white gold
n.— «Traditionally white is the colour of mourning. When a person dies, friends, relatives and members of the community collect money in a white envelope (called white gold) for the family and the bereaved, which goes towards the cost of the funeral. Chinese people may be buried or cremated and the ashes may be shipped back to their ancestors’ grave.» —by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue A Guide to Cultural Awareness (Hamilton, United Kingdom) July 8, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
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...