Sublime
An inspiration engine for ideas
Dictionary dump (unformatted): a/an : “A was modified from the Egyptian hieroglyph representing the eagle. In Hebrew it was an ox, and in Greek it was a “symbol of a bad AUGURY in the sacrifices.” The distinction between a/an happened around the 1300s. aardvark : South African “earth pig” aaron’s serpent : “something so powerful as to swallow up
... See moreOriginally, a geek was the objectionable character in a circus sideshow whose talent primarily consisted of biting the heads off chickens or eating bugs down in the “geek pit.”11 And the literal meaning of dork is “penis” (first used in 1961 to the best of my knowledge)12—not something most tasteful people would discuss in civilized conversation.
Frank Luntz • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
The term “girl” came into popular usage in England in the 1880s to describe working-class unmarried women who occupied an emerging social space between childhood and adulthood. Not quite a child, she was childlike in that she had yet to become a wife or mother, the type of modern urbanite who engaged in “frivolous” pursuits like consumption,
... See moreAshley Mears • Very Important People: Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit
Why Nerds are Unpopular
paulgraham.comIrony is a fancy word for saying “the opposite of that which is perceived.”
