Has the age of email led to an outbreak of exclamation marks? Do women use them more than men? Also, is there a word for the odd feeling when you listen to a radio personality for years, then discover that they look nothing like your mental picture...
Martha reviews the new book, Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich, a memoir about setting out to learn a second language in mid-life. Rich spent a year in India to learn Hindi, and became so fascinated with the process that she went on to...
hot prowl burglary n.— «A string of what the police call “hot prowl” burglaries—entries into people’s homes as they sleep—had been reported.» —“Alleged Serial Burglar Nabbed in West Portal” by Joe...
ham fat musician n.— «He went from being a “ham fat” musician (a term for amateur players in reference to young trombonists greasing their slides with lard) to a professional.» —“Remembering legendary Danny Barker” by...
surface bargaining n.— «Despite the union vote by the plant’s largely Guatemalan immigrant workers, Case Farms has resorted to what is called “surface bargaining,” in which they pretend to bargain, but actually just waste time with low...
magic-wand bill n.— «This is the kind of bill that is often called a magic-wand bill—something that’s one thing, is something else just because we say it is.…Any kind of laws that disregard the reality of the situation is worrisome...
