Michael in San Diego, California, plays a game with his three-year-daughter that involves spotting small round property markers in the sidewalk, which he calls bozo buttons. His mother played the same game as a youngster, but calls those metal discs...
A listener in Plaza, North Dakota, says he tried to signal some teenagers to lower their car window by moving his fist in a circle, but since they grew up with push-button window controls, they didn’t understand the gesture. What’s the...
A listener in Bonifay, Florida, says when she was young and asked her mother what she was doing, her mother would respond “I’m stacking greased bb’s with boxing gloves on.” This nonsensical phrase is part of a long tradition...
method costumier n.— «The competition for the Best Costume Oscar is as fierce as in any of the acting categories. One of the 13 nominations achieved by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button went to Jacqueline West, who is known in Hollywood...
jugate n.— «According to Warlick, the popularity of a president, the quantity of buttons produced and the design content are key factors. Buttons with photographs are always more sought after by collectors. Buttons that include both the...
belly button n. a person or unit in charge of, or the source of information for, a task or operation. Editorial Note: The “belly button” in the 1987 and 1994 citations is variably given in press reports as the name of a secret trust fund...