When I see a front gap between teeth I think of David Letterman and Lauren Hutton. Showing my age aren’t I? But did you know that gap has a name? It’s diastema.
In general that means a gap in teeth. If you are speaking in zoological terms it is the space that occurs between types of teeth say incisors and grinding teeth. BUT when you are referring to humans it means that gap… you know that one in the front there… that’s a diastema.
This is no news to my fellow geeks that love fonts. That’s not a dot on your i it’s a tittle. Yep, that’s the real word for it. Why it is call that I don’t know. Maybe when putting the tittle there it’s titillating for some? Sorry, I had to have fun with this word for an object we all know we use a generic word for, but has a very real specific name. So font geeks I tip my hat to you for teaching us about our own language. Thank you.
That cardboard sleeve you get to keep the hot coffee in comfortably in your grasp has a name. It’s a Zarf. That’s a cool word. Fun to say. Starts with a Z. English doesn’t have enough Z words so please don’t let it die. Don’t ask for a cardboard sleeve ask for a Zarf… keep the word alive. Without use words dies and Zarf is too cool to suffer such a fate.
We are all familar with the sideways eight representing infinity. It has become popluar in tattoos and jewelry. So much so we refer to it as the ‘infinity symbol.’ But saying that is going the long way around the barn, the symbol acutally has a name lemniscate. So next time you want a tattoo or bracelet ask for the lemniscate.
Mary Louise Eklund 