adjective Of or relating to the day before yesterday.
Etymology From Latin nudius tertius, literally, today is the third day.]
Usage "What dress the Queen is in this week: what the nudiustertian fashion of the court, I mean the very newest." — Nathaniel Ward; Simple Cobler of Aggawam; 1647.
noun One who feigns illness or other incapacity in order to avoid duty or work.
Etymology From French malingre, sickly.
Usage "But all you need to know about Rodriguez is that when a backswing from a bat broke his jaw a couple of years ago, he missed only one game. He is absolutely no malingerer." — Jim Reeves, Injured Pudge might feel relief, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jul 26, 2000.
Etymology Alteration of the name Bethlehem, a hospital for the insane in London.
Notes The Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem in London, now known as Bethlem Royal Hospital, is the oldest hospital for treating the mentally ill. The treatment was not always what's considered the norm today. At one time the "sane" used to go see the "insane" as if in a zoo -- there was an admission ticket. See the art of the hospital inmates at The Bethlem Gallery.
Usage "As estimates of the Haitian death toll topped 100,000 Friday, government officials here scrambled to reach more than 1,400 Canadians who are still unaccounted for amidst the rubble and bedlam in that country." — Les Whittington; 1,415 Canadians Missing; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 16, 2010.
noun: The world of impoverished journalists and literary hacks.
Etymology After Grub Street in London where such writers lived.
Notes In 17th century London, Grub Street near Moorfields was the place to find impoverished writers. Even though this street was renamed Milton Street in 1830, the world of hack writers is still known as Grub Street. The inhabitants of this now metaphorical place churn out words without any regard for their literary merit. They were often called penny-a-liners. A Grub Street writer is also called a hack writer, which is another London allusion: Hackney in East London, was the place where horses suitable for routine riding or driving were raised. The word hack, in related senses, is a short form of hackney. As any writer would tell you, publishing is a long and slow journey, but according to Google Maps it's only five minutes from Grub Street to Fleet Street.
Usage "To succeed in journalism, the late Nicholas Tomalin once wrote, you need three qualities: 'a ratlike cunning, a plausible manner, and a little literary ability'. ... There are still some aspects of the Grub Street trade that can be learnt with a little application." — Stephen Jones; Times Educational Supplement; Nightmare on Grub Street; Sep 14, 2007.
Etymology After Fleet Street in London, once the center of British journalism. Even though most of the news agencies have moved away from the street, its name continues to be synonymous with the British newspaper industry. The street is named after the River Fleet, now flowing underground.
Usage "Welcome to the liveliest fight on Fleet Street. In the blue corner, we have Rupert Murdoch, chief executive of News Corp. In the red corner, Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian. Each wants to knock out the other's vision of the future of journalism." —Eric Pfanner; Free vs. Paid, Murdoch vs. Rusbridger; The New York Times; Feb 7, 2010.
noun: A court or group marked by arbitrary, oppressive, and secretive procedures.
Etymology After the Star Chamber in the Palace of Westminster in London. It was the site of a closed-door court appointed by King Henry VII of England in the 15th century. Notorious for its abuse of power -- rulings made in secret, no appeal -- it was abolished by the Long Parliament in 1641. The chamber was so named because its ceiling was decorated with stars.
Usage"'This is the most incredible Star Chamber proceeding, the most incredible lack of due process I've ever heard of,' Mitchelson said. 'I'm the alleged perpetrator, and I was not even invited.'" — Edward J. Boyer; Mitchelson Angry, Vows to Block Aid for Two Women; The Los Angeles Times; Jan 25, 1989.