Foxy, Catty, Fishy: Are These Traits For Animals Or Humans?
How did these animal terms come to mean traits about humans?
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bad to the bone
Inspired by the title and lyrics of American musician George Thorogood’s 1982 song, bad to the bone can mean rebellious in an exciting, attractive way as well as irredeemably bad. -
plata o plomo
Plata o plomo is a Colombian Spanish slang phrase that translates to “silver or lead.” A person saying the phrase is telling the listener to either accept a bribe (plata, meaning “silver,” a common slang… -
Magcon
Between 2013–17, Magcon was an event featuring young online stars from platforms like Instagram and the former Vine who toured the US to meet their fans. The name joins the initials of meet and greet… -
gender-fluid
Gender-fluid refers to a nonbinary gender identity or gender expression that’s not fixed and is capable of changing over time. -
Sharingan
In the anime and manga series Naruto, the Sharingan is an ability that allows a ninja to copy, by mere sight, their opponents’ techniques while gaining incredible reflexes and perceptive abilities. -
Mach 1
A Mach number is the ratio of an object's speed in a given medium to the speed of sound in that medium. Mach 1, then, is the speed of sound, around 761 mph at sea level… -
skywalkers
Skywalkers can refer to a family of characters from the Star Wars franchise, people (especially Mohawk peoples) who work in construction of bridges, towers, and skyscrapers, or people who climb tall structures for thrills or… -
Bompton
Bompton is a nickname for the Los Angeles-area city of Compton, California used by members of the Bloods gang. It can also be used to describe neighborhoods in Compton associated with the Bloods. -
existential crisis
An existential crisis is a psychological episode in which a person questions the meaning of their life and of existence itself. -
milkshake
From a 2003 pop song of the same name, milkshake is a slang term for an attribute that makes a woman stand out. -
GIR
GIR is a robot character from the TV show Invader Zim who is typically disguised as a green dog. He often behaves in unpredictable and strange ways.