martha and Grant...
To go at something bald-headed means “to rush at something head-on.” The same idea informs the phrase to “I’m going to pinch you bald-headed,” which an exasperated parent might say to a misbehaving child. The more...
skin tenting n.— «There is a simple way to tell if you are dehydrated, Rodriguez said, and it is a technique called “skin tenting.” In this technique, pinch and lift up the skin on the back of the hand to form a tent, then...
hoss-pinch n.— «To those of you who do not know what a “hoss-pinch” is, it is when somebody older than your grandmother has been working for many years in the fields, has used a “rub-board” for years to wash clothes and has soft motherly...
fartichoke n.— «I love the nutty, earthy flavour of jerusalem artichokes, but there is a reason they are often called fartichokes. A tip from an Indian friend is a trick worth knowing—adding a pinch of asafoetida, or hing, to the...
purpling n.— «The man who called the school during an emotional crisis alleged that Soens would pinch his nipples, a practice called “purpling,” due to the dark bruises that appeared on the boys’ chests.» —“Probe of...