Style this!

Pity the New York Times. But not because of the Blair fiasco. Or the Bragg scandal. Or even the Miller-Burns spat. No, what's got us talking is how the paper of record recently found itself doing backflips trying to define certain terms not normally seen in its pages. While we're all for modesty and propriety here at BOBW, in these particular instances we can't help but note that the incognoscenti would have had no idea what the writers were talking about.

Both stories were printed on May 23. The first was a piece by Kefela Sanneh about a new female rap band, and in particular their hit song "Cameltoe."

Cameltoe [he writes] is slang for a fashion faux pas caused by women wearing snug pants; the term suggests a visual analogy.

We assume that Mr. Sanneh would have used a term like "front-wedgie" had the Times style police allowed it. He does note that the band is more explicit than he can be:

The song's lyrics explain the condition more forthrightly: 'Girl, that gotta hurt, take some time and adjust/ Can't you see people staring and making a fuss?'

Note too that the female rap band that sings the song "Cameltoe" is named "Fannypack." (Translation for our readers across the pond: this refers to an strange American fashion choice, not a strange American sexual practice.)

But even less clear was this line, in the very same issue, found in a review of "Tipping the Velvet," a rather silly, though fun, BBC miniseries (based on the terrific book by Sarah Waters):

'Tipping the Velvet'' takes its title from a Victorian term for a sexual act common among lesbians...

well, sure, and some non-lesbians, too... but does that really narrow it down?

Oh for the innocent days when New York Times style gymnastics related mostly to a certain rotund pomp rocker: Mr Loaf.