Double-Tongued Dictionary Recent Citations

Citation Queue These are recently added citations for catchwords that have not yet been researched or incorporated into a full dictionary entry. There is also a date-sorted archive which includes all citations, whether used in a full entry or not, as well as the full entries themselves.

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globster n. Many monster enthusiasts believe that huge, unidentified masses that occasionally wash up on beaches throughout the world are sea monsters. These finds, often called globsters, are obviously flesh, yet have decayed so badly that they lack bones or distinguishing features. (May. 15, 2009) [full citation…]

buildinglet n. If you’ve ever parked by the marina in Flushing to see a Mets game, you may have been struck by the whimsy and drama of two white shelters that sit by the bay, structures that look as if their creator had been issued the challenge to design igloos that could take wing. Futuristic and fiberglass, they are too small and fanciful to rise to the level of something you would call a building, but they have a functional feel that suggests they are not pure sculpture. [...] Were a documentary made of the two of them researching the structures—buildinglets, they call them—here would be some key scenes. (May. 15, 2009) [full citation…]

kill step n. Threatened with a federal shutdown, the pie maker, ConAgra Foods, began spot-checking the vegetables for pathogens, but could not find the culprit. It also tried cooking the vegetables at high temperatures, a strategy the industry calls a “kill step,” to wipe out any lingering microbes. But the vegetables turned to mush in the process. (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

triggerlock n. Demarcus Coley, 29 years of age, of the 12000 block of Tech Ridge in Austin, Tx., charged with possession of a Schedule I narcotic with intent to distribute, criminal conspiracy, and Triggerlock. Triggerlock is a term for the enhanced penalties that can be brought against a suspect found in possession of narcotics and firearms together. (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

racecraft n. “When you get to this stage, these guys know how to drive race cars,” said Mears, who is working with driver Will Power as he prepares for his second Indy start and first with Penske on May 24. “So it’s really more dealing with traffic, race strategy—racecraft as they call it, A picture of the race itself.” (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

infodemic n. Is it an abundance of caution, or an abundance of panic and fear? An epidemic or an “infodemic?” What constitutes responsible action at a time when fear prevails? (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

pill pull n. The drawing for post positions will be held on Wednesday, May 13th, at 5 PM Eastern Standard Time and the process for selecting the starting spots for the Preakness is done using a method called a “pill pull.” Similar to the process in which post positions are chosen for the Kentucky Derby, a blind draw of small, numbered ping pong-like balls will be used to figure out which horses are in what gates at post time of the 2009 Preakness Stakes. The post positions draw programming is scheduled to last roughly 30 minutes. (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

meeskite adj. Little, purebred dogs are certainly among the easier animals to find homes for, but Rosie was a bit “mature” when she entered my shelter as a homeless stray. A somewhat crusty old lady, this little Shitzu was in fact a mess when I first brought Marilyn to meet her. The Yiddish word “meeskite” meaning “someone so homely she’s actually cute,” the proverbial face only a mother could love, that was Rosie. (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

alloparent n. Where did the term “alloparent” to refer to the mother’s helpers come from? I was one of the first people back in the ’70s to write about the importance of conspecifics—members of the same species other than the mothers—rearing offspring, but at the time I was using the very technical primatological term “aunties and uncles.” And I was writing a paper in a seminar for Edward O. Wilson, and he said, “You know, Sarah, this won’t do.” And so it was actually Wilson who coined the term “alloparent,” because he felt we needed something a little more dignified than calling them “monkey aunts and uncles.” (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

stump n. In place of two Silverstein behemoths, each designed by a British lord and soaring 79 stories, the PA would erect a pair of short, squat buildings no taller than four or five floors—coined “stumps”—that could be used for retail shops, according to the proposal. (May. 14, 2009) [full citation…]

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