The One Big Happy from May 11th, in which Ruthie discovers that there are contractions and then there are contractions: From NOAD: verb contract: [no object] decrease in size, number, or range noun contraction [-(t)ion nominalization of the verb]: [a] the process of becoming smaller: the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale. [process nominalization] [b] the process … Continue reading contractions