Category: Uncategorized
Who gives a quote about the Oxford comma?
I do in a Vanity Fair blog post by Michael Hogan who writes about a band called Vampire Weekend which has a song called “Oxford Comma.” The band is four white kids who play pop-rock flavored with African guitar-playing styles that you might hear in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Zaire, South Africa, and…
Welcome to Slang City
My latest column in the Malaysia Star. There is, of course, a lot more to be written on the subject of slang as spoken in New York City, both currently and historically, but the length of a newspaper column allows for only the lightest touches and I sought to keep an eye on the audience…
Lysdexia, rain garden, infant-mortality failure
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: lysdexia n. a joking name for dyslexia, a learning disorder. rain garden n. a piece of low, damp ground planted with vegetation that is suitable for rainwater that collects there. infant-mortality failure n. a breakdown of a piece of machinery that is new or has recently been…
Citjo, floppy, supermajor
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: citjo n. a citizen journalist. floppy n. a comic book, so-named to distinguish it from a thicker graphic novel. supermajor n. one of the handful of very large petroleum companies.
Taking a haircut and losing your shirt
Last week I wrote about real estate, mortgage, and investment terms for the Malaysia Star. Here’s the column in full: This past year, one of the biggest trends in language was related to real estate, housing, and home loans. Oh, yes, those dry worlds turn out plenty of curious terms. Probably the biggest winner in…
Faux-po, snarge, quizzam
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: faux-po n. a security guard; turkey bacon. Faux + po-po. snarge n. the carcass or remains of a bird that hits an airplane or passes through its jet engine. Said to be a blend of the words “snot” and “garbage.” quizzam n. a test that is more…
Solastalgia, happy sack, vein brother
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: solastalgia n. a form of homesickness you get when you are still at home; feeling as though an environment has changed around you. happy sack n. an air-sickness bag, the kind typically used on airplanes. vein brother n. a man with which you get high on injected…
Circus gold, singlism
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: circus gold n. elephant dung. singlism n. bias against people who are not married or part of a couple.
American Dialect Society 2007 word of the year is “subprime”
The American Dialect Society 2007 word of the year is “subprime.” Press release here.
Trunk monkey, wasta
Recent interesting catchwords from the Double-Tongued Dictionary are: trunk monkey n. a rear gunner in an armed vehicle, caravan, or convoy. Used among military personnel and contractors in Iraq. It’s possible that the term derives from this advertisement from Suburban Auto Group, and others in the same series which first aired in Portland, Oregon, in…