Omicron (AH-muh-kraan/OH-mee-kraan): The newly named Covid variant. The New York Times separately weighed in on this one: "In the United States, it is often pronounced 'AH-muh-kraan', Merriam-Webster says. Less common are 'OH-mee-kraan', as Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain pronounced it, or 'OH-my-kraan'."
Stefanos Tsitsipas (STEH-fuh-nohs TSEE-tsee-pas): Currently ranked as the world's No. 4 tennis player, the Greek athlete rose to international prominence when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final of the French Open in June.
Yassify (YEAH-sih-fai): A popular trend in which multiple beauty filters are applied to well-known pictures or portraits for comic effect.
Persistent picker
"There is a flower thief abroad in Grey Lynn and Ponsonby, stealing irises as they bloom," writes Graham. "Before and after photos of our verge, replicated throughout the area. A day or so after the flowers appear someone, under cover of the night, snips all the blooms and takes them away. It's all done very neatly but stops the plants creating seed pods and thus propagating."
Maybe they want to make some floral concoction - is this a crazy drug fiend? Or the wooing of a girlfriend.? Any other Grey Lynners noticed this?
enhanced camels can't compete
There's no swimsuit component at this beauty pageant, but contestants are expected to be perfect specimens of physical beauty. Every year, Saudi Arabia holds the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Riyadh. This is the world's most prestigious beauty pageant for camels. Now, tragically, this contest has been racked with scandal. The Associated Press reports that pageant authorities have expelled more than 40 participants due to artificial enhancements, including hormones to increase muscle mass, botox to increase lip volume, and fillers to shape the camels' faces into relaxed expressions. These camels will be unable to compete and secure the $66 million in prize money.
