Terminology

Terminology

Cat Calling

by Ibn Khalawayh,

From a list of names for lions compiled in the tenth century by Ibn Khalawayh, an Arabic lexicographer. Names of the Lion will be published next month by Wave Books.…

Fair-Weather Fiends

by Bert Vaux,

From a list of phrases used in various languages to describe a sun-shower, the phenomenon of the sun shining while it rains. The phrases were compiled by Bert Vaux, a…

From message-board comments posted on the website of Seattle’s Mars Hill megachurch under the name William Wallace II, recently revealed to be the church’s pastor and cofounder Mark Driscoll. Driscoll…

Racial Profiling

by Christian Rudder,

From a list of words used least often by Latino men, relative to other men, in personal profiles on the dating website OkCupid. Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think…

By Any Other Name

From terms of address in The Animals: Love Letters Between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, edited by Katherine Bucknell, published last month by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Isherwood met Bachardy,…

The language of work

by Mark Kingwell,

69 across

by Harper’s Staff,

Words into hype

by Chris Offutt,

Terms of enslavement

by Harper’s Staff,

Goblet of Jam Madness

by Harper’s Staff,

The following “street terms” for marijuana can be found on the website of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Airplane Assassin of youth Astroturf Baby Bammy Bo…

Berlitz for the brothel

by Harper’s Staff,

From the Archive

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Cat Calling

Fair-Weather Fiends

Son of Manliness

Racial Profiling

By Any Other Name

The language of work

69 across

Words into hype

Terms of enslavement

Goblet of Jam Madness

Berlitz for the brothel