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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vesel sink n. “Vessel sink” is a term for a basin that sits on top of the counter or is slightly recessed within the supporting cabinetry. (May. 1, 2008) [full citation…]

anticipointment n. WPXI news director Corrie Harding acknowledged there’s a term for teasing stories that don’t deliver: “anticipointment.” “If we make a story sound like the second coming and tease it four times and it’s really nothing by the time we get there” that leads to anticipointment, Harding said. Stations don’t set out to aggravate viewers, but as WTAE news director Bob Longo notes, TV is also a business. (May. 1, 2008) [full citation…]

staycation n. Ann Mack may be on to something with her idea of a summer “staycation” to replace a long-distance vacation. The high cost of gasoline, the economic downturn and the weakness of the dollar make long-distance road travel in the United States or a trip to Europe problematic for many people. As you’d expect from an upbeat advertising executive, she puts a bright face on her concept. “People are rediscovering the backyard… and putting more investment in their homes, so they can think of it as their oasis rather than a place (just) to live,” she says. (Apr. 30, 2008) [full citation…]

black blind n. It’s a common misconception among people that if someone is blind they can’t see at all n what is known as “black blind.” That, however, is not true for the majority of the blind and visually impaired n most have extremely limited vision. (Apr. 30, 2008) [full citation…]

Noah’s ark clause n. She was just in time for the rules to be changed, and women to be allowed to serve on Navy ships. Gilbride was one of two women serving alongside 1,200 men aboard the USS Frank Cable, a submarine fleet support vessel. “They affectionately called this ‘the Noah’s Ark clause,’” she laughed. (Apr. 30, 2008) [full citation…]

vegecurious adj. Tomerlin says about half of Spiral’s customers aren’t vegetarian, but folks she dubs “vegecurious” (sounds vaguely naughty). She advises first-timers to start with more entry-level dishes such as the taco salad or chopped barbecue sandwich. (Apr. 30, 2008) [full citation…]

biobigotry n. Biobigotry is different from the impulse to avoid organisms that can hurt or sicken us, like yellow jackets, mosquitoes or poison ivy, or to fend off traditional household pests like mice and roaches. Rather, it is the dislike we direct toward creatures that live outdoors and generally mind their own business, but that behave in ways we find rude, irritating, selfish or contemptible. (Apr. 29, 2008) [full citation…]

sister wife n. Wives married to the same man call themselves “sister wives.” The multiple children created by these families call all of the women “mother.” That’s part of the reason Texas is DNA testing the children—because they’re still having a hard time sorting these families out. (Apr. 29, 2008) [full citation…]

raise n. Stephen Green, a former Corporal who served in the British army for 9 years and was also a UN peacekeeper, was battered to death by 4 yobs doing a “raise.” A raise is common street slang for a robbery with the purpose of raising cash. (Apr. 29, 2008) [full citation…]

operacy n. In fact, argument and criticism—the tools of philosophers and thinkers in any serious field of knowledge—are to be dispensed with in the de Bono outlook, since they apparently lead to a “dangerous arrogance.” Instead, de Bono wants us to focus on positive, creative thinking and, as he calls it, “operacy.” By “operacy,” he means “the skills of doing.” He warns us: “On a personal level, youngsters who do not acquire the skills of operacy will need to remain in an academic setting.” (Apr. 29, 2008) [full citation…]

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