Word Spy
Recent Words
- Frankenstein veto
Frankenstein veto n. A veto in which the words in a bill are deleted or rearranged to form a new bill with an entirely different meaning.Example Citation: The most expansive veto power of any governor in the country would be curtailed under a proposal that unanimously cleared the state Senate on Tuesday.
The proposal would amend the state constitution to ban the so-called "Frankenstein" veto, which allows the governor to cross out words and numbers and stitch together others to create new laws not approved by the Legislature.
—"News from the Legislature," The Associated Press, December 12, 2007Read more about "Frankenstein veto"
Posted on December 14, 2007
- Christmas tree allergy
Christmas tree allergy n. Allergy symptoms caused by a decaying Christmas tree inside a house or apartment.Example Citation: Allergists have long suspected that live Christmas trees are the culprits behind some folks' runny, itchy noses during the holidays —and now one doctor believes he has proof. ...
Santilli placed a live Christmas tree inside an intern's apartment and took air samples for two weeks. (Santilli keeps his Christmas tree on a porch until Christmas Eve.)
For the first three days, the mold counts inside the apartment hovered around 800 spores per cubic meter of air, compared with a normal range of 500 to 700 spores per cubic meter. But by day 14, the mold count had skyrocketed to 5,000 spores per cubic meter. ...
Although the medical community has long known about "Christmas tree allergy," there has been some debate over what causes the sneezing, runny noses and watery eyes — pollen or mold.
—Linda Shrieves, "Christmas tress may be adding to your holiday sniffles," Orlando Sentinel, November 22, 2007Read more about "Christmas tree allergy"
Posted on December 13, 2007
- push present
push present n. An expensive gift given to a woman by her husband in appreciation for having recently given birth.Example Citation: At a recent moms' group brunch, the baby talk took a conspiratorial turn. The topic: Who was expecting a "push present?" ...
Always a piece of serious jewellery, frequently diamonds — stud earrings, a jewel-encircled tennis bracelet or a solitaire pendant — push presents have become the posh way for new dads to compensate their partners for the agonies of childbirth.
—Andrea Zoe Aster, "Push, push (and I'll buy you a pendant)," The Globe and Mail, December 11, 2007Read more about "push present"
Posted on December 12, 2007
- womenomics
womenomics n. The theory that women play a primary role in economic growth. [Blend of women and economics.]Example Citation: Across the world, it is women who are driving economic growth. Over the last 30 years, they have filled two out of every three new jobs. The term 'womenomics' has been coined to illustrate the increasing role that women are now playing, and will continue to play, in economic life.
—Cherie Booth, "Don't let culture be an excuse for demeaning women," The Observer, October 28, 2007Read more about "womenomics"
Posted on December 11, 2007
- dropout factory
dropout factory n. A school or educational system with a high dropout rate.Example Citation: 'More than a half-century after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems, separate and unequal,' Mr. Edwards said. 'There are nearly 1,000 high schools where more than half of the students won't graduate — they're called 'dropout factories.''
—Julie Bosman, "Education And Schools Are a Focus For Edwards," The New York Times, September 22, 2007Read more about "dropout factory"
Posted on December 6, 2007
- fixie
fixie n. A fixed-wheel bicycle that has only a single gear since the pedals are chained directly to the rear wheel.Example Citation: The choice of buying a fixed-wheel bike or "track bike" for city use appears to defy common sense, convenience and considerations of personal safety. Noninitiates to the so-called "fixie" consider their owners to have a few screws loose as well as missing a few gears. The disadvantages of fixed-wheel bikes are obvious — you can't freewheel down hills, you can't change gear going uphill, you have to time stopping to perfection otherwise you land on your rear and, without mudguards, you get soaked every time it rains.
Yet fans of the fixie swear that nothing can beat it for urban riding. Indeed, the majority of Britain's urban cycling professionals, the couriers who ride for a living all day, choose to ride fixies. What's more, the latest bicycle fashion is spreading from couriers to health enthusiasts to commuters. At Condor Cycles, the central-London shop, fixed-wheel bikes are a top seller — accounting for half the sales of the Condor brand.
—Tom Bogdanowicz, "In favour of the fixie," Financial Times, November 17, 2007Read more about "fixie"
Posted on December 5, 2007
- sharp number
sharp number n. A precise or unrounded number.Example Citation: You're selling your house. You set the asking price at a nice round figure—$420,000, let's say. But if you had chosen to list the house for $420,399—almost $400 more—your chances of finding a buyer just might improve.
This finding, and others like it, derives from studies undertaken by marketing professor Manoj Thomas and colleagues at Cornell University's Johnson School. Thomas and other consumer marketing researchers have found that people have an innate tendency to downplay the magnitude of precise numbers, such as $325,437, also known as "sharp" numbers, compared to imprecise figures ending in one or more zeros—the familiar round numbers like $325,000.
—Dirk Hanson, "'Sharp' Numbers Sell Houses," Blogcritics, October 3, 2007Read more about "sharp number"
Posted on November 9, 2007
- lifestreaming
lifestreaming n. An online record of a person's daily activities, either via direct video feed or via aggregating the person's online content such as blog posts, social network updates, and online photos.
—lifestreamer n.
—lifestream v., n.Example Citation: Facebook have now made it possible to load all these other websites directly into your Facebook profiles.