"Goldilocks zone" -- not in OED

[Ben Zimmer]

On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 11:37 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> "Goldilocks zone" -- the ring around a sun where the surface
> temperature on a planet is not to hot, not to cold* -- is not in
> OED3.  Now that "Astronomers reported that there could be as many as
> 40 billion habitable Earth-size planets in the galaxy, based on a new
> analysis of data from NASA's Kepler spacecraft", perhaps it might be
> "Galactic Term of the Year".  [NYTimes, on-line Nov. 4 (corrected
> Nov. 5) or paper Nov. 5, A1/1 (NE Edition).]

My latest Wall Street Journal column (and Word Routes followup) is all
about Goldilocks planets, zones, economies, and other attributive
uses.

http://on.wsj.com/goldibz
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/wordroutes/a-well-traveled-metaphor-goldilocks-visits-many-houses/

--bgz

--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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