Appetizers Archives – A Way with Words

JoJo Potato Wedges

Posted by Grant Barrett on March 21, 2020 · Add Comment

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What am I, Chopped Liver?

Posted by Grant Barrett on June 9, 2018 · Add Comment

A woman in Reno, Nevada, wonders about the expression, “What am I, chopped liver?” Chopped liver is a traditional Jewish dish that’s always a side item, never the main course. Speaking of traditional Jewish foods, the term schmaltzy, meaning overly sentimental, derives from the Yiddish term shmaltz, which means chicken or goose fat. This is [...]
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Spanish Idioms

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 7, 2018 · Add Comment

In English, if someone’s terrified, we might say they are shaking like a leaf. In Spanish, the phrase is temblar como un flan, or to tremble like a flan, the dessert dish. The Spanish phrase darle la vuelta a la tortilla literally means to flip the tortilla, but metaphorically it means to turn the tide, [...]
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All Verklempt

Posted by Grant Barrett on October 30, 2017 · Add Comment

Of all the letters in the alphabet, which two or three are your favorites? If your short list includes one or more of your initials, that’s no accident. Psychological research shows we’re drawn to the letters in our name. • If you doubt that people have always used coarse language, just check out the graffiti [...]
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Bruschetta Pronunciation

Posted by Grant Barrett on October 28, 2017 · Add Comment

Bruschetta is the Italian bread soaked with olive oil and topped with savory ingredients. But how do you pronounce it? With a k sound or a sh sound? Although there are two widespread pronunciations, because it’s not fully anglicized, bruschetta is best pronounced as broo-SKETT-ah. This is part of a complete episode.
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Hummuses

Posted by grantbarrett on May 15, 2015 · Add Comment

The plural of hummus isn’t easy to pin down, because although the word’s ending looks like a Latin singular, it’s actually Arabic. For waiters and party hosts serving multiple plates of hummus, it’s not wrong to say hummuses, but plates of hummus will do just fine. This is part of a complete episode.
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