ArchiveOctober 2014

Electric Hootenanny (episode #1409)

Bathroom walls, missing graffiti, and social media. Where have all the cute quips on bathroom stalls gone?  We wonder about the apparent decline of restroom graffiti. Are people saving their witticisms for Twitter and Facebook?  And: If there were a...

Derp

Many kids are saying derp in place of duh, and the phenomenon is largely due to Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s use of the term in their movie Baseketball and their television show South Park. This is part of a complete episode.

Shinrin-Yoku

Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese term for walking around in the woods that literally means “a forest bath” is a beautiful descriptor for what a hike should be—an opportunity to stroll through nature and wash off the stress of everyday life...

In a Car vs. On a Train

It’s largely because of the way we feel while riding in a car or on a train that we use the prepositions in a car and on a train. This is part of a complete episode.

Segal’s Law

Segal’s Law states, “A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure.” This is part of a complete episode.

The Many Meanings of Hootenanny

A hootenanny, commonly thought of as a party in Appalachia, is also a term for German pancakes. But when you look in the Dictionary of American Regional English, you’ll notice that hootenanny is synonymous with doohickey or thingamajig, and...

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