Word: fad
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Suddenly the discreetly worded ads are popping up everywhere. Starkly simple copper bracelets, the pitchmen proclaim, are now being worn in the very best of circles. Jet setters, film stars, top athletes and even a few sober members of the upper bourgeoisie have taken to the fad. Why? Though the ads say nothing about it, to avoid the laws against false and misleading advertising claims, the beautiful people are convinced that the copper bangles* will miraculously alleviate the pain of a variety of ailments, ranging from arthritis to sciatica to chronic backache...
...theory that it is difficult to kick a victim if one's boots are flopping and one's trousers are dropping-but bootlaces and braces are not all that difficult to replace. The only resolution, it would seem, will come when Britain produces a still newer youth fad. In the meantime, Vidal Sassoon's Mayfair salon has capitalized on the current one by offering skinhead hairdos to London's trendiest ladies...
...purpose of the academic fad, Willson explained, is to determine under what conditions a thrown egg will break. "For example, we can try and find out if the eggs break more easily when thrown onto grass at different angles or when spun. Now that the children's interest is aroused, there will be no stopping the questions." He was right. When only two of the 23 eggs thrown at Willson broke upon hitting the grass, his pupils were incredulous. "My mum won't understand this experiment," said a 13-year-old girl. "She is always dropping eggs...
...part upon whether the public sentiment mobilized last week will endure to force change, whether Americans will sustain their interest in the longer and duller tasks of cleaning up the land. Says George Wiley, director of the National Welfare Rights Association: "I hope this movement is not a fad, but the signs are not encouraging." Still, there are a few hopeful signs. A Harris poll published last week indicated that Americans, by a margin of 54% to 34%, are willing to pay more taxes to finance air-and water-pollution control. Three years ago, the public opposed such extra taxes...
...Japanese have a genius for embellishment-often to excess. This proclivity, which they have already demonstrated in commerce, manners and entertainment, was extended last weak to the recent Western fad of skyjacking. The seat-belt sign had just flashed off aboard Japanese Airlines' Flight 351 from Tokyo to Fukuoka when nine young men strategically stationed throughout the crowded aircraft suddenly sprang to their feet. At first some passengers thought that it was only some kind of show or trick. Then the youths pulled out daggers and short, curved samurai swords. Some of them shouted, "We are the Red Army...