In Search of A Word

I’ve been thinking about all the black-and-white things I’ve been posting here — this anserine bird, these scacchic pieces below, and of course, the impossibly cute Butterstick the panda. I’m musing about a good word for anything that’s similarly black-and-white. That’s why I was reminded of piebald.

I’d like to propose the word melanoleucine. The panda’s scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca (literally, “cat-foot black-white”). And I like the sound of melanoleucine. As in, “Hey, want to stop by the deli and pick up some of those melanoleucine cookies?”

Plus, pandas are pretty darn cute. (Haven’t had enough of a panda fix yet? Try Pandafix.)