In this episode: How colors got their names, and a strange way to write. The terms blue and orange arrived in English via French, so why didn’t we also adapt the French for black and white? • Not every example of writing goes in one direction...
Are there words and phrases that you misunderstood for an embarrassingly long time? Maybe you thought that money laundering literally meant washing drug-laced dollar bills, or that AM radio stations only broadcast in the morning? • A moving new...
The language and melodies of military marching songs connect grown children with their parents who served, as do parents’ love letters from World War II. Plus, “running a sandy” describes an awkward love triangle and Northern Spy...
Greetings! In our latest show, we talk about an expression familiar to many African-Americans but little known outside that community, "I couldn't buy a louse in a wrestling jacket." Also, what does it mean if your dog is...
bunny money n.— «It’s what I call bunny money—you sucker in some last people to try and see if you can save the inevitable. If Bridgecorp was going under… they should have frozen the money.» —“Bridgecorp takes ‘bunny money’...
she-jay n.— «With the help of postings on MySpace, word of mouth and Portland DJ Sew What (Fran Siriphan), a DJ and club booker who came on board about a month ago, Barry’s weekly gig has been able to showcase different female DJs each...