S-O
I was today years old when I reailzed — not learned, just realized — that the name Esso comes from Standard Oil.
SINATRA, not a word
I think a Strands constructor was having fun.
Barry Sachs
One bit of instrument naming I can’t stand: “bari sax.” No one says “al sax” or “ten sax.” Why “bari sax”?
Word of the day: flea-bane
Flea-bane, bane of fleas!
Yoda, n.
“Yoda” is a new addition to the Oxford English Dictionary.
The plurals of Prius
“A current television commercial for the Toyota Prius avows, aloud and on the screen, that ninety percent of ‘Prius’ are still on the road. Toyota must be reluctant to use its chosen plural form, the ungainly Prii.”
Poem v. story, sidewalk v. floor
A poem is not a story. A sidewalk is not a floor.
Eponym of the day: satyr
The Greeks have nearly swept A.Word.A.Day’s week of eponyms.
Eponym of the day: hector
“Hector is a brave and dutiful character, but unfortunately his name is now sullied in the language.”
A week of eponyms
From A.Word.A.Day
Word of the day: namby-pamby
From 18th-century poetry wars